Cholesterol?

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is not the same as fat. If you had a bit of cholesterol on the end of your finger, it would look like wax. The liver manufactures cholesterol and sends it out to other parts of the body for the production of hormones and cell membranes. Based on the results of the Framingham Heart Study and other research, the ideal cholesterol level is below 150 mg/dl.

Different Types of Cholesterol

When cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream, it is packed into low-density lipoproteins (LDL), sometimes called the “bad cholesterol” and high density lipoproteins (HDL) sometimes called the "good cholesterol" Although LDL is necessary in limited quantities (LDL delivers cholesterol to various parts of the body), a high LDL cholesterol level can dramatically increase your risk of a heart attack.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol

People can reduce their cholesterol levels dramatically by changing the foods they eat.
Decrease Cholesterol Intake Since our bodies make plenty of cholesterol for our needs, we do not need to add any in our diet. Cholesterol is found in all foods that come from animals: red meat, poultry, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products. All animal products should be avoided for this reason.

No foods from plants contain cholesterol, since plants do not have a liver to produce it.

Decrease Fat Intake, Especially Saturated Fats Keeping total fat intake low is an important way to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of other chronic diseases.

Animal products also contain saturated fat, which causes the liver to produce more cholesterol.