Cholesterol is a fat that our bodies need to build the walls of our cells, and make hormones.  We produce it ourselves, but also get it from some of the foods we eat. While cholesterol essential to life too much floating around in our blood can be unhealthy and put us at risk of heart disease.

High levels of cholesterol in our blood can lead to plaques being formed on the lining of our blood vessels (atherosclerosis).  When these plaques build up over time they can damage the walls of the vessels, raise blood pressure by making a smaller gap in the vessel for blood to get through, or even block off the whole vessel.  If these plaques break off, they can float around in the blood stream and cause a blockage elsewhere possibly causing a stroke or a heart attack.

There are two types of cholesterol, bad and good –
LDL (Bad) cholesterol, which can block blood vessels
And HDL (Good) cholesterol which that helps to clear out these blockages and has a protective effect against heart disease.

While the total amount of cholesterol in our blood is important, the balance between LDL and HDL cholesterol in the blood is also important.  It is important that LDL levels are kept low, and HLD levels are high enough.

Cholesterol is found in animal products. Offal has higher amount of cholesterol than lean meat, and low fat dairy products are better options.  Changing from using saturated fats such as butter and animal fat to mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated fats can help to decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

Foods that increase HDL (good) cholesterol in our blood are; soluble fibre – such as that from fruit, vegetables and legumes, fish rich in omega-3 fatty acid such as salmon, monounsaturated oils.  Physical exercise and moderate consumption of alcohol also help to increase HDL cholesterol levels.

Lifestyle activities that decrease HDL (good) cholesterol include; smoking, eating large amounts of refined carbohydrates/sugars (added sugar, soft drinks), and eating foods high in cholesterol such as offal.

Although cholesterol is found in foods, the majority of the cholesterol found in our blood is cholesterol that is produced by our body. Some people produce a higher amount of cholesterol than others, so may eat very little cholesterol, but still have high levels in the blood. Others with high cholesterol might produce the normal amount of cholesterol, but eat lots of foods containing cholesterol.

For those with high cholesterol who have cut down cholesterol containing foods in their diet with no changes, medications may be necessary to help bring levels within a healthy range.