High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Research has shown that by lowering your blood cholesterol, you will greatly reduce your risk of heart disease.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance called a lipid that is found in all body cells.
Your liver makes all of the cholesterol your body needs to form cell membranes and to make certain hormones. Extra cholesterol enters your body when you eat foods that come from animals, like meats, eggs, and dairy products. Although we often blame the cholesterol found in foods that we eat for raising blood cholesterol, the main culprit is the saturated fat in our food. Foods rich in saturated fat include butter fat in milk products, fat from red meat, and tropical oils such as coconut oil. For example, lifestyle changes like changing your diet, beginning an exercise program, and taking cholesterol-lowering medicines are ways to lower your cholesterol level.