There is a lot of talk about reducing your cholesterol intake these days. Don’t eat this, or don’t eat that. But why do we want to lower our amount, and how does it help us in the long run?

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance that is found within the bloodstream. It concentrates among the lipids, or fats, and in all your blood cells. Despite all the talk of the dangers, not all cholesterol is bad for you – some is needed to remain healthy since it is used to form cell membranes, and aid in the production of hormones.

There are two types of cholesterol: LDL (bad) cholesterol, and HDL (good) cholesterol, neither of which can dissolve in the blood. They both need lipoproteins that help move them around.

LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the main carrier of cholesterol. When you have too much of this type of cholesterol in your diet the excess can form around the walls of your arteries, building up like plaque on your teeth. As the amount of this plaque grows, so too does the danger of experiencing a heart attack, or suffering from angina. The blood that flows gets restricted and if a chunk of it falls of the wall and moves further down the artery it offers danger of clotting – which can be fatal.

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the good cholesterol. Roughly a quarter of our blood is carried by HDL. The medical world is finding evidence that HDL works as a transporter that moves cholesterol away from the arteries and into the liver where it can be processed. A diet with a high level of HDL is believed to help prevent heat attack.

Naturally you want to lessen the amount of bad cholesterol in your diet. Foods that are high in saturated fats – processed foods or fast-foods – and foods have high levels of refined sugars or grains like white bread should be avoided. Eating a diet that is rich in fiber, fruits and vegetable may help prevent the risk of heart disease, as will supplementing yourself with the appropriate health products.