Cholesterol – like fats – has had a bad press. It’s extremely important for some functions. For example, forty percent of cholesterol is in your nervous system and acts as a brain stimulant. Cholesterol helps your kidneys to regulate your body’s blood volume, is used in stem cells for reproduction, synthesises bile salts that allow you to break down consumed fat, and synthesises vitamin D and steroid hormones. It has a vital role to play in maintaining your health. When dietary cholesterol is low, your body can synthesise its own cholesterol using your liver. Cholesterol is linked with coronary heart disease, hence its bad name – but studies show that this threat comes mainly from low density lipoproteins (LDL) gained from consuming too much animal fat (saturated fat) and trans fats. However, animal fat food types shouldn’t be ignored completely due to the vital role they play in our diet, we just need to eat them in moderation. To balance the LDL there are high density lipoproteins (HDL). These are far better for you and can be increased by eating polyunsaturated fats, drinking small amounts of alcohol, eating soluble fibre, and exercising.

Foods that contain cholesterol include meat, eggs, dairy, fish, and seafood. The ideal amount is 5.2 mmols (cholesterol is measured in millimoles per litre of plasma) or less.