We often hear information from dietitians and physicians about health concerns due to improper eating habits. Lower cholesterol levels are one of the objectives they recommend for maintaining health. We also read articles about good health and wellness, which typically give the same advice. Information about cholesterol and achieving lower cholesterol provides us with details and specifics on how we further endow ourselves with healthy living.

Cholesterol is a lipid found in the cell membranes of our tissues, produced by the liver and transported in the blood plasma. It has a deep impact on our health. The optimum cholesterol ratio should be 3.5 or at least less than 5. If our cholesterol intake is increased, and our cholesterol level is over the optimum level then more cholesterol will be circulating in our blood stream.

The bad type of cholesterol is the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which in excess can become deposited on the walls of our arteries that provide blood supply to the heart and brain. The good type of cholesterol is the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which helps to reduce the levels of LDL and therefore maintain the optimum balance between the two types.

The cholesterol in our body comes from two sources. About 70% of what we need is manufactured by the liver, and the remainder comes from our diet. We obtain the dietary cholesterol from animal products and dairy products. So a diet with a high content of these products can have the effect or raising our cholesterol to beyond optimum levels. It is the fats in animal and dairy products that contain most of the cholesterol.

Fats essentially are of two types - saturated and unsaturated.

The saturated fats are the ones that raise LDL cholesterol levels. Another particularly bad type of fat is called trans fat. This is a manufactured fat from the unsaturated type of fat that has been put through a process called hydrogenation in order to convert its consistency from an oily liquid form to a semi solid form. A good example of this is margarine.

The unsaturated fats can be broken into two categories - polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Both of these categories can actually help us to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

The polyunsaturated fats come in two types - Omega 3 and Omega 6. You may have heard about these terms and not really understood what they meant. They are also known as essential fats or essential fatty acids. This name gives you the hint that they are actually essential to our body. In fact they cannot be manufactured by the body and do need to be consumed from the food we eat.

Omega 6 is typically found in some vegetable and seed oils. Omega 3 is found in oily fish and other varieties of seed oils.

The monounsaturated fats are typically found in such things as olive oil, canola oil, avocado and nuts. These fats actually help the body to lower the level of LDL circulating in the body. The polyunsaturated fats do the same but may also lower the level of HDL at the same time.

So it is important to be aware that your cholesterol level is affected by the particular type of fats you eat. That doesn't mean you don't eat any fats. Because as I have made clear there are certain fats that your body needs and that will help to maintain the proper balance of cholesterol.

The American Heart Association recommends intake of total fat to between 25 and 35 percent, saturated fat consumption to less than 7 percent and intake of trans fat to less than 1 percent of the total daily calories.

Lifestyle changes can also help in management and maintenance of lower cholesterol levels. These include changing diet, losing weight, exercising and quitting smoking.

It is also important to know the treatments and drugs that are available for lowering cholesterol should your doctor make medication recommendations for you to follow. Your knowledge will help you work with your doctor to develop a cholesterol treatment regimen that will work for you.