Cholesterol is meant to benefit your body, not harm it. In healthy amounts, it helps build cells and cell membranes, and produces hormones such as estrogen. It can pose a health hazard when your LDL -- low-density lipoprotein -- becomes too high, attaching itself to the walls of your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease.
Significance
The American Heart Association says that LDL levels are affected by your diet. Knowing which fats raise LDL is the first step in lowering your risk for heart disease. These include saturated and trans fats, and the amount of cholesterol you consume each day. The recommended cholesterol guidelines are a way to treat and prevent high LDL levels.
Features
When you have high cholesterol, limit your cholesterol intake to 300mg per day to help prevent the development of heart disease, according to MayoClinic.com. If you already have heart disease, the recommended amount falls to 200mg in an effort to control your condition and prevent the occurrence of a heart attack or stroke.
Reduce Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are also high in cholesterol. To reduce your cholesterol intake and stay within the recommended intake, reduce your consumption of red meat, whole-fat dairy and eggs. Replace these foods with skinless poultry or fish, non-fat dairy products and egg whites or egg substitutes. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to 7 percent of your total calories each day.
Read Food Labels
Check for cholesterol content of processed foods by reading food labels. Keep in mind what the amount of cholesterol is per serving. If the amount of cholesterol is 20mg per serving and you consume two servings, you are eating twice the amount of cholesterol listed on the label.
Prevention/Solution
Staying within the recommended cholesterol guidelines is easier when you eat fresh fruits and vegetables -- these do not contain cholesterol and help absorb the cholesterol in your blood because of the fiber they contain. Whole grains offer the same benefits and include foods such as oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and whole-grain bread.
