Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in the cells of your body. Too much cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries, increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke. The type and amount of fat in your diet can affect the cholesterol levels in your blood. Animal fats, which are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, can raise your cholesterol and should therefore be limited. These include fatty red meats, chicken skin, butter, full cream milk and high fat cheeses. Good fats (derived from plants) such as canola oil, olive oil and sunflower oil should replace animal fats where possible, but the intake of ALL types of fat should remain low.

You can improve your cholesterol levels by not smoking, exercising regularly (30 min exercise, on most days of the week) and following a healthy low fat diet.

To be healthy, your recommended total cholesterol should be < 5.0 mmol/L.