How can I lower my cholesterol?

“Cholesterol is a type of blood fat, which is made in the liver. It’s found in some foods, too,” says Tina Dawson, lipid specialist nurse at cholesterol charity, Heart UK. “We all need cholesterol in our bodies to keep us ticking over, but too much in the blood clogs up arteries and leads to health problems.”

- James Witts

That “ticking over” includes building the structure of cell membranes, making hormones and helping your metabolism. But the problems start when cholesterol levels are too high. “Cholesterol can’t travel in the blood on its own, so it’s carried in little parcels of fats and proteins called ‘lipoproteins,” Dawson adds. “There are two main types, known as low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL cholesterol is sometimes known as ‘bad cholesterol’ because excess causes that clogging. HDL cholesterol is known as ‘good cholesterol’ because it carries that excess cholesterol to your liver to be broken down.”

If the surplus isn’t broken down, it's laid down on the walls of your arteries - the large blood vessels that carry blood around your body - and can form plaques. These harden over time, stiffening and narrowing the arteries. “This process is called atherosclerosis,” says Dawson. “Your blood can't then flow around your body as easily and this can lead to cardiovascular disease - heart attacks and strokes.”