Cholesterol gets a pretty bad rap. This is because almost 40% of adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol, which puts you at risk for heart disease, stroke, and even diabetes.

However, some cholesterol is important for overall health, and our bodies produce it naturally. Understanding how cholesterol works and where it comes from is key to staying healthy.

Let’s break down the basics:

What is cholesterol?

Simply put, cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the body. It is also found in many of the foods you eat, especially meat, poultry, and full-fat dairy products. When you eat a diet high in saturated and trans fats, your liver produces more cholesterol.

While your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods, excess cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in the blood and can lead to buildup on the walls of a person’s arteries. Over time, this buildup causes the arteries to narrow and makes it difficult for blood to flow through.

Not all cholesterol is bad

You’ve probably heard of “good” and “bad” cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is considered “bad” because it contributes to plaque. This thick, hard deposit can clog arteries, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is considered “good” because it helps remove LDL from the arteries.

Getting tested

High cholesterol has no symptoms, so staying up-to-date on screenings is essential. Screening for high cholesterol involves having blood drawn to be analyzed in a lab. This used to include fasting for 12-18 hours before blood is drawn, but updated guidelines no longer require fasting.

The blood test measures your level of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Triglycerides are a different type of fat found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides, which are stored in your fat cells. When your body needs energy, it uses the triglycerides. However, high triglyceride levels also contribute to poor cardiovascular health.

What’s a normal cholesterol level?

Many providers focus on cardiovascular risk, including age, gender, smoking status, blood pressure, and the absence or presence of diabetes when determining an ideal cholesterol level. For healthy adults, the goal is typically to keep total cholesterol under 200, LDL under 100, and HDL above 60.

Diet, exercise, and lowering your cholesterol

Many factors can impact your cholesterol levels, but the major influences include diet, weight, physical activity, gender, and genetics. While there are drug treatment options for individuals with very high cholesterol, healthy lifestyle habits are the best ways to keep your levels in check.

For example, 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise like brisk walking, swimming, or biking, three to four times a week, is enough to lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure. Changes in your diet can also be helpful. Incorporating heart-healthy, fiber-rich foods such as oatmeal, Brussels sprouts, beans, or sweet potatoes can positively affect your HDL while reducing LDL. Other cholesterol-friendly foods include avocado, oranges, pears, grapefruit, apples, soy nuts, and okra.

While you should always consult your provider before drastically changing your diet, the American Heart Association provides cooking tips to help you prepare heart-healthy meals. These meals could help improve your cholesterol levels by reducing excess saturated and trans fat.

When you can find a system that works with your lifestyle, whether it be medication, diet, exercise, or a combination of all three, you are on your way to healthy cholesterol and improved heart health.