Types of Cholesterol

If you're like most people, you probably think that cholesterol comes from the food you eat. But dietary cholesterol is just a small part of the cholesterol story. There are actually several different types of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream — and most of them are produced by your liver. Some types of cholesterol are good for you and others can be harmful.

If you have too much of one type of cholesterol or not enough of another, you're at greater risk for serious health problems. Understanding the different types of cholesterol and their role in the body will help you make the right decisions about managing your cholesterol levels.

What causes high blood cholesterol?

The causes of high blood cholesterol are complex. Your family history, age and even your gender can put you at risk for high cholesterol. Find out more about the risk factors for high cholesterol and their impact on your long-term health.

Good and bad cholesterol

Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream attached to certain proteins. This combination of cholesterol and protein is called a lipoprotein. When you hear people talking about "bad" and "good" cholesterol, they are usually referring to the two major types of lipoproteins:

Low-density lipoproteins or LDL cholesterol carry cholesterol from your liver to the rest of your body, where it is used for cell growth and repair.

But, if you have too much LDL in your bloodstream, cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries, forming deposits called plaque. Plaque deposits can narrow your arteries, restricting the flow of blood to your heart. This narrowing process is called atherosclerosis.

Plaque can also break off from the artery walls, forming blood clots that may cause heart attack, stroke or sudden death. Because high levels of LDL can put you at risk for heart disease and other serious illnesses, it is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol. Your goal should be to keep your LDL levels low.

High-density lipoproteins or HDL cholesterol remove LDL cholesterol from your arteries and carry it back to the liver, where it is eliminated as waste.

HDL is known as "good" cholesterol because it reduces the amount of LDL in your bloodstream and helps prevent plaque from building up in your arteries. Keeping your HDL levels high helps protect your heart from disease.

Dietary and blood cholesterol

Dietary cholesterol is found in foods of animal origin, such as dairy products, egg yolks, poultry, red meat and certain types of shellfish. Foods that come from plants, such as grains, fruit and vegetables, can contain trace amounts of dietary cholesterol.

The cholesterol in your bloodstream comes from two sources: dietary cholesterol (20%) and cholesterol that is produced naturally by your body (80%). Your body tries to maintain a healthy balance between these two types of cholesterol. When you eat more cholesterol than you need, your body usually compensates by manufacturing less cholesterol.

Dietary cholesterol does not increase risk of heart disease

Dietary cholesterol is one of the most misunderstood types of cholesterol. Some people limit eggs and other foods that contain dietary cholesterol because they are concerned about increasing their blood cholesterol levels. But major studies have shown that dietary cholesterol has very little effect on blood cholesterol in healthy adults.^3,4

Experts now agree that cholesterol absorbed from the food you eat does not increase heart disease risk.^2,5 It is the unhealthy saturated and trans fats in your diet that raise blood cholesterol levels and pose the greatest threat to heart health.³ Learn more about the link between fats, cholesterol and your health.

You don't have to limit dietary cholesterol

eggs heart-healthy image, cholesterol and foods: types of cholesterol If you are healthy and eating a well-balanced diet, you don't have to limit your dietary cholesterol. In fact, avoiding nutritious foods like eggs may actually do you more harm than good. Eggs contain 14 key nutrients that your body needs for good health. Learn more about the heart-healthy benefits of eggs.

Choose lower fat foods more often

Most healthy adults are able to maintain normal blood cholesterol levels simply by living a healthy lifestyle. One of the most important strategies for controlling your cholesterol levels is to keep your fat intake to 20% to 35% of total daily calories.⁶ That's about 60 to 105 grams of fat a day for a healthy man and 45 to 75 grams of fat a day for a healthy woman.

Dietary fat has a greater influence on raising your blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol.

Learn more about managing your cholesterol through healthy living.