Not all cholesterol is bad. Some of it is aboslutely required. A few positive functions of cholesterol are helping to form cell membranes and certain hormones.

Having unbalanced cholesterol in your body can raise your risk for heart disease. HDL (high density lipoproteins) help remove waste from the body. LDL (low density lipoproteins, or the "bad cholesterol") ride throught the blood stream depositing plaque, which leads to clogged arteries. Its important to monitor both forms of cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a wax-like substance which is produced by your liver and found in animal foods (i.e. meat). Some people’s liver produce too much cholesterol on their own.

Eating foods with saturated fats elevate blood cholesterol more than any other food component. Saturated fats can come from butter, fatty meat, and full-fat butter. Snack food and fast food eating can also increase your exposure to trans fats. Trans fats can increase LDL cholesterol, so it is especially bad.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute periodically issues updated reports to outline primary cholesterol benchmarks. The Institutes’s third Adult Treatment Plan report (APT III) makes recommendations for what might make up a high, or low, heart risk profile.

They recommend a desirable Total Cholesterol Level as 200ml/dl. The APT III also recommends LDL less than 70ml/dl for those with a very high risk of heart disease. Less than 100ml/dl is suggested for those at a lower risk of heart disease. For best HDL levels 60ml/dl is recommended. A full report can be purchased on the NHLBI's website

It's been suggested that two types of heart risk scenarios can occur: One, you’re predisposed to heart disease based on traits you inherited. Or, two you could develop heart disease over time, even after starting out as a low risk. Every day we learn more about the ways heart disease can be prevented.

Your family history may help you better predict your heart health risks. Even if you are a low risk for heart disease, you’ll need to understand how your body deals with cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommend you should know your risk factors for heart disease and be screened prior to turning 20. By age 40, the AHA recommends you should know your own heart risk score. Calculate your own heart risk score at the AHA site