For those of you who have an interest in staying healthy, it's important to understand what cholesterol is and how you can regulate the levels of it in your body.

Many people hear the word cholesterol and assume something negative; however cholesterol is not always bad.

Indeed, some cholesterol is good for you and will clear away blockages in your arteries.

However, bad cholesterol (which a lot of people have in high proportions), will make the passageways of your blood vessels narrow dramatically.

This fatty substance can clog up your arteries, leading to heart attacks and other respiratory illnesses.

Because of the serious ramifications of having high cholesterol, it is important that you know how to regulate cholesterol, starting with foods that help keep your levels healthy.

Garlic

Many individuals choose to add garlic to their diet, whether through herbal supplements or in their food, to help lower cholesterol levels.

In studies surrounding garlic and cholesterol, most used about one-half gram or one gram of garlic per day.

Overall, the studies found that the cholesterol-lowering abilities of garlic appear to be dose-dependent, meaning that the more garlic you eat, the lower your cholesterol will drop.

Oats

Oatmeal contains soluble fibre, which reduces the bad type of cholesterol which can cause high cholesterol.

Soluble fiber works by limiting the amount of cholesterol that can be absorbed into your bloodstream.

It's easy to incorporate oats into your diet by having a bowl of porridge or muesli to begin your day.

Olive oil

Olive oil and olive products are rich in vitamin E and monounsaturated fatty acids.

These help get rid of the bad type of cholesterol and increase the good - which should protect your heart from high cholesterol related illnesses.

Olive oil is easy to cook with, so adding it to your diet should be no problem.

Posted by Matilda Jones