When trying to reduce cholesterol, dietary cholesterol- the cholesterol that comes from the food that you eat should your first and primary concern. There is another source of cholesterol called the blood cholesterol which is the cholesterol produced by the liver aimed at ensuring normal cell function. However, since blood cholesterol cannot always be controlled with natural methods, the safe and easiest way to reduce cholesterol would through dietary changes, by lowering the intake of dietary cholesterol.

For starters, your daily dietary cholesterol intake should exceed 300mg/dl if you are not at risk for high cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol levels, your dietary cholesterol intake should be limited to 200mg/dl a day.

Cholesterol is found in foods such as: eggs, meat, poultry, dairy products, fish, and shellfish. Rich sources of saturated fats and cholesterol are egg yolks and organ meats (liver, brain etc.). Fish usually has less cholesterol. Foods that come from plant sources have no cholesterol.

Reducing the consumption of the above foods can have dramatic impact on your cholesterol levels. Additionally, paying attention to fat intake, and particularly limiting foods that contain saturated fats and hydrogenated fats can also help reduce LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol that sticks to artery walls and contributes to atherosclerosis. Hydrogenated fats (trans fats) should not be consumed at all, not only from lowering cholesterol perspective but also for maintaining your overall health.

Healthy diet, which is also low in cholesterol and trans fatty acids, should contain healthy fats such as (mono or poly) fats that have positive effect on the body and on controlling cholesterol levels.

Managing dietary cholesterol can be easily achieved by limiting your daily cholesterol intake. Knowing exactly what are the rich cholesterol foods you should avoid while choosing less risky food substitutes can make this change much less challenging.

For example: Instead of eating a two egg omelet containing two egg yolk (each has more than 213mg cholesterol) you can make your omelet with one egg yolk and two egg whites. Taking yogurt as a potato salad ingredient instead of mayonnaise can is another wise choice that can lower the amount of cholesterol intake.

With that said, since the cause of high cholesterol is sometimes genetic, dietary cholesterol limitations alone will not always have such positive impact on your cholesterol levels. In most cases, limiting dietary cholesterol intake should be accompanied by good supplementation, the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, regular exercise and Yoga.