In a seemingly endless barrage you are probably bombarded with facts about cholesterol - foods, lifestyles and medications. For the most, these facts are associated with products you can buy, in other words, commercials - tv, radio and print. On the other hand, what cholesterol information is actually pertinent to avoid heart disease and live a healthy life and where can you find this kind of cholesterol information?

Pertinent cholesterol information can be divided into two parts: information about you and information about everything else. Your doctor will ask you about your important cholesterol information. Understand your numbers get a cholesterol test and find out how much good and bad cholesterol you have. Your doctor can also tell you whether your numbers are too high or too low. Like so many health problems, smoking has a tendency to make high cholesterol even higher.

Your family's medical history is an important cholesterol information factor. If your blood pressure is high, you may already be feeling the effects of high cholesterol. Some medical conditions, like diabetes, can also raise cholesterol levels.

While you may not know the cholesterol numbers of your relatives, their medical conditions can give your doctor a good starting point and a good idea of your potential health issues. Information about your lifestyle is also important. If your diet is good, your weight is under control and you exercise regularly, you may be doing everything you can. If this is your situation your doctor may recommend medication.

To control cholesterol, you need to know what it is. Many are surprised to find out that cholesterol manufactured in the liver and that it's essential for the body to function at optimal levels. You may be surprised to know that you make it yourself and so your body clearly needs cholesterol in order to function so you don't need to add any to your diet. Good cholesterol information includes where to find cholesterol in your food. Because cholesterol comes from your liver, a good rule of thumb is if your food had a liver at some point in time, it contains cholesterol.

That goes for dairy products, too. Cholesterol is found in the fat part of the food. Whole milk contains more cholesterol than non-fat milk. In eggs, the cholesterol is in the yolks. If your food has a nutrition label, look for saturated fat - some if ok but zero grams in best.

Besides meat and dairy, palm and cocoanut oils contain saturated fats. A good rule of thumb regarding cholesterol information is that polyunsaturated fats are not bad for you unless they are hydrogenated. This is done to keep them stable in manufactured foods.

Tip - For more information on cholesterol, check out the links below.