Many people seem to think that cholesterol is bad. Period. But that’s not the whole story. Whilst we do need to be mindful of the overall amount of cholesterol we consume, especially if suffering from diabetes, according to T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health and Nutrition, dietary cholesterol is not as problematic as once believed.

What ultimately is important is the type of cholesterol and how much of it is in our blood.

The three types of cholesterol

Low Density Lipo proteins (LDL cholesterol). This is the one that deposits in the arteries and can cause serious problems.

Triglycerides. This includes most of the fats we eat, and is the body’s main vehicle for transporting fats to cells. It’s important for good health though high levels of triglycerides can be problematic.

High Density Lipo proteins (HDL cholesterol). This is the good kind of cholesterol. It removes LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream and transports it to the liver from where it’s disposed.

The conclusion is that good heart health is largely determined by having low LDL and high HDL cholesterol levels.

How to lower LDL, and increase HDL

• Eat high fibre foods — soluble fibre decreases the absorption of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. Whole grains and pulses are great sources of soluble fibre.

• Include plenty of extra virgin olive oil in your diet. Olive oil increases HDL because, it’s thought, it contains high amounts of polyphenols, and also contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids.

• Eat plenty of seeds and nuts. Besides cashews and pecans most seeds and nuts are high in unsaturated fatty acids. Almonds and walnuts are particularly good.

It goes without saying, but of course eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is good for health and general and for heart health. Fruit and veg are a source of fibre as well as polyphenols. In terms of raising HDL cholesterol studies have shown that the purple kind are particularly valuable because of an antioxidant called anthocyanin which also helps fight inflammation. We’re talking purple things like purple kale, blueberries, red cabbage and black berries.

Lastly, it is important not to consume high amounts of saturated fats — such as those in meat, butter, cheese and other full-fat dairy products — which raise your LDL cholesterol. Decreasing your consumption of saturated fats to less than 7 percent of your total daily calorie intake can reduce your LDL cholesterol by 8 to 10 percent.

In this connection it should be emphasised that dairy from cows that have been fed an unnatural diet of soya beans (most of the world’s soya bean production is used to feed factory farmed animals) will contain a disproportionate amount of omega 6 and 9 (saturated fat). Cows that eat a natural diet of grass will contain much more Omega-3 (the origin source of all omega-3 is plants, such as grass).

Besides animal welfare and environmental concerns, this is another really good reason why it makes so much sense to think of meat and diary of good quality for flavour, rather than being the main thing.

The key take-away here is: eat lots of stuff that raise your HDL cholesterol. Because HDL removes LDL from your blood, as long you’re getting plenty of that, you are doing alright and can keep enjoying your food.