Diet, exercise help overall cholesterol

ROCHESTER, Minn., March 2 (UPI) -- Medications can reduce low-density lipoprotein -- the bad cholesterol -- but lifestyle choices can also greatly help, according to a U.S. health organization.

Losing just 5 to 10 pounds of excess weight can lower total cholesterol levels, and exercising 30 to 60 minutes a day can drive down triglyceride levels and boost high-density lipoprotein, which is considered the good cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

Cholesterol intake should be limited to 200 to 300 milligrams a day. People who eat 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decrease LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent, the organization reports.

Major dietary cholesterol sources are animal food products.