Cholesterol is very important to our health. "First and foremost," Dr. Rosedale points out, "Cholesterol is a vital component of every cell membrane on Earth. In other words, there is no life on Earth that can live without cholesterol. Cholesterol is also a precursor to all of the steroid hormones. You cannot make estrogen, testosterone, cortisone, and a host of other vital hormones without cholesterol. Even vitamin D."

     Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is 75% made by the liver.  Cholesterol helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the formation of your memories and is vital for neurological function.

Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream, according to conventional medicine, there are two types:

High-density lipoprotein or HDL:

 This is the "good" cholesterol that helps keep cholesterol away from your arteries and remove any excess from arterial plaque, which may help to prevent heart disease.

Low-density lipoprotein or LDL:

 This "bad" cholesterol circulates in your blood and, according to conventional thinking, may build up in your arteries, forming plaque that makes your arteries narrow and less flexible (a condition called atherosclerosis). If a clot forms in one of these narrowed arteries leading to your heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke may result.

The Risks of High or Low Cholesterol:

 Remember, every single one of your cells needs cholesterol to thrive, especially brain cells. It helps in the formation of your memories and is vital for neurological function. In fact, low cholesterol has been linked to a variety of neurological problems, including memory loss.

• Increases your risk of depression
• Can increase your risk of suicide
• May lead to violent behavior and aggression
• Increase your risk of cancer and Parkinson’s disease

Dozens of studies also support a connection between low or lowered cholesterol levels and violent behavior, through this same pathway: lowered cholesterol levels may lead to lowered brain serotonin activity, which may, in turn, lead to increased violence and aggression. People who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol as much as possible may have a higher risk of cancer.

An optimum would be more like 200. 

High cholesterol is one of  well-known risk factor for heart disease. Too much cholesterol in the blood builds up on artery walls causing hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The buildup of cholesterol narrows arteries, slowing or blocking the flow of oxygen-carrying blood to the heart, which can manifest as chest pain. If blood flow to the heart is cut off because of clogged arteries, the result is damage to the heart muscle - a heart attack Maintain Your Healthy Cholesterol Naturally...

1. Get inappropriate amount of exercise:

When you exercise you increase your circulation and the blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of fighting an illness before it has the opportunity to spread. You do not want to over exercise, it can consume your overall energy and cause tiredness and in-digestion.

2. Address your emotional challenges:

Emotional stress may prompt the body to release fat into the bloodstream, raising cholesterol levels. it cause body energy in-balance, even organ damage. Most people who had cancer has hold good amount of fear or anger inside. Counter stress by practicing daily breathing exercises and other stress-reduction techniques such as yoga, meditation.

Dr Mercola has the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for stress management.

3. Avoid excessive smoking and alcohol

4. Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your daily diet

It is especially important to eliminate dangerous sugars such as fructose. If your HDL/Cholesterol ratio is abnormal and needs to be improved it would also serve you well to virtually eliminate fruits from your diet, as that it also a source of fructose. Once your cholesterol improves you can gradually reintroduce it to levels that don't raise your cholesterol.

5. Eliminate trans fats and bad oil

Trans fats affect cholesterol levels by increasing the "bad" cholesterol and lowering the "good" cholesterol. This bad combination increases the risk of heart attacks. Trans fats can be found in fried foods and many commercial products, such as cookies, crackers and snack cakes. But don't rely on packages that are labeled "trans fat-free." In the United States, if a food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat in a serving, it can be labeled "trans fat-free."

6. Eat a good portion of your food raw:

7. Take coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10):

This powerful antioxidant benefits heart health by protecting LDL cholesterol from oxidation and by re-energizing the mitochondria in the heart cells, which is where energy metabolism occurs. CoQ10 may also help lower blood pressure

8. Increase soluble fiber:

 There are two types of fiber — soluble and insoluble. Both have heart-health benefits, but soluble fiber also helps lower your LDL levels. You can add soluble fiber to your diet by eating oats and oat bran, fruits, beans, lentils, and vegetables.

9. Balanced Food:

According to each nutrition type and plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega3-fats, and warm food to promote body overall circulation

• Fish: The  biggest heart benefits have been linked to omega-3s found in fish. Fish and fish oil are chockablock with cholesterol-lowering omega-3 fatty acids
• Organic raw dairy products (including cow goat sheep butter, cream, sour cream, cheese, etc.)
• Organic Eggs (lightly cooked with yolks intact or raw)
• Organic, grass-fed meats, yes. good fat can help you lower cholesterol
• Nuts: Extensive research has demonstrated that regular consumption of nuts can bring modest reductions in cholesterol. Walnuts and almonds seem particularly beneficial. But nuts are high in calories, so limit yourself to a handful a day, experts say.
• Red Yeast Rice:   Around 800 AD in China, it was found that red yeast cultivated on rice produces compounds that are good for health. But it was not for another 1200 years that it was discovered that the compound produced in red yeast rice is actually lovastatin – the same compound that is marketed as the cholesterol-lowering prescription drug Mevacor. It reduces cholesterol production in the liver.
• Red wine:       Scientists are giving us yet another reason to drink to our health. It turns out that high-fiber Tempranillo red grapes, used to make red wine like Rioja, may actually have a significant effect on cholesterol levels.
• Dark Chocolate: the sweet side of a heart-healthy diet: This powerful antioxidant helps build HDL cholesterol levels. In a 2007 study published in AJCN, participants who were given cocoa powder had a 24% increase in HDL levels over 12 weeks, compared with a 5% increase in the control group. Remember to choose the dark or bittersweet kind. Compared to milk chocolate, it has more than 3 times as many antioxidants, which prevent blood platelets from sticking together and may even keep arteries unclogged.
• Ginger and Garlic:   Aside from adding zing to almost any dish, ginger and garlic has been found to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots, reduce blood pressure, and protect against infections. Now research finds that it helps stop artery-clogging plaque at its earliest stage by keeping cholesterol particles from sticking to artery walls.
• Avocados: a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that may actually help raise HDL cholesterol while lowering LDL. And, more than any other fruit, this delectable food packs cholesterol-smashing beta-sitosterol, a beneficial plant-based fat that reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food.
• Premature aging is one primary side effect of having too little coQ10 because this essential vitamin recycles other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E. this depletion leads to fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness, and eventually heart failure. CoQ10 deficiency also accelerates DNA damage

 What You Must Know if You Chose to Take Cholesterol Medication If you chose to continue taking statin drugs, then it’s vital that you understand the mechanism of action of these drugs. They typically work by reducing an enzyme in your liver, which not only reduces the production of cholesterol, but it also reduces the production of coenzyme Q10. When you lower the production of coQ10, you increase your risk of a variety of different health problems.

Muscle pain and weakness, a condition called rhabdomyolysis, is actually the most common side effect of statin drugs, which is thought to occur because statins activate the atrogin-1 gene, which plays a key role in muscle atrophy, muscle pain and weakness may be an indication that your body tissues are actually breaking down -- a condition that can cause kidney damage. Statin drugs have also been linked to:

• Dizziness and an increased risk of Lou Gehrig's disease. 
• Cognitive impairment, including memory loss14
• A potential increased risk of cancer¹⁵
• Decreased function of the immune system¹⁶
• Depression
• Liver problems, including a potential increase in liver enzymes (so people taking statins must be regularly monitored for normal liver function)
• Other cholesterol-lowering drugs besides statins also have side effects, most notably muscle pain and weakness.

Therefore, if you’re taking a statin drug.  it is absolutely vital to supplement with coQ10 like ubiquinol .   And try to fit more above food in your diet and exercise actively to maintain a healthy cholesterol level.

Reference

1. http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/how-lower-cholesterol-naturally
2. http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/how-to-lower-your-cholesterol-without-drugs
3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol/art-20045192
4. http://www.doctoroz.com/article/3-steps-controlling-cholesterol-naturally