(HealthDay News) -- Too much dietary cholesterol can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood, which can be a risk factor for heart disease.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions to help lower your cholesterol:

  • Avoid high-fat or fried foods.
  • When you do eat foods with fat, look for foods with unsaturated, not saturated, fat.
  • Reduce the amount of red meat that you eat, and eat more fish and poultry.
  • Get enough soluble fiber by eating plenty of fruits, beans, peas and oats.
  • Don't eat more than three egg yolks per week.
  • Get plenty of exercise, maintain a healthy body weight, and stop smoking.