Not a medical expert, but here's what I've gleaned today. Foods high in cholesterol such as eggs need not be avoided for their cholesterol content. Eating cholesterol will not affect your blood cholesterol level. It's eating a lot of saturated fat that will raise cholesterol, as will being overweight, being sedentary and having a genetic disposition (even vegetarians with the latter will have high cholesterol).   Of course, some foods can be high in both cholesterol and saturated fats. But a life without cheese for me is unimaginable. My latest cheese discovery that I need to get over is Montagnolo affine, a soft, creamy blue that, oddly, comes from Germany.