What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is found in every cell of the body and has important natural functions. It is manufactured by the body but can also be taken in from food. It is waxy and fat-like in appearance.
Cholesterol is oil-based and so does not mix with the blood, which is water-based. It is therefore carried around the body in the blood by lipoproteins.
The parcels of cholesterol are carried by two types of lipoprotein:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL - cholesterol carried by this type is known as 'bad' cholesterol)
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL - cholesterol carried by this type is known as 'good' cholesterol).
Cholesterol has four main functions, without which we could not live. It:
- Contributes to the structure of cell walls
- Makes up digestive bile acids in the intestine
- Allows the body to produce vitamin D
- Enables the body to make certain hormones.
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