Cholesterol Facts

Cholesterol is an important substance that's used by the body in many ways. It's the starting point of manufacture for many of the body’s natural steroid hormones and for vitamin D, which controls calcium in the body. It is also an essential component of the membrane that forms the walls of individual cells in all tissues. Eighty percent of the cholesterol we have is produced within our own body – mostly by the liver. It's then transported from the liver via the blood stream to other tissues. Cholesterol travels through the blood in minute packages mixed with large molecules called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are themselves combinations of fats and proteins. Fats such as cholesterol don't dissolve well in the blood stream, but become soluble when coated with lipoproteins. What are lipoproteins? Four main groups of lipoproteins exist, based mainly on their different sizes and density: high density lipoproteins (HDL) low density lipoproteins (LDL) very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) chylomicrons.