What Is Cholesterol?
What Is Cholesterol? -- An Overview
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in all of your body's cells. Your body needs cholesterol in order to work properly. This is because your body uses cholesterol to hold cells together. Your body also uses cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods.
If too much cholesterol gets into your blood, it can cause problems. This is known as high cholesterol. Other names for high cholesterol include hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia.
What Is Cholesterol? -- Sources of Cholesterol
Cholesterol comes from two places. Your body actually makes most of the cholesterol it needs in the liver. The rest of the cholesterol in your body comes from the food you eat.
Cholesterol is only made by animals, so you can only get it by eating animal products, such as:
- Chicken
- Meat
- Fish
- Eggs
- Butter
- Cheese
- Whole milk.
These foods can provide you with more than enough cholesterol. You will not find cholesterol in anything that comes from a plant. For example, cholesterol free foods include fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. |
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