What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a soft waxy substance produced mainly by your liver. Cholesterol is found in every cell of your body and helps to maintain your nervous system, skin, muscles, liver, intestines and heart.
What is it used for?
People often think that all cholesterol is bad for you. But cholesterol plays an important role in keeping your body healthy. It is used to build cell walls and to produce vitamin D, digestive juices and many hormones. Your body simply cannot function properly without a certain amount of cholesterol.
Where does it come from?
Cholesterol is carried by your blood to all parts of your body. 80% of the cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream is made naturally by your liver. The other 20% is absorbed from the foods you eat.
The cholesterol in food is called dietary cholesterol and the cholesterol that circulates in your blood is called blood cholesterol.
Did You Know?
Your body performs a delicate balancing act to keep your blood cholesterol at a healthy level. If you eat foods high in cholesterol, your body naturally compensates by reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by your liver.
If you don't get much cholesterol from your diet, then your liver increases cholesterol production to meet your body's needs.
Eggs are not a cholesterol concern for healthy adults
The dietary cholesterol in eggs and other foods has very little effect on blood cholesterol or heart disease risk.2 It's the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet that increases your blood cholesterol levels and puts you at risk for serious health problems.3
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Is cholesterol a health concern?
Cholesterol is not a health concern if you maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels. However, too much cholesterol in your bloodstream has been linked to serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.