Coronary heart disease is leading cause of death of Americans and preventive measures have emphasized reducing risk factors such as high blood cholesterol levels.
What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is one of the most vital and important biochemical compounds in nature. It is a combination of two acetate molecules that join to form a waxy substance.
Cholesterol naturally present in everywhere in the body, including the brain nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines and heart.
Humans manufacture 80% to 90% of their cholesterol within their own cells. Cholesterol is produced in the liver, which can make all the cholesterol that the body needs.
All cell membranes are composed of cholesterol and cholesterol-derived compounds. Brain and nerve tissue contain the highest proportion of cholesterol on the body.
Cholesterol is used in the production of certain vitamins and hormones, such as vitamin D, cortisol, estrogen and testosterone. It takes only small amount of cholesterol to meet these needs.
Cholesterol and other fats cannot dissolve in blood. They have to be carried to and from the cells through a special medium called lipoproteins. Cholesterol must be attached to transport molecules lipoproteins to remain in circulation.
When the body have high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), fatty deposits may form in the artery walls, which the process known as atherosclerosis. It could lead to heart attack.
What is cholesterol?
