Cholesterol


In This Section:
Why Our Bodies Need Fats
Essential Fatty Acids
Triglycerides
Cholesterol
Lipoproteins
Dietary Guidelines for Fat


Cholesterol is an odorless, white, waxy, powdery substance


Functions in the body

• Vital role in metabolism and for proper functioning of the brain and other organs.
• Needed to make all steroid hormones.
• The skin uses cholesterol to produce 7 - dehydrocholesterol under sunlight which is turned into Vitamin D.
• Is needed to form bile acids.  Bile acids help fat in the diet to be digested and absorbed into the body.
• Needed to form cell membranes, especially in the skin and intestines.

The body can produce it's own cholesterol in the liver.  It helps carry fat through the bloodstream for energy or for storage.