What Does Cholesterol Do?
- One of the most misunderstood nutrients, cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation. Although it is important to monitor your fat intake and cholesterol levels, it is an essential part of your cellular makeup, fat digestion, the root of vitamin D and many of your hormones.
- Your liver produces and regulates cholesterol levels needed as building blocks for cells and hormones. Making up more than 50 percent of the cell membranes, cholesterol maintains membrane permeability and protects the core of the cell while still allowing the cell to be fluid. The protection helps secure important proteins (lipoproteins) in the membrane so they can be carried through the blood stream and absorbed by the body. There are two kinds of lipoproteins: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
- Fat is essential to our diets. Cholesterol is essential for the digestion of fats. When you ingest fat, your liver converts it to a lipoprotein, which is carried through the body by LDL. Although it is necessary for your body to function, LDL has the reputation of being "bad" cholesterol. When you eat high-fat animal products, it raises your levels of LDL cholesterol, and too much LDL can stick to the sides of blood vessels causing plaque buildup, which can clog the arteries in vital organs.
- Cholesterol is also a building block to hormones that regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, balance minerals and the many functions of progesterone and estrogen.
It is also a precursor to vitamin D. Foods containing vitamin D, such as egg yolks, are high in cholesterol, and, ironically, when the synthesis of cholesterol is inhibited, so is vitamin D. Although many believe sunlight contains vitamin D, what it actually does is convert the cholesterol that is already in your body to vitamin D.
Many studies on cholesterol are beginning to unveil its role in metabolizing calcium essential for healthy bones, boosting the immune system, cancer prevention and mental health.