Cholesterol: Essential Roles & Risks for Heart Health

High cholesterol contributes to heart disease because it's part of the plaque that builds up in the lining of the arteries. Too much cholesterol isn't good, but some is still needed for health.

Cell Walls

• Cholesterol is a part of the outside of the body's cell walls.

Digestion

• Cholesterol is a part of the acid the body uses to break down food in the digestive tract.

Vitamin Synthesis

• Without cholesterol in the body, vitamin D could not be synthesized. Vitamin D is the only vitamin that is manufactured by the body.

Reproductive System Function

• The body needs cholesterol to make the male and female reproductive hormones, estrogen and testosterone.

Heart Healthy Good Cholesterol

• HDL, the good cholesterol, carries away LDL, bad cholesterol, from the inside of the blood vessels.