Why is cholesterol in the blood?
1 Answer
It is produced by the liver as a substance required for cell membrane production.......
Explanation:
Your liver produces cholesterol for use both as a component of cell membranes, and also as a precursor to vitamin D and all steroid hormones (aldosterol, cortisol, progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone).
However, your body also takes in cholesterol from certain foods, especially such things as red meats and saturated fats.
Whilst it is the low density cholesterol that is potentially bad for health (depending on how much is in your blood stream), consuming high cholesterol foods adds to the cholesterol you already produce, and can therefore lead to excessive levels and increased health risks.
Some individuals, however, may find that even if they eliminate dietary cholesterol, their bodies still produce too much of it. It is something of a fallacy that all instances of raised cholesterol are down to poor diet.
