Cholesterol
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in every cell in the body that is carried through the circulatory system. Cholesterol is necessary for building cells, sex hormones or hormones of the adrenal cortex, the synthesis of bile acids, the metabolism of vitamin D, etc. A reduced amount of cholesterol may indicate possible diseases or cause depression.
Most cholesterol – about 70% – is produced by the human body, and the rest comes from food of animal origin. Cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood, but combines with blood plasma proteins called lipoproteins.