Cholesterol is the medical term for a waxy material found in your body, obtained from food sources and also produced by your body itself. Excess amounts of cholesterol can lead to heart disease, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, but cholesterol isn't inherently bad when present in small quantities. When present in low enough numbers, cholesterol has several important functions in your body.
Hormones Synthesis
Cholesterol plays an important role in the production of hormones, according to the American Heart Association. Various glands in your body, like your adrenal glands, synthesize cholesterol into hormones like testosterone and cortisol. Such hormones are critical for proper nervous system functioning, mood balance and coping with stress.
Vitamin D
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reports that cholesterol helps with the synthesis of vitamin D. Vitamin D is made available for the body's use as the sun's ultraviolet rays hit your skin surface.
Bile Production
Your body creates bile in your digestive tract from cholesterol, converting any cholesterol you eat into bile acids, according to Colorado State University. Not only does bile help with your digestion of food, but it's also critical for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin E, and transporting those vitamins throughout your body.
Bloodstream Cleaning
Cholesterol can be divided into two types known as low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, and high-density lipoproteins, or HDL. The latter are "good" in that they float through your bloodstream collecting the other form of cholesterol and carry it to the liver where it's removed from the bloodstream, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Cell Membrane Support
Cholesterol plays a structural role in the creation and maintenance of cell membranes in humans and all animals, according to the Carnegie Mellon College of Science. Specifically, it helps keep the cell membrane fluid in nature so the cell is flexible.
References
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Coronary Heart Disease Explained
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol
- Colorado State University: Secretion of Bile and the Role of Bile Acids In Digestion
- Carnegie Mellon College of Science: The Structure and Function of the Cell Membrane
