what is cholesterol?

Question

if it is a fatty substance... where does it come from?

Answer 1

Cholesterol is a fat substance present in all our cells. It is essential to the formation of cell membranes and certain hormones. Cholesterol is bad but everybody needs a little cholesterol.

Cholesterol comes from two principal sources. It comes in part from what we eat, particularly from dairy products and fat found in meats. The other source of cholesterol, the most important, is produced by the liver.

These two sources of cholesterol are distributed by our blood stream throughout our body, with the help of carriers called lipoproteins. There are two types of carriers: low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is the "bad" cholesterol, the one which can obstruct blood vessels and cause arteriosclerosis (polluting agent). The HDL is the "good"

cholesterol, the one which picks up the cholesterol present in blood vessels and brings it to the liver (cleaning agent).

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I all so was taking Lipitor for cholesterol, but then my doctor switched me to Caduet. A combination Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure medication, for several years. I have not experienced any more than normal short term memory loss. My long term memory is just find. Now because of financial and no medical I can not afford to take that medication. and still see no change. I have also heard on the news within the last month or so that the cholesterol medications do not give appreciably any major cholesterol lowering capabilities to warrant the taking of these drugs. And it is not a life or death situation. They feel it is just a ruse by the pharmaceutical company's to push these drugs on people in order to make themselves more money. Diet and exercise will do the same thing and better. And you can keep the money in your pocketbook.

Answer 4

A sterol produced by the body as well as being ingested in the food you eat; it is only found in animals Foods high in cholesterol include egg yolk, sea food (e.g. shrimp, crab), liver and kidney, dairy fats.

You need to have some cholesterol e.g. for cell membrane structure but if you were to cut out cholesterol-containing foods from your diet, you would still produce it.

To understand the relationship between cholesterol and other substances in the blood, it would be useful to read the answers about high- and low-density lipoproteins and to go to sources in e.g. Wikipedia.
You need to have a reasonably balanced diet with a variety of foods and to maintain an ideal weight for your height.

Answer 5

From what I understand, it is from the food you eat. People eat plastic (hydrogenated) stuff and that breaks down in your stomach and other organs into cholesterol. You have an apron membrane across your abdomen called omentum apron (veil of lacy fat) this can break off and gives you plaque in arteries as well as the cholesterol that blood carries and then you have MI or Diabetes or stroke...If you eat good food good body matabolism/bad food you have trouble.

Answer 6

Cholesterol is a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol) and a lipid found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals.

Answer 7

Cholestrol is defined as the diseased state where there is an excess of fat and oil. May cause heart attack, obesity etc.

It comes from the increased intake of oily foods which contain fats.