How Is Dietary Cholesterol Used By The Body
Although it remains important to limit the amount of cholesterol you eat especially if you have diabetes for most people dietary cholesterol is not as problematic as once believed.
How is dietary cholesterol used by the body. Low density lipoprotein ldl known as bad cholesterol and high density lipoprotein hdl known as good cholesterol. To get around this problem the body packages cholesterol and other lipids into minuscule protein covered particles that mix easily with blood. Ldl cholesterol is removed from the blood by the liver to be reused or removed from the body. The body uses cholesterol as the starting point to make estrogen testosterone vitamin d and other vital compounds.
The body can even use cholesterol to make a significant amount of vitamin d the vitamin responsible for strong bones and teeth when the skin is exposed to sunlight. It s a complex topic and one worth knowing more about. 1 blood cholesterol and 2 dietary cholesterol. Because of this foods high in dietary cholesterol have very little impact on blood cholesterol levels in most people 9 10 11.
Cholesterol isn t all good nor is it all bad. Ldl carries most of the cholesterol in your blood to tissues throughout the body. Advertisement cholesterol is also used to make bile a greenish fluid that is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Cholesterol is a substance made in the liver that s vital to human life.
When you eat greater amounts of cholesterol your body makes less. The bloodstream contains two main types of cholesterol. When ldl cholesterol in the blood is too high the liver cannot remove all of it. These tiny particles called lipoproteins lipid plus protein move cholesterol and other fats throughout the body.
The word cholesterol is often used to describe two unique concepts.