Cholesterol Explained: Why It’s Not the Villain + India Map Stats
Cholesterol has a bit of a bad reputation. But this waxy, fat-like substance is actually an unsung hero living inside every one of your cells. Our body contains about 100 grams of cholesterol. That’s a surprisingly decent amount for something we’re often told to fear! Cholesterol is made mainly in the liver (67–75%), with the rest coming from your diet (25–33%). It’s essential for: Building flexible but sturdy cell membranes Making hormones Producing vitamin D Creating bile acids that help you digest fats In short, without cholesterol, your body would throw a serious tantrum. Because fats don’t mix well with water (think oil and water in a bottle), our body cleverly packages cholesterol into tiny delivery vehicles called lipoproteins: LDL (“Bad” cholesterol): The delivery truck that drops cholesterol off around the body. Too many trucks and traffic jams (plaques) can form in your arteries. HDL (“Good” cholesterol): The cleanup crew that hauls excess cholesterol back to the liver for re...