Too much of a good thing. Your body needs cholesterol to function, but it can also make serious trouble.

摘要

Cholesterol:just the thought of it can stir up anxieties about the foods you eat, the medications you take, and your health in general. But what is cholesterol? How is it harmful? And how can you keep it in check? Below you'll find some answers about this tiny molecule with a big reputation. Cholesterol is a greasy, fat-like substance crucial to the workings of the human body. Although it is available in food, cholesterol is so important that the body doesn't rely on the diet to provide all of it. In fact, 75 percent of the cholesterol you need is generated by the body itself. One of cholesterol's functions is architectural, inserting itself into the lipid-based membranes that surround cells and giving them just the right amount of flexibility.