Cholesterol is an integral part of each cell in the body. It is a waxy substance made naturally in the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly and it can make all it needs from some fats in the diet.
Cholesterol may cause problems if your body makes too much or if you consume too much in your food. The extra cholesterol can deposit in the arteries and lead to blocked arteries. If an artery that supplies blood to your heart gets blocked, a heart attack occurs. If an artery that supplies blood to your brain gets blocked, a paralytic stroke occurs. Higher the cholesterol, greater is the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Not all cholesterol is harmful. There is a "bad" kind and a "good" kind. The "bad" kind is called LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol, and the "good" kind is called HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. The bad cholesterol tends to block the arteries, but the good kind helps to clean up this bad cholesterol inside the arteries.
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