Not Medical Advice: Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of the body. It is considered a lipid due to its solubility behavior.
The cholesterol molecule, like all lipids, consists mainly of carbon and hydrogen. It also contains some oxygen, however. There isn't sufficient oxygen in cholesterol to cause it to dissolve in water, resulting in its classification as a lipid.
While you may think of cholesterol as a "bad" molecule that leads to heart disease and atherosclerosis, in actuality, it's critical to cellular health and human function.
Your cells use cholesterol to help regulate the fluidity of the cell membranes -- too little cholesterol causes membranes to be too fluid, which doesn't maintain cell integrity. You also need cholesterol to make the steroid hormones -- which are also lipids -- and bile salts.
Discover how to boost your good cholesterol and improve your heart health with these tips from WebMD.