Cholesterol is a substance found only in foods that come from animals.
It is also manufactured in the human body by the liver. You need small amounts of cholesterol to make and maintain nerve cells and to manufacture natural hormones. When you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream it is called hypercholesterolemia, or high cholesterol. Hypercholesterolemia increases your risk of heart disease. The most common cause of high cholesterol is eating foods that are high in saturated fat or cholesterol.