Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in body cells of humans and animals.
Cholesterol is required for the formation of bile acids which are needed for fat digestion.
It is also used to make important hormones such as natural steroids and sex hormones. It is essential in forming the membranes of cells in the body and is involved in the formation of vitamin D in the skin. Your body requires a certain amount of cholesterol to keep itself healthy. Some of this might come from dietary cholesterol, but the body is capable of making its own cholesterol if the dietary intake is low. So, cholesterol in the body comes from two sources.