Cholesterol is the main ingredient in the clogs that build up in our arteries and cause heart attacks, gangrene of the legs, and some strokes. It slowly accumulates for years without any symptoms until one day it rears its ugly self and does serious damage. Cholesterol is an important and necessary chemical in the body. It is the building block for many hormones and other vital processes. Most cholesterol is made in the liver, at night while a person is sleeping.
Cholesterol is made from fats in the diet.
The more fat in the diet the more cholesterol in the body. However, inheritance plays a very influential role in how much cholesterol is in the blood. Some people can eat a very high fat diet and have low cholesterol because of the way their body is made. Others can eat a very low fat diet and still have too much cholesterol to be safe. No matter how the cholesterol gets there, it is absolutely certain that people with high cholesterol levels are at greater risk for early death and disability due to heart and blood vessel complications.