You need to be selective in both your food and in the way you eat. Food can make you sick and, in some cases, even kill you. Here are brief definitions of the key terms important to an understanding of the role of fat in the diet. Cholesterol A chemical compound manufactured in the body. It is used to build cell membranes and brain and nerve tissues.
Cholesterol also helps the body make steroid hormones and bile acids.
Dietary cholesterol Cholesterol found in animal products that are part of the human diet. Egg yolks, liver, meat, some shellfish, and whole-milk dairy products are all sources of dietary cholesterol. Cut down on them or avoid them altogether. A molecule composed mostly of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats.