Fat cannot travel through blood vessels by itself. It must rely on cholesterol to transport it to the body parts that need fat for energy or repairs. Your liver places cholesterol into packages called lipoproteins. HDL finds and rescues stuck LDL pieces and brings them back to the liver. Your liver makes almost all of the cholesterol your body needs to transport fat through your system.
Problems arise when there is too much cholesterol in the blood.
Excess cholesterol begins to stick to artery walls and restricts blood flow which can lead to heart disease, and results in heart attack and stroke. A diet high in cholesterol is usually the culprit when a person's cholesterol has reached a risky level. Lowering your cholesterol level can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Your goal should be to limit fat to 30 percent or less of your total calories. When you are eating a diet high in fat, your body responds by producing more cholesterol to transport the fat through your system.