healthy for life

When most people hear "cholesterol" they think "evil." Like most things in life, the reality is more complex; cholesterol can be very bad and very good. On its own, cholesterol is a crucial body component. That's why you make the white, waxy substance (about 75% of the cholesterol in your blood is made by the liver and cells elsewhere in your body). Cholesterol insulates nerve cells in your brain and provides structure for cell membranes. "If you want to see what it looks like in a solidified form, go get yourself a can of Crisco at the grocery store," says Gregory Dehmer, MD, director of the division of cardiology at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. "If you open up a can of Crisco, it’s this white, lard-like substance."