Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in the body’s cells. Our bodies make cholesterol in order to make other substances like vitamin D, hormones, or substances to help us digest food.
Cholesterol is also found in the food we eat, like poultry, meat, and dairy products. When we eat foods high in saturated and trans-fats, our livers produce even more cholesterol. When our bodies produce too much cholesterol, plaque develops in the walls of the arteries, which can lead to serious health conditions such as blood clots, stroke, or heart attack.
Arteries are narrowed when fatty deposits called plaques build up inside. Atherosclerosis reduces the blood supply to vital organs such as the heart, brain and intestines. ttsz/iStock
