Nutrients are important in any multicellular organisms. They work together to ensure proper functioning, growth and repair of our body to allow us to survive as organisms. Out of this many nutrients, cholesterol play a quite contradicting role in the health care of our bodies.

Cholesterols are substances of which are found in lipid (fats) which is in our bloodstream and our body. They have characteristics of being soft and waxy which is much similar to fat (being that it is in fat). Cholesterol play roles in cell membrane formation, contained in some hormones and also other function. In cell membranes, cholesterol are substances in the membrane which are used to regulate fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer . Cholesterol is also a precursor for the synthesis of steroid hormones, vitamin D, and bile salts.

Cholesterols are not soluble in the blood. Therefore transportation is needed for them to and from cells. In general, cholesterols are transported in low- density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the form which most cholesterol are transported. It is an inefficient way of which cholesterol is transported and bad for our health. At high concentrations, it will start to build up in walls of arteries which are major blood vessels transporting blood to our heart and brain. As time passed it can slowly grow and form a plague, a deposit which can block blood flow in these arteries. This will cause trauma to these blood vessels and is known as atherosclerosis. The result of this is devastating and might cause a stroke (if blood clot is in arteries feeding blood to the brain) and heart attack.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) however has the opposite effect as LDL and is the form in which 1/3 to 1/4 of cholesterol is carried. HDL is beneficial to our health as instead of clogging up blood arteries, it removes them by lowering the cholesterol and thereby reducing risks of atherosclerosis.

Cholesterols are obtained in our daily food sources mainly from animal fats, meat and some from plants as well. Most animal fats and meat products contain LDL which are bad for our health and plants contain more of HDL. Therefore an understanding and planning of our daily diet is needed to ensure optimum health.