CHOLESTEROL IS THE COUSIN OF FAT

Cholesterol is the "cousin" of fat. Both fat andcholesterol belong to a larger family of chemical compounds calledlipids. All the cholesterol the body needs is made by the liver. It is used to build cell membranes and brain and nerve tissues.Cholesterol also helps the body produce steroid hormones needed forbody regulation, including processing food, and bile acids neededfor digestion.People don't need to consume dietary cholesterol because thebody can make enough cholesterol for its needs. But the typicalU.S. diet contains substantial amounts of cholesterol, found infoods such as egg yolks, liver, meat, some shellfish, and whole-milk dairy products.Cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream in largemolecules of fat and protein called lipoproteins.A person's cholesterol "number" refers to the total amount ofcholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams perdeciliter (mg/dl) of blood. (A deciliter is a tenth of a liter.)Doctors recommend that total blood cholesterol be kept below 200mg/dl. The average level in adults in this country is 205 to 215mg/dl. Studies in the United States and other countries haveconsistently shown that total cholesterol levels above 200 to 220mg/dl are linked with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.