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cholesterol|chemicalcompound|EncyclopediaBritannica

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Cholesterol
Chemical compound
Written by: The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica

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Alternate title: 5-cholesten-3-ol

Cholesterol,a waxy substance that is present in blood plasma and in all animal
tissues. Chemically, cholesterol is an organic compound belonging to the steroid
family; its molecular formula is C27 H46 O. In its pure state it is a white, crystalline
substance that is odourless and tasteless. Cholesterol is essential to life; it is a

primary component of the membrane that surrounds each cell, and it is the
starting material or an intermediate compound from which the body synthesizes
bile acids, steroid hormones, and vitamin D. Cholesterol circulates in the
bloodstream and is synthesized by the liver and several other organs. Human
beings also ingest considerable amounts of cholesterol in the course of a normal
diet. A compensatory system regulates the amount of cholesterol synthesized by
the liver, with the increased dietary intake of cholesterol resulting in the livers
decreased synthesis of the compound.

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High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream are an extremely important cause of

atherosclerosis. In this disorder, deposits of cholesterol and other fatty substances

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circulating in the blood accumulate in the interior walls of the blood vessels.
These fatty deposits build up, thicken, and become calcified, eventually
converting the vessel walls to scar tissue. The deposits narrow the channels of the
blood vessels and thus can constrict the blood flow, causing heart attacks and
strokes. High levels of cholesterol in the blood (more than 240 mg of cholesterol
per 100 cc of blood plasma) accelerate the buildup of cholesterol deposits in the
vessel walls; people with high cholesterol levels thus eventually become more
susceptible to coronary heart disease.
Cholesterol is insoluble in the blood; it must be attached to certain protein
complexes called lipoproteins in order to be transported through the
bloodstream. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) transport cholesterol from its site of

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synthesis in the liver to the various tissues and body cells, where it is separated
from the lipoprotein and is used by the cell. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) may
possibly transport excess or unused cholesterol from the tissues back to the liver,
where it is broken down to bile acids and is then excreted. Cholesterol attached to
LDLs is primarily that which builds up in atherosclerotic deposits in the blood
vessels. HDLs, on the other hand, may actually serve to retard or reduce
atherosclerotic buildup.
The chief means of avoiding high cholesterol levels in the blood is to lower ones
dietary intake of cholesterol. Because cholesterol is present in animal fats (i.e.,
saturated or polysaturated fats) but not in fats obtained from plant sources (i.e.,
unsaturated or polyunsaturated fats), this can be done by: (1) reducing ones total

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intake of fats, (2) partly or wholly replacing ones consumption of saturated fats

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with that of unsaturated fats, and (3) reducing ones consumption of foods
containing cholesterol. Thus, foods high in saturated fats, such as lard, butter,
cheese, whole milk, red meat, candy, and baked goods containing shortening,

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would be avoided, as would such cholesterol-containing foods as egg yolks,

shrimp, and brains and other animal organs. Unsaturated fats such as fish oils and
corn, peanut, safflower, and soybean oils would be substituted for animal fats.

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Recently, the fish oils found in salmon, tuna, mackerel, and certain other marine
fishes were found to raise HDL levels and thus reduce or retard atherosclerotic
processes. Extensive research has now verified the causal relation between a
cholesterol-rich diet, high blood cholesterol levels, and coronary heart disease,
but authorities disagree about the overall value of long-term cholesterol

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reduction for the normal individual. See also lipoprotein.

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