Cholesterol -- Nature's Life-Giving SubstanceCholesterol is found in every cell of your body. Why? The many functions of cholesterol range from putting information in your brain to putting calcium in your bones. The many benefits of cholesterol include:
Articles on the Functions of CholesterolYou can read about the many functions of cholesterol in our articles below: Cholesterol's Importance to the Cell Membrane Cholesterol is present in all cell membranes, where it plays a variety of important functions. Cholesterol regulates the fluidity of cell membranes, preventing them from becoming both too rigid and too fluid. It also is a primary component of lipid rafts, where it helps secure proteins involved in cell signaling, allowing, for example, neurons to find each other when forming synapses, the formation of which is a basic part of learning and the formation of memories. Learning, Your Memory, and Cholesterol Did you know that when you get a good night's sleep, one of its benefits toward your mood and memory is that by sleeping you've been able to boost your brain's synthesis of cholesterol? One of the most important functions of cholesterol is its support of the nervous system: Cholesterol is a vital component of the myelin sheath, which allows neurons to conduct impulses necessary to communicate with each other, and has been found to be the rate-limiting factor in the formation of synapses, the formation of which is necessary for learning and the formation of memories. Cholesterol not only helps guide the connecting parts of neurons to the right places (as described in the above article), but is necessary for their ability to grow in the first place. Cholesterol Is Necessary For Digestion Yet another function of cholesterol is to be used by the liver to synthesize bile acids. Bile acids are secreted into the intestines where they are used to mix fats with the water-soluble enzymes that digest them. Cholesterol Is Good For Your Bones Cholesterol -- more precisely, 7-dehydrocholesterol -- is the precursor to vitamin D. Vitamin D has long been recognized for its role in maintaining calcium balance and promoting bone health, but is more recently becoming known for a wide range of other functions, including the maintenance of mental health, a strong immune system, blood sugar regulation, and the prevention of cancer. Cholesterol Is the Precursor of All Steroid Hormones Cholesterol is the precursor to all steroid hormones, including mineralcorticoids, glucocorticoids, and sex hormones. This makes all of the following important functions of cholesterol: atheletic performance, regulating blood sugar, controlling blood pressure, regulating mineral balance, maintaining libido, building muscle mass, and more. Cholesterol Protects Against Infection This offsite article by Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD presents the case that cholesterol plays another important function in the body: protecting against infectious diseases.
|
