Cholesterol is one of the most widely misunderstood molecules that exists. Based on biased research back in the 20th century. The main argument is that cholesterol is bad because it clogs arteries, but there’s no context. Today you will discover the benefits, and physiology of cholesterol. First, we need to talk about why we have it in the first place. The benefits include needed to build our cell membranes, used to build sex hormones, converting UVB from sunlight into vitamin D, structural fat for the brain, and supporting myelin for nerves. About 90% of our cholesterol is made it the liver independent of diet. Why would we naturally make 90% of cholesterol? This is because it’s very important. When experts say that cholesterol is bad, they bring up HDL, and LDL. This stands for high density lipoprotein, and low density lipoprotein. Is the word cholesterol in there? No, because those are carrier proteins, not Cholesterol. So, cholesterol is not bad itself, but when it gets caught up in the wrong places via certain carrier proteins it can be problematic. Here is the turn, they say that LDL is bad, and HDL is good, but this isn’t the full story. LDL only becomes problematic in the presence of high inflammation, and high blood glucose. When this happens, LDL is converted into VLDL, or very low dense lipoprotein. This is a very small molecule that make it more likely that cholesterol will get caught up in the wrong places, like the heart. So, what’s more important to focus on is the LDL-HDL ratio, which should be about 2-1, or 3-1. Also keeping inflammation, and blood glucose in check will prevent VLDL. You can easily keep those factors in check with proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise.