What is the role of cholesterol?« Back to Questions List

Cholesterol, as part of the blood lipids, plays a very important role in physiological metabolism. Cholesterol provides energy to the body and is also the raw material for the synthesis of many hormones, for example, cholesterol can be converted by various enzymes to produce adrenocorticotropic hormones, which include corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and sex hormones. If there is a lack of cholesterol, it leads to lower hormone levels, and if there is a lack of salt hormone levels, the body will experience low sodium, low chloride, and possibly nausea, vomiting, and weakness.

With glucocorticoid deficiency, patients will experience hypoglycemic symptoms, as well as weakness, low sodium, and low chloride. If the synthesis of sex hormones is affected, women will experience menstrual disorders, such as no menstruation, because the estrogen level will be reduced, while men who lack cholesterol, resulting in impaired synthesis of androgens, patients will experience a reduced heart rate. In conclusion, cholesterol is a very important substance for the body, not too much and not too little.