Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that our body creates to help build cells. It’s also important for making hormones and digesting certain foods. All the cholesterol we need is made by the body, but we also get cholesterol from eating animal sources such as egg yolk, meat, cheese and milk.
Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream on proteins called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are referred to as “bad” cholesterol, explains the CDC.