Liver Production of Cholesterol HDL in the Body

Your liver produces the majority of cholesterol your body needs. Health problems caused by excessive consumption of cholesterol are somewhat minimized by your liver’s secretion of high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

Function

• Cholesterol and fats do not dissolve well in blood, forcing the liver to deploy transport carriers—called lipoproteins—to ferry around cholesterol.

Identification

• HDL and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) serve similar but distinct purposes. LDLs carry cholesterol to the cells, while HDLs “carry this excess cholesterol back to the liver, which converts it to bile, which is eliminated into the intestines,” according to Dr. William Sears, who says that your body’s management of cholesterol depends on your genes and the food you eat.

Significance

• High levels of HDL indicate a healthy circulatory system. Elevated LDL numbers suggest cause for concern as cholesterol builds within arteries. HDL acts to help prevent atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries.

Misconceptions

• These opposing tasks explain why physicians consider HDL to be “good” cholesterol while labeling LDL as “bad.” In reality, both serve an important purpose, with too much LDL indicating overindulgence in fatty foods and increased risk for heart disease.

Prevention/Solution

• “Regular physical activity increases HDL cholesterol in some people,” says the American Heart Association. Stopping smoking and losing weight also encourage the liver to produce additional HDL.