Cholesterol is a fat like substance. In many ways cholesterol resembles fat, but its structure is quite different. Because the human liver can make the cholesterol, cholesterol is not considered a nutrient.
Cholesterol is an essential part of each cell membrane in the human body. The body uses cholesterol to produce certain hormones, vitamin D(in the presence of sunlight). and the protective sheath around nerve fibers. The liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids that aid in digestion.
The terms dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol often are confused. Dietary cholesterol comes from food. Serum, or blood, cholesterol circulates in your blood.