Sterols are precursors to steroids. So cholesterol is not inherently BAD, but elevated levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL) in relation to high density lipoproteins (HDL) indicates that your body's requirement for neurotransmitter activity is low. The more catabolic and anabolic cellular activity that is created through exercise / respiration, the more amino acids will be attached to the 'lipo+proteins+' as they travel through the body performing various essential functions.

Egg whites... everybody thinks that it is "healthy" to discard the yolk because the yolk is high in cholesterol, while the egg white is the golden standard of nutritional nitrogen (protein). I propose you try an experiment. In one bowl crack open a "regular" (conventionally grown non cage-free non organic) egg, and in another bowl crack open a farm fresh egg or a cage-free organic egg. You will find a difference in the consistency and color of the yolk. High levels of cholesterol and Vitamin D (due to sun exposure) for the natural eggs are because the healthier the food source, the healthier the food. My suggestion to people who eat lots of eggs and have sulfur flatulents (you know who you are), is that instead of eatinghalf a dozen egg whites, eat two or three whole eggs. In theory the added cholesterol will help the assimilation of protein, that is, if there is a physical demand created by rigorous exercise.

the incredible eddible, steroids.

I have a question. Why
do Eskimos who eat a traditional diet of almost pure saturated fat
(whale and seal blubber) have almost a zero incidence of heart disease?

Studies of African tribes have shown that intakes of enormous amounts of animal
fat do not necessarily raises blood cholesterol; on the contrary it may
be very low. Samburu people, for instance, eat about a pound of meat
and drink almost two gallons of raw milk each day during most of the
year. Milk from the African Zebu cattle is much fatter than cow's milk,
which means that the Samburus consume more than twice the amount of
animal fat than the average American, and yet their cholesterol is much
lower, about 170 mg/dl.

Cardiovascular studies in the Samburu tribe of northern Kenya. American Heart Journal 1962;63:437-442.

Shepherds in Somalia eat almost nothing but milk from their camels. About a gallon
and a half a day is normal, which amounts to almost one pound of butter
fat, because camel's milk is much fatter than cow's milk. But although
more than sixty percent of their energy consumption comes from animal
fat, their mean cholesterol is only about 150 mg/dl, far lower than in
most Western people.

Lapiccirella V., and others. Enquête clinique, biologique et cardiogra-phique parmi
les tribus nomades de la Somalie qui se nourissent seule-ment de lait. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 1962;27: 681-697

Could it be that we are looking at the wrong things? Could it be that heart
disease is not a disease of cholesterol at all? Could it be that eating
fat has little to do with it? Look at the people on the Atkins diet as
they eat foods that are full of cholesterol and fat. You might think
that this would make their cholesterol (LDL) go up. The fact is that it
goes down. Have you ever heard of the French Paradox? The French Paradox is the observation that cardiovascular disease is relatively low in France, despite high intakes of cholesterol and saturated fats.

Facts about Cholesterol

Cholesterol is vital to cell health. High Cholesterol is not dangerous by itself

Scientific studies show that people with low blood cholesterol have as much athersclerosis and heart disease as people with high cholesterol

bq. No evidence exists to show that animal fat and dietary cholesterol cause heart attacks. Plaque formation seen at autopsy is unrelated to dietary cholesterol or fat.

The effect of cholesterol on cardiovascular disease is widely discredited in scientific journals and text books.

High Cholesterol Has Many Benefits

It is interesting to note that people with low to normal cholesterol levels have a high percentage of heart disease and stroke. The problem behind heart disease isn't the cholesterol itself – but oxidized cholesterol. Over the past decade researchers have recently begun to realize that heart disease is actually the result of long-term, low-grade inflammation of our arteries. Numerous nutrients have been indicated by thousands of published studies to promote healthy cardiovascular function. There are four primary benefits that can be achieved by using nutrition to promote cardiovascular health. Click on the following article to find out what they are.

The Truth About Cholesterol