The Purpose of Low-density Lipoproteins

Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) consist of cholesterol wrapped in a protein sheath; hence the word ‘lipo’ meaning fat combined with the word protein – ‘lipoprotein’. Cholesterol is vital to the body. It is needed by the cells to perform many functions such as: the making of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone in women and testosterone in men. Cholesterol is used to make vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. It is used to make bile which digests fatty foods. Bile also absorbs the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Without cholesterol we wouldn’t be here.

Cholesterol is mainly made in the liver. It is a waxy-fatty substance and cannot easily move in the blood because the blood consists mainly of liquid and fat does not mix well with liquids. However, it must get to the cells to be of value to the body. To do this the liver wraps particles of cholesterol in a protein sheath which allows it to move easily in the bloodstream. Think of LDLs as small dump trucks carrying cholesterol to the cells throughout the body.

So the purpose of LDLs is to provide an easy and simple means of transporting cholesterol to our cells using the bloodstream.