Can You Eat 6 EGGS a Day and Stay Healthy? Dr. Mandell
holesterol plays a role in forming and maintaining cell membranes and structures. Cholesterol can insert between fat molecules making up the cell, making the membrane more fluid. Cells also need cholesterol to help them adjust to changes in temperature. Cholesterol is essential for making a number of critical hormones, including the stress hormone cortisol. Cholesterol is also used to make the sex hormones testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. The liver also uses cholesterol to make bile, a fluid that plays a vital role in the processing and digestion of fats. Cholesterol is used by nerve cells for insulation. Your body also needs cholesterol to make vitamin D. In the presence of sunlight, cholesterol is converted into vitamin D.