Of all the substances in the human body, cholesterol is one of
the most critical to human existence. One hundred years of
research has been dedicated to this ubiquitous compound. It is
found in the membrane of every human cell, it protects our
nerves and it is necessary for the manufacture of vital
hormones, vitamins and substances that aid digestion. It would
probably be the end of the story if it weren't for one problem –
it can also kill. News of cholesterol's dark side surfaced at
the beginning of the 1900s when a German chemist Adolph Windaus
discovered that the concentrations of this fatty substance were
20 times higher in narrowed aortas – the largest artery in the
body – than in non-narrowed vessels. Decades later it was clear
that cholesterol could also collect inside vessels supplying the
heart and brain. Today the link between blood cholesterol, heart
attack and stroke is undeniable, and the medical community has
been keenly obsessed with finding ways to straighten cholesterol
levels ever since. Me