Illustration of the origin of cholesterol and its elimination. The body抯 cholesterol is synthesised in the liver (70%), diet does the rest. LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) is used for cell consumption. When the body contains too much LDL, it is caught by the HDLs (good cholesterol) to be redirected to the liver and eliminated. LDL is called bad cholesterol as there is too much of it in the body, it sticks to the arteries and forms artheroma plaques, whereas HDL protects the arteries.