What substance is found in foods and is also produced by the human body?

What substance is found in foods and is also produced by the human body?

• A. Triglycerides
• B. Cholesterol
• C. Lipoproteins
• D. Insulin

Answer: (B)

Cholesterol is the correct answer because it is a substance that is both ingested through dietary sources and synthesized by the liver in the human body. It plays essential roles in various biological processes, including the production of hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids, which are critical for digestion. While it is often associated with health risks when found in excess, cholesterol is necessary for maintaining cell membrane structure and function. Triglycerides, lipoproteins, and insulin also have important roles in the body; however, triglycerides are primarily stored fats that are transported by lipoproteins, which are complexes that carry lipids in the bloodstream. Insulin, on the other hand, is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. Unlike cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin are not consumed directly in the same way as cholesterol nor are they classified in the same category as substances that are found in food and also synthesized endogenously by the body itself. Thus, cholesterol uniquely fits the criteria laid out in the question.

Cholesterol is the correct answer because it is a substance that is both ingested through dietary sources and synthesized by the liver in the human body. It plays essential roles in various biological processes, including the production of hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids, which are critical for digestion. While it is often associated with health risks when found in excess, cholesterol is necessary for maintaining cell membrane structure and function.

Triglycerides, lipoproteins, and insulin also have important roles in the body; however, triglycerides are primarily stored fats that are transported by lipoproteins, which are complexes that carry lipids in the bloodstream. Insulin, on the other hand, is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. Unlike cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin are not consumed directly in the same way as cholesterol nor are they classified in the same category as substances that are found in food and also synthesized endogenously by the body itself. Thus, cholesterol uniquely fits the criteria laid out in the question.