Cholesterol is a structural and functional molecule required for cell membrane integrity, steroid hormone synthesis, and vitamin D production.

Study: No association between LDL cholesterol levels and cellular membrane integrity assessed with phase angle: Insights from the MALIPID study.

Even when people have very low levels of cholesterol in their blood, their cell membranes stay healthy, which means cells must be using their own cholesterol to stay intact — just like the claim says.

Study: UV increases skin-derived 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 production, leading to MMP-1 expression by altering the balance of vitamin D and cholesterol synthesis from 7-dehydrocholesterol.

The study shows that your skin uses the same starting material to make both cholesterol and vitamin D. When sunlight hits your skin, it shifts production toward vitamin D and away from cholesterol, proving cholesterol is needed for important body functions.

Study: Cholesterol Depletion by MβCD Enhances Cell Membrane Tension and Its Variations-Reducing Integrity

When scientists removed cholesterol from cells, the cell membranes became stiff and burst more easily under pressure, proving cholesterol helps keep cells strong and intact.