Why Low Cholesterol is NOT Good For You

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Why Low Cholesterol is NOT Good For You

Too little of one type of cholesterol has been linked to memory loss and

Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists studied more than 3,500 civil servants to investigate how

levels of HDL or " good " cholesterol were associated with memory. HDL cholesterol

can influence the formation of the beta-amyloid " plaques " that are a distinctive

feature in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Higher levels of HDL are also believed to protect against damage to blood

supply caused by the narrowing of the arteries.

After the five-year study period, the researchers found that people with

low levels of HDL were 53 percent more likely to suffer memory loss than people

with the highest levels of HDL.

Those with impaired memory are at an increased risk of developing dementia

later in life.

Sources:

a.. BBC News June 30, 2008

a.. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology June 30, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

There's plenty of confusion on the issue of cholesterol. I was also caught

up in the nonsense. When I finished med school 25 years ago I was convinced your

cholesterol could not be low enough.

So with a low-fat diet and plenty of exercise and oat bran (no drugs) I

was able to get my cholesterol to a ridiculous level of 75. Yes you read that

correctly -- my TOTAL cholesterol was a measly and pathetic 75 points.

Fortunately, I later realized that it should be nearly three times as high as

that to stay healthy, certainly no lower than 150.

However, due to misinformation in the media and drug pushing by

multinational corporations, the majority of people worry about their cholesterol

being too high and are clueless about the dangers of low cholesterol, especially

when done artificially with drugs.

In an effort to clear up this massive confusion I recently completed a

Special Report on Cholesterol that should put a lot of the misunderstandings to

rest. These special reports are usually offered for $9.95. However, I'm making

this PDF report available to ALL my readers for free because it's simply too

important not to share with everyone.

What you need to know first and foremost is that cholesterol is good for

you. It's present in every single cell in your body where it helps to produce

cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids to help you digest fat.

Cholesterol also helps in the formation of your memories and is vital for

neurological function, which is why the above finding that low cholesterol is

linked to memory loss is not at all surprising.

In fact, when your cholesterol levels go too low, a host of negative

things happen in your body.

The Risks of Low Cholesterol

Impaired memory and dementia are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes

to low cholesterol's impact on your brain. Having too little of this beneficial

compound also:

a.. Increases your risk of depression

b.. Can cause you to commit suicide

c.. May lead to violent behavior and aggression

d.. Increase your risk of cancer and Parkinson's disease

Unfortunately, in the United States lowering cholesterol levels has become

so common that nearly everyone reading this either knows someone struggling to

do so, or has struggled to do so themselves.

Your Cholesterol Will Normalize When You Address its Cause

Contrary to popular belief, high cholesterol is not a disease in and of

itself. It is actually a response to something gone awry in your body. You see,

cholesterol is produced whenever your cells become damaged, as it's a necessary

component in making new, healthy cells.

So if you have a lot of damaged cells, you're also going to have a lot of

cholesterol in your bloodstream. This is a good thing, in a sense, because it

means your cells are being repaired. Now, while most conventional doctors would

see all that cholesterol and put you on toxic cholesterol-lowering drugs, a more

knowledgeable doctor would search for what's causing the damage in the first

place.

And often it's inflammation brought on by:

a.. A diet too high in sugar and grains

b.. Too many processed, overcooked foods

c.. Not enough exercise

d.. Emotional stress

e.. Smoking

Again, all of the details on how to naturally bring your cholesterol to

exactly where it needs to be are in my new Cholesterol Special Report. The

remedy involves, of course, addressing the items I've mentioned above by making

simple lifestyle changes that are outlined in Take Control of Your Health.

Whatever you do, don't fall for the mistaken belief that the lower your

cholesterol goes, the better. If you lower your cholesterol through artificial

means (statin drugs) without addressing the underlying causes, your body will

continue to degenerate.

Leave the decision of how much cholesterol your body needs up to your

body, and make the right lifestyle choices to keep your cells in their top

condition. This way you get the best of both worlds: the right amount of

cholesterol and a body in tip-top shape.

Related Articles:

1.5 Million More People to Be Prescribed Useless Cholesterol Drugs

Finally, Science Starts to Challenge Lower Cholesterol

Lowering Cholesterol May Not Reduce Arterial Plaque