Low Cholesterol

Can cholesterol be too low? 
Yes. Cholesterol can become too low. However in our culture, with the predominant focus on elevated cholesterol, problems stemming from low cholesterol get very little attention. 
 

Cholesterol is critical for life
Cholesterol is a waxy substance from which the body makes hormones, vitamin D, and substances to digest food. Cholesterol also maintains the integrity and fluidity of cell membranes, and forms protective plaques inside inflamed arteries. 
 

What happens when cholesterol gets too low? 
Studies have linked low cholesterol to depression, Alzheimer’s, dementia, breast cancer, and muscle wasting. 

Approximately 25% of the body’s cholesterol is found in the brain. When cholesterol drops too low, the brain is deprived of what it needs to function properly. This can lead to numerous physical and mental health problems, named or unnamed.
 

How does cholesterol get too low? 
Physical, chemical, and emotional stress depletes the body’s cholesterol, as does overprescription of statins and other medications. 

Total cholesterol below 200 mg/dl is the parameter used by most labs today on blood tests. Incidentally, levels can drop as low as 40 mg/dl and still go unflagged. While every individual has unique requirements, total cholesterol should stay within the range of 160-200mg/dl.
 

Statins
Taking medication will indeed lower cholesterol levels, however, this comes at a price. Statins work by blocking pathways in the liver for synthesizing cholesterol, but in doing so, they block the same pathways needed to activate COQ10, a heart protective enzyme.

Additionally, statins elicit numerous side effects; muscle pain being the most common. In and of itself, muscle pain is hard to live with. Of greater concern however, is the neurological impairment underlying the pain. So while lowering cholesterol with statins may provide a sense of security, the initial causes of the elevated cholesterol are usually ignored. What’s more, the body now needs to adapt to suboptimal levels of cholesterol.
 

Lower cholesterol naturally
Understanding why the body demands more cholesterol, then taking steps to improve health via diet, exercise, and lifestyle, is a safe and effective way of lowering cholesterol.