Implications of Low Cholesterol

Recently, some studies have established an association between low blood cholesterol levels (<160 milligrams/deciliter) and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, respiratory illness, and stroke.

Low Cholesterol ctd

However, the nature of this association is not yet completely understood and the current data does not identify low blood cholesterol as the cause of any of these conditions. Unless accompanied by the symptoms of one of the associated illnesses, low blood cholesterol is probably not a matter for major concern. However, the connection between high blood cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease is lucid and strong.

Low Cholesterol

Since cholesterol is an essential component of living cells, there is a theoretical lower limit to the amount of cholesterol one's body requires, but generally the liver produces sufficient cholesterol to meet these needs. However, for those still worried about low cholesterol, increasing one's dietary consumption of mono and poly-unsaturated fats can help raise total cholesterol by boosting HDL cholesterol levels.