Low Cholesterol May Be Bad for your Health
Low Cholesterol Can Be a Sign of serious IIlness regardless of Age
Sep 15, 2008
Health conscious people may be feeling increasingly confused over the litany of contradictory claims made by the medical profession, pharmaceutical companies and a host of independent scientists. Lately, it seems there is a growing chorus of researchers espousing that low cholesterol levels may, indeed, actually be detrimental to one’s health.
Low Cholesterol Causes Heart Disease
Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, author of The Great Cholesterol Con (not to be confused with Colpo's book of the same title) is just one of many medical professionals speaking out about the scientifically unverifiable link between cholesterol and heart disease. Dr. Malcolm is a vocal member of a growing number of professionals who believe that “A falling cholesterol level is associated with a greater risk of heart disease.” He cites statistics showing that when cholesterol levels in Japan rose, “…life expectancy increased, and death from all forms of cardiovascular disease fell dramatically.”
Kendrick has plenty of company in his beliefs. Science writer Gary Taubes also spends time debunking the cholesterol/cardiac connection in Good Calories, Bad Calories, as does Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions. These and other writers find fault with the misinterpreted evidence previously gleaned from a myriad of studies.
Low Cholesterol Causes Disease
Not satisfied with dissecting studies trying to relate cholesterol levels with heart disease, Kendrick also postulates that “…very low cholesterol levels are a sign of serious underlying illness, which is why people in the West with low cholesterol levels have such a terrible life expectancy.” Since every cell in the human body requires cholesterol, this idea may merit some consideration. As Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, endocrinologist and author of The Schwarzbein Principle, states, “If all you ever do is try to bring your (cholesterol) numbers down as low as possible, you will generate chronic health problems and disease.”
Low Cholesterol Is Not Desirable for longterm Health
Based on his exhaustive study of medical data, Japanese researcher H. Okuyama came to many contentious conclusions regarding the dangers of low cholesterol in Change the Direction of Cholesterol-Related Medication – A Problem of Great Urgency:
- High cholesterol levels are not associated with heart attacks in people over 40 to 50 years of age
- High cholesterol levels are associated with lower cancer and premature death rates
- There is little benefit in lowering cholesterol levels below 260 mg. in older people
- Lowering cholesterol in the vast majority of people is harmful, not helpful
- Cholesterol screening tests are a waste of money
- Efforts to lower cholesterol increase the risk of developing cancer and shorten lifespan
In fact, in a follow up to a ten year study conducted in Finland, Kendrick states that Professor Michael Oliver “…found that those people who continued to follow the carefully controlled cholesterol-lowering diet were twice as likely to die of heart disease as those who didn’t.”
Diet Is Key to Health
Schwarzbein, Fallon and others believe that a diet lower in carbohydrates is a key to maintaining one's health and longevity. Schwarzbein succinctly states, “Ignore your cholesterol numbers and focus on your total lifestyle and you will likely live a long and healthy life.”
