Cholesterol Is Not The Culprit
Stopping the Scientific Illiteracy
Low levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for several types of cancer. [1]
Cholesterol is vital for the formation and maintenance of healthy cell membranes. [2]
The liver uses cholesterol to make bile, which is needed for the digestion of fats.
Low cholesterol is associated with mortality from cardiovascular diseases. [3]
Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D. In the sunlight, the body converts cholesterol to vitamin D.
Cholesterol is needed to create vital hormones -: steroids, cortisol, aldosterone, and testosterone.
There is evidence that cholesterol is necessary for gut integrity and avoiding a leaky gut. [4]
Cholesterol is necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins - A, E, and K.
Cholesterol helps support the immune system. Immune cells rely on cholesterol. [5]
Cholesterol is used in the uptake of serotonin in the brain. A lack of serotonin causes a sad, depressed mood, low energy, negative thoughts, feel tense and irritable, craving sweets, and a reduced interest in sex.
Cholesterol works as an antioxidant in your body. [6]
An extensive study of 3572 adults demonstrated that in those, who had the lowest levels of life-sustaining cholesterol, the risk of mortality during the 20- years study was increased by an incredible 65%! [7]
Researchers found that the best memory function was detected in those elderly with the highest cholesterol. Increased risk of depression and even death is correlated with low cholesterol. [8]
The connections between brain cells are entirely dependent on cholesterol. Cholesterol is one of the factors involved in allowing neurons to communicate with each other and exchange electrical signals. [9]
There is strong scientific evidence indicating that low cholesterol and suicide, particularly violent suicide, are linked. The vast majority of studies linking low cholesterol to depression, suicide, and violence looked at the serum cholesterol level, says James M. Greenblatt, M.D. in an essay titled “The implication of low cholesterol depression and suicide”..” [10]
Cholesterol is not LDL. And LDL is not cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a fat-based molecule having the following roles and benefits:
Since the blood is water-based, cholesterol cannot be transported and delivered to the cell by itself. Therefore, the liver produces a protein that acts as a carrier - low-density lipoprotein (LDL). So, LDL is not cholesterol but a cholesterol carrier.
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Scientific References
[1] Parsa N, Taravatmanesh S, Trevisan M. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2018 Nov;27(6):570-576. doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000391.[2] J.A. Lundbæk, O.S. Andersen, T. Werge, C. Nielsen Cholesterol-induced protein sorting: an analysis of energetic feasibility Biophys. J., 84 (2003), pp. 2080-2089 H. Kaiser, A. Orlowski, T. Róg, T.K.M.Nyholm, W. Chai, T. Feizi, D. Lingwood, I.Vattulainen, K. Simons Lateral sorting in model membranes by cholesterol-mediated hydrophobic matching. PNAS October 4, 2011 108 (40) 16628-16633: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1103742108
[3] Bae JM, Yang YJ, Li ZM, Ahn YO. J Korean Med Sci. 2012 Jan;27(1):58-63. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.1.58. Epub 2011 Dec 19.
[4] Hui DY. J Lipid Res. 2017 Oct;58(10):1935-1936. doi: 10.1194/jlr.C079715. Epub 2017 Aug 2. Rong S., McDonald J. G., and Engelking L. J. 2017. Cholesterol auxotrophy and intolerance to ezetimibe in mice with SREBP-2 deficiency in the intestine. J. Lipid Res. 58: 1988–1998.
[5] Bietz A, Zhu H, Xue M, Xu C. Front Immunol. 2017 Nov 27;8:1664. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01664. eCollection 2017. Review.
[6] Smith LL. Free Radic Biol Med. 1991;11(1):47-61. Review.
[7] Cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people from the Honolulu Heart Program: a cohort study Prof Dr Irwin J Schatz, MD rg, o Prof Kamal Masaki, MD Katsuhiko Yano, MD Randi Chen, MS Prof Beatriz L Rodriguez, MD ProfJ David Curb, MD Published: August 04, 2001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(01)05553-2.
[8] West R, Beeri MS, Schmeidler J, Hannigan CM, Angelo G, Grossman HT, Rosendorff C, Silverman JM. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2008 Sep;16(9):781-5. doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181812790.
[9] Daniela H. Mauch, Karl Nägler, Stefan Schumacher, Christian Göritz, Eva-Christina Müller, Albrecht Otto, Frank W. Pfrieger. AG Synapsen und 2AG Proteinchemie, MDC für Molekulare Medizin, D-13092 Berlin. 3Max-Planck/CNRS Gruppe, UPR 2356, Centre de Neurochimie, F-67084 Strasbourg, France. Institut für Zellbiochemie und Klinische Neurobiologie, Universität Hamburg, D-20246 Hamburg.
[10] The Implication of Low Cholesterol In Depression and Suicide. November 16, 2015. James M. Greenblatt, M.D. https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/articles-1/2015/11/13/the-implications-of-low-cholesterol-in-depression-and-suicide