cids. Without bile, you could not digest the fats you eat and your body would not have the materials it needs to build your cells. Since a large part of your brain is composed of fat (60% by weight), a lack of cholesterol would have a tremendous effect on your well being.
- Cholesterol is the parent substance from which aldosterone and cortisol are made. Without these two hormones, you would die in a matter of days, because these hormones keep the amount of salt and sugar in your blood at the right levels.
- Cholesterol is also the parent for another hormone called calcitrol. Calcitrol is the active form of vitamin D within the body, and it is involved in more than 300 cellular processes. One of the most important is the regulation of calcium levels in our bones. Without calcitrol, calcium would pass right through the body, and our bones and teeth would dissolve. In addition, nerve transmissions would fail, as they depend on calcium. The result would be total paralysis as muscle groups would be unable to respond to nerve impulses. Your heart, which is a muscle, would be unable to contract.
- Cholesterol helps the body fight infections and indeed this may be its most important benefit.
Current research has suggested that heart disease and atherosclerosis may be caused by infectious organisms and the resulting inflammation they cause. Higher levels of cholesterol protect the body from these inflammatory microorganisms.
- Cholesterol acts as a protective substance against stroke and cancer.
- Low cholesterol contributes to mood disorders, such as aggression, violence and depression. A team at the Yale University School of Medicine has theorized that cholesterol somehow regulates and influences brain neurochemistry.
- Your brain, which is the seat of your memories, your personality, your "you-ness" relies heavily on cholesterol. The brain uses about 20% of your total body cholesterol. If the brain doesn't have enough cholesterol, cognitive problems happen. Indeed, some people have reported experiencing loss of memory and even amnesia after taking drugs to lower cholesterol. See Dr. Duane Graveline's book Lipitor: Thief of Memory.
- A study in 2003 by Pfreiger revealed that the brain uses cholesterol to build the synaptic connections between its neurons. In fact, the brain has special cells called glial cells which are specifically adapted to make cholesterol for neuronal connections. Without cholesterol, there would be no brain function.
- A lack of cholesterol can cause dementia. Current research is revealing that lower cholesterol levels are related to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Henry Lorin has written an interesting book on this subject called Alzheimer's Solved: Condensed Edition.
- People with higher levels of cholesterol live the longest. There are multiple studies which support this fact. This is especially true for the elderly.
- Some people suffer from a genetic defect which is called Smith Lemli Opitz Syndrome in which the body doesn't make cholesterol. These people suffer from debilitating health problems including growth retardation, digestive issues, and other serious body damage since cholesterol is essential to these body processes.
- Cholesterol is so important to your body that it will make it if you don’t eat enough. This self-regulation makes it very difficult to use a low fat diet alone to lower your cholesterol. The less cholesterol you eat, the more cholesterol your body makes. If you still want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates turn into sugar or glucose in the body, and cholesterol is made from glucose. Any basic biochemistry text will confirm this fact.
Elevated Cholesterol is Healthy, in Context..
There are multiple studies which provide evidence that even high cholesterol levels above 300 mg/dl are not the dire health problem the government, drug companies and other nutritional experts would have you believe.
However, high cholesterol can be a marker for insulin resistance, and is often associated with a chronically high carbohydrate intake. In t