Cholesterol Has Benefits, Too

Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695

SEARCH:

FREE Subscription

The World’s Most Popular Natural Health Newsletter

POSTED BY:

Dr. Mercola
February 02 2008

39,116 views

ARTICLE TOOLS:

Current Newsletter

Share Your Comment

Print this Page

Save as Favorites

Submit My Story

Newsletter Feed

Health Blog Feed

TRANSLATE THIS PAGE:

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark & Share

Cholesterol Has Benefits, Too

Cholesterol may not be all bad, and may in fact have some benefits, according to a new study from researchers at Texas A&M University.

The study involved 55 men and women between the ages of 60 and 69 who exercised three days a week for 12 weeks.

A significant association was found between dietary cholesterol and change in strength. It was found that lower cholesterol levels reduced muscle gain that occurred with exercise, while those with higher cholesterol intake also had the highest gains in muscle strength.

“Our findings show that the restricting of cholesterol -- while in the process of exercising -- appears to affect building muscle mass in a negative manner,” the researchers said.

They suggested that the effect may be due to cholesterol’s role in the inflammation process. More cholesterol in your blood may lead to a greater inflammatory response that is useful for building muscles.

Sources:

Eurekalert January 9, 2008

The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences December 2007, 62:1164-1171

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I have significant personal experience with low cholesterol. I bought into the low-fat myth in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and with my diet and long-distance running actually got my cholesterol level down to 75 without taking any drugs.

At the time it seemed to be a good thing -- but now I know it was a prescription for disaster and was likely one of the major reasons I lost my hair.

The fact that your body naturally makes some cholesterol, and uses it for producing cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help you digest fats, among many other things, it is a major clue that cholesterol is necessary and beneficial for your health.

Your body requires cholesterol to survive, which is why it produces it. So please don’t let anyone tell you that cholesterol is completely bad for you.

And while many people worry that their cholesterol is too high, few give a thought to the damage that can result if your cholesterol is too low. When it comes to cholesterol, lower is not always better.

If your cholesterol dips too low, you will increase your risk of:

Where do Sugars and Grains Fit In?

About 75 percent of your blood cholesterol is made by your body. The other 25 percent comes from the foods you eat.

Certain foods that contain cholesterol will throw your body off balance, while others will actually push it toward homeostasis.

One of the most important things I advise people looking to lower their cholesterol to do is to reduce, or eliminate, sugars and grains from their diet.

What do sugar and grain have to do with cholesterol and your heart?

Eating too much sugar and refined grains is the primary cause of high triglycerides, and restricting sugar and grains seems to normalize triglyceride levels in most everyone who tries it.

Triglycerides, like cholesterol, belong to the lipid family. They’re a major source of energy for your body, and are either obtained from your diet or produced in your liver.

When your body has more triglycerides than it can use, the excess triglycerides end up being transported to fat cells (rather than being used by your body for energy). If your triglyceride levels remain elevated it can lead to atherosclerosis and heart damage.

In other words, high triglycerides are an incredibly potent risk factor for heart disease. In combination, high triglycerides and low HDL levels are an even bigger risk; this ratio is even more important to your heart health than the standard good vs. bad cholesterol ratio.

In fact, one study found that people with the highest ratio of triglycerides to HDL had 16 times the risk of heart attack as those with the lowest ratio of triglycerides to HDL.

So while you strive to keep your HDL cholesterol levels up, you’ll want to decrease your triglycerides. How? You can increase your HDL levels by exercising and getting plenty of omega-3 fats like those from krill oil. Triglycerides are easily decreased by exercising and avoiding grains and sugars in your diet.

The “Healthy” Cholesterol Guidelines Have Never Been Proven

It is also worth mentioning, while we’re on the subject of cholesterol, that the cholesterol levels the experts tout as those you must reach to be healthy have never been proven to be healthy.

So rather than focusing on how to get your cholesterol levels lower, focus on eating the right foods for your nutritional type while avoiding sugar and grains. (And by all means do not get caught up in the hype that you need to take dangerous statin cholesterol-lowering drugs!)

Add to your new healthy diet some regular exercise, and your body should be able to keep its cholesterol levels where they should be, naturally.

Related Links:

Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease

Cholesterol is Needed to Help Your Brain Cells Communicate

Can Low Cholesterol Increase Your Parkinson's Risk?

Community Comments (35)

Posted On Jan 11, 2008

It is known that cholesterol is the building block for our bodies hormones, and that anabolic hormones increase when we are active and exercise. So if we don't have enough building material then muscle growth would be slowed.
Does this seem like common sense to anyone else?

Mark as Spam

20 Points

Matt79

Savvy User, Joined On 8/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

foxtroter_203

Savvy User Joined On 9/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 11, 2008

“We were not expecting to get these kind of results,” Riechman explains.

“Needless to say, these findings caught us totally off guard,” he explains.

1) It seems to me that these researchers perhaps should study endocrinology 101.

2) It is my understanding that weight training increases HDL and decreases LDL and triglycerides. Might this not be a better approach than trying to reduce cholesterol levels with drugs?

Mark as Spam

25 Points

Russ Bianchi

Savvy User Joined On 9/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 13, 2008

High Fructose Corn Syrup consumption, at 94 pounds per year per person in the USA, is converted to either stored body fat or blood triglycerides, not blood glucose.

Take and beverage or food with HFCS in it Having measure triglycerides count prior and then 30 minutes after ingestion; tiglycerides will have increased radically!

Mark as Spam

7 Points

Phantom O Banjo

Savvy User Joined On 9/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 15, 2008

Pargamma how many ning nongs does it take to screw in a light bulb? lol

Mark as Spam

8 Points

Posted On Jan 11, 2008

The last line says it all. "It shows that there is still a lot about cholesterol that we don't know." Including the fact that many people who have Myocardial Infarcts (heart attacks) have normal cholesterol levels. There is still much about they body we don't know, and as long as science insists on studying one part at a time they probably will not make much progress. The human body is more than the sum of its parts.

Mary

Mark as Spam

16 Points

mmc88121

Moderator User, Joined On 11/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 14, 2008

Everytime I read these articles, I discover how far my eyes can roll back into my head.

How much do you want a bet that we won't hear much of this study in the old media?

Mark as Spam

12 Points

nanciesweb

Savvy User, Joined On 6/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 14, 2008

Cholesterol is needed to make testosterone, which builds muscle. Cholesterol is needed to make Vitamin D, vital for muscle tone.

Mark as Spam

12 Points

NewYorkGal

Novice User, Joined On 1/2008

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 14, 2008

Huh. The combination of my high cholesterol and my hip-to-waist ratio must make me some kind of superwoman. Now I just gotta think up a name for myself.
No suggestions, please!

Mark as Spam

8 Points

Bridestein

Savvy User, Joined On 12/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

Reesacat

Savvy User Joined On 1/2007

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 14, 2008

GammaGirl, I like the other one you thought of.

Mark as Spam

6 Points

energy_203

Apprentice User Joined On 8/2007

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 15, 2008

B: Obviously something must make you some kind of superwoman.

Like shears to Samson, kryptonite to the man of steel, so is Lipitor to our mis*********ed heroine.

Would you suggest lower cholesterol if I prefer to avoid becoming a superwoman, or is it more in the waist? No offense, it's just easier being a man; especially once you start down that path.

Mark as Spam

9 Points

Bridestein

Savvy User Joined On 12/2006

Send Message

Add as Friend

Posted On Jan 15, 2008

E- since the majority of my power seems to emanate from my wide hips and small waist, I'd have to say you're probably not in much danger of becoming a superwoman.

Mark as Spam

7 Points

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark & Share

Would you like to republish this article?

© Copyright 2009 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.