The dangers of having low cholesterol
Part 1: Introduction
We know that cholesterol is an essential chemical in our bodies with a wide range of uses and applications. Just as our body temperature is held within very fine limits for the whole of our lives, so are hundreds of other processes and chemicals. We don't need to measure and 'correct' even one of them; our bodies can and do regulate these automatically within fine limits and with great accuracy.
Unlike body temperature, cholesterol rises naturally as we age and the idea that everyone, young or old, male or female, should all have exactly the same amount of cholesterol in their blood is, frankly, utterly ridiculous.
So, isn't it conceivable that if cholesterol isn't available in sufficient quantity, that deficiency could have catastrophic effects?
It has!
The diseases and other conditions whose risk is increased if your cholesterol is lowered, either through illness or artificially with drugs, is long. Cholesterol-lowering drugs, themselves, also increase risks because of the adverse side effects they produce. That aspect will be discussed in another part of this website. But you only have to look at the conditions listed in the menu above, or the Dangers of Low Cholesterol Index, to realise that lowering cholesterol is not without significant risk.
