Is there a such thing as having too low a cholesterol level?

Answer 1

I assume you are asking about total cholesterol and not the ldl or low density cholesterol. There was some discussion in the medical literature about this issue years ago when statin therapy came out. One study hinted at increased suicides and deaths by all causes once the cholesterol got below a certain point (a J shaped curve) but this was never substantiated. Some scientists theorize that too low cholesterol may contribute to dementia, but this has never been substantiated, either. It seems that a low cholesterol really lowers the rates of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, as long as the HDL or high density cholesterol is adequate.

Finally, one must also consider that low cholesterol can be associated wtih chronic illness and liver disease, or poor diet, so if it is really low, you might ask your doctor for a full evaluation, if your doctor feels it would be warranted. Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes, yes, and yes. Low cholesterol, in fact, has been shown to increase the risk of cancer and stroke. Moreover, all your cholesterol hormones are created from cholesterol, fat soluble antioxidants are carried throughout the body with cholesterol, 20 percent of the brain is composed of cholesterol, etc.....

Cholesterol is not the enemy. Look into the "cholesterol myth" online, and find out more.