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Despite the fact that high cholesterol is very dangerous to health, its low level is not less harmful. Many perceive lower cholesterol levels as normal, but this is far from the case. What is the harm of low cholesterol and how to increase its level?

Low Cholesterol - Harm to Health

Scientists have shown that low cholesterol poses a significant health hazard. In particular, against the background of such a reduction, the risk of developing cancer significantly increases.

Also low cholesterol can, along with malnutrition, smoking and alcoholism, cause all sorts of mental disorders. This may be suicidal behavior, unmotivated aggression and even senility.

Important! Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol can significantly increase the risk of stroke and liver cancer, so you need to strive to reduce its level, while increasing the amount of "good" cholesterol - high density.

Watch a video about good and bad cholesterol

What makes cholesterol lower

So, if cholesterol is below normal - what does this mean? The reasons can be quite a lot. Low cholesterol HDL is not well studied at the moment, but experts identify several main reasons that can lead to the development of this disease. The causes of low blood cholesterol in women are the same as in men:

• Eating foods that are low in fat.
• Having problems with the liver. The liver synthesizes cholesterol, and therefore the quality of its production depends on its proper operation.
• Genetic location.
• Dietary disturbances (unbalanced diet for weight loss, sports nutrition, unintelligent vegetarianism, etc.).

• Any disease in which there are violations in the assimilation of food.
• Taking medicines that lower cholesterol. In particular, cholesterol reduction occurs when incorrectly prescribed statins.

Such problems in children often occur with liver disease and genetic predisposition. It is also very important to follow the diet in childhood, because the body must receive all the necessary substances.

Cholesterol is produced by the human liver and is a lipid (fat) that is present in the membranes of all cells. Both raising and lowering this element can cause significant effects, especially during pregnancy.

Symptoms

Reducing cholesterol is very difficult to notice without going to a specialist. Only a biochemical blood test can accurately show the state of health. However, there are still several symptoms that allow you to recognize the ailment yourself:

• muscle weakness;
• retarded reflexes;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• reduced sensitivity;
• depression alternating with aggressive mood;
• decreased libido and sexual activity.

What complications can cause low cholesterol

As you know, cholesterol is a vital substance for the human body. Therefore, its deficiency usually has negative consequences. Consider the danger of low cholesterol:

• Adequate production of the pleasure hormone (serotonin) occurs only. If it decreases, then a number of changes in a person’s mood can occur, including anxiety, aggression, depression, suicidal tendencies.

Important! In old age patients may also experience mental degradation, similar in course to Alzheimer's disease.

• Due to a decrease in the elasticity of the blood vessels, the blood supply to the brain may be impaired. Vessels can simply burst, leading to hemorrhage in the brain, and as a result will cause hemorrhagic stroke.
• There may be a situation in which there is excessive intestinal permeability. In this case, toxins and various wastes are not removed by the intestines, but begin to penetrate into the blood, without encountering any obstacles in their path.
• The thyroid gland begins to show excessive activity, which leads to excessive production of thyroid hormones. This causes hyperthyroidism.
• Improper absorption of fat by the body can lead to obesity.

In this case, you need to pass, the values ​​of which are described in detail in the article on our website.

• Vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium, is produced thanks to cholesterol. Therefore, if the latter is at a low level, then there may be a risk of osteoporosis.
• Reducing cholesterol negatively affects the work of sex hormones. Therefore, the patient may experience infertility on this basis. In particular, this problem is often observed in women.
• The onset of diabetes mellitus of the second type is possible due to a decrease in the body’s insulin resistance.

You can recognize a person in an article on our website.

How to treat the disease?

To eliminate the problem, you need to increase cholesterol. But how to raise the level of good cholesterol? Two options are usually used for this:

• Drug, which involves the use of special drugs that raise cholesterol levels.
• A special diet that uses cholesterol rich foods.

It is important to maintain an optimal level of "good" cholesterol (HDL) in the body. Both excess and lack of cholesterol is harmful.

Important! Do not self-medicate. Features of the fight against the disease should be determined exclusively by a specialist! And first of all, you should address this problem to the endocrinologist.

In addition, the treatment of low cholesterol can be reduced to the elimination of diseases that have a parallel course with it, which include:

• anemia;
• various liver diseases;
• poisoning;
• lipid metabolism disorder;
• various kinds of infections.

High cholesterol is one of the main problems of modern people. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition due to sedentary work and lack of free time. With elevated cholesterol, cholesterol plaques form on the vessel walls, which contribute to the deterioration of blood circulation. In order to lower cholesterol, there is a special diet.

What should I eat with low cholesterol?

In most cases, this problem is solved by proper nutrition. And the actions here will be fundamentally opposed to those that are recommended for high cholesterol. If possible, include in your diet foods that contain large amounts of cholesterol.

Consider the main list of such products:

• Sea fish.
• Beef, as well as beef kidneys, brains, liver.
• Egg yolks (they are the main source of cholesterol).
• Walnuts, pumpkin and flaxseeds.
• Cream and olive oil.
• Dutch cheese.

Product table with cholesterol amount

Cholesterol - a substance that is mostly produced by the liver cells and partially supplied with food, is located in the vascular wall throughout the human body. The value of this substance is difficult to overestimate. Lipoproteins perform hormone-producing hormone-producing functions, is involved in the absorption of vitamin D. Fatty alcohol also improves digestion and participates in the work of the serotonin receptor apparatus.

Insufficient cholesterol can cause abnormalities, such as the psyche (contribute to depression), memory impairment and dementia in people over fifty years old, and a number of other diseases.

Lipoprotein Features

About 75% of cholesterol is produced in the liver, the rest comes from animal products. Ensuring the function of the cell frame is especially necessary in childhood, when there is marked increased cell division. Cholesterol is involved in maintaining bones, muscles, cells of the nervous tissue in the physiological state. Lipoprotein is involved in the metabolism of minerals, insulin production, has a certain effect on the assimilation process of vitamin A, E, K. Cholesterol in normal amounts increases stress resistance, reduces the risk of developing oncology and pathology of the heart and blood vessels.

It is recommended to examine blood for cholesterol from the age of 20. Repeat the analysis at normal rates every 5 years. In the presence of somatic pathology, cholesterol levels should be refined by passing a blood collection procedure every year.

Cholesterol in the blood can vary, depending on age, somatic pathology of the body. Indicators of men and women differ. In middle-aged men, the level of HDL (high density lipoprotein) is 2.25-4.82 mmol / l, LDL (low density) 0.7-3.9 mmol / l. The level of total cholesterol is made up of indicators of both groups. When evaluating lipidograms, they also look at the content of TG (triglycerides), normally it should be 0.5-1.82 mmol / l. For men after 65 years of age, TG rates decrease and amount to 0.62-2.9 mmol / l.

Low blood cholesterol can lead to the following phenomena in the body:

• Depressive states.
• Infertility.
• Obesity.
• Disorder of the digestive system.
• Diabetes.

The development of osteoporosis and hypovitaminosis (especially the vitamin A, D, E, K) groups occur on the background of a violation of mineral metabolism and vitamin absorption. Hemorrhagic stroke, manifested by impaired blood circulation in the brain, occurs against the background of rupture of blood vessels and the release of blood into the brain parenchyma. The most dangerous hypocholesterolemia on the background of the development of depression with a tendency to suicide and the emergence of the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. It is also noted that men with a low blood lipoprotein value are more likely to develop oncology and addiction to bad habits in the form of alcohol and drug addiction.

Reasons for the decrease

The following causes can provoke hypocholesterolemia:

• Liver pathology: most of the fatty alcohol is produced by this organ and therefore low rates may indicate the possible presence of hepatic pathology.
• Inadequate nutrition: with regular consumption of foods with a low fat content and at the same time increasing the nutritional load and eating food, represented by easily digestible carbohydrates.
• Lack of nutrients: malnutrition, diseases of the body associated with the assimilation of food consumed (anorexia and other disorders).
• Increased stress on the nervous system in the form of stress: prolonged nerve overstrain contributes to the development of adrenaline, which reduces cholesterol levels.
• Diseases of the thyroid gland: in hyperthyroidism, there is a violation of the ratio of produced hormones, the level of which also depends on cholesterol, as a result there is a decrease in the content of lipoprotein.

Frequent stress can cause low blood cholesterol

Infectious diseases, which are based on the signs of fever (tuberculosis and others), anemia also contribute to the development of cholesterol. Hereditary diseases have a certain effect on the indicator of fatty alcohol in the blood. Often they are associated with liver disease. There is also a development of problems with the level of lipoproteins with various disorders during the course of pregnancy. Some groups of drugs, namely drugs that suppress the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines, vitamins (nicotinic acid), fibrates, statins and other groups, can also lower the content. Therefore, when taking any dosage forms in order to correct the somatic condition, it is necessary to inform the attending physician.

Symptoms of hypolipidemia

A low level of lipoproteins can be determined using a biochemical assessment of blood in a specially designated laboratory. The evaluation of the indicators involved in the medical laboratory. However, a lower number of fatty alcohol in the blood may be accompanied by a number of signs that are determined during an external examination.

It is noted to patients with a decrease in blood cholesterol:

• Asthenia muscles and reduced reflexes.
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Decreased appetite, up to its absence (anorexia).
• Suppressed or aggressive behavior.
• Decreased sexual activity.

The patient also notes a change in the composition of fecal masses. With a lack of assimilation of cholesterol from food and disruption of its production by liver cells, steatorrhea occurs. When external examination of feces is determined in the form of fat and oil inclusions.

Correction methods

In order to decide how to start the fight with lowered cholesterol in men, you need to be examined by a specialist. Primary treatment takes place at the therapist. The doctor performs an external examination of the body, evaluates the indicators of cardiac and respiratory activity (pulse counting, blood pressure measurement, listening to breathing with the help of a phonendoscope).

After a clinical examination, in accordance with the detected condition, the appointment of an additional examination in the form of testing and passing instrumental, hardware (X-ray) and other diagnostic procedures. The patient can be sent for examination to a doctor by an endocrinologist, a gastroenterologist, and other specialists, depending on the prevalence of the clinically determined pathology of the organism and the corresponding results of the additional examination. After receiving additional examination data and detecting a decrease in blood cholesterol, the doctor clarifies the possible cause of the pathology. Only after establishing the true nature of the disease and treatment can an increase in the level of blood lipoproteins in men.

It is impossible to independently select drugs for the purpose of correcting the blood cholesterol content, since irrational intervention can only lead to a deterioration of the state of the body.

There is no medicine that affects the level of blood cholesterol for the purpose of raising it. The main disease causing hypocholesterolemia and the correction of symptomatic manifestations are treated. A special diet prescribed by a nutritionist is a diet aimed at increasing the consumption of wholesome food with a high content of lipids and reducing the level of intake of easily digestible carbohydrates.

• Meat (brains, tongue, beef liver) and fish.
• Egg yolks.
• Seafood.
• Flax and pumpkin seeds, walnuts.
• Cheese, cream and olive oil.

Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, legumes, grains with soluble fiber (such as oats), seafood, in particular fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna)

Products are recommended to bake, steam or use raw. When frying in a pan, olive oil should be used. Proper combination of products will allow you to extract the maximum benefit to raise the level of blood cholesterol.

Excluded from the diet of men:

• Pasta.
• Cereals.
• Bakery products.
• Sweets.

If possible, the consumption of alcohol and its surrogates should be completely excluded.

It must be remembered that excessive intake of cholesterol-rich fatty foods can also harm the body.

Therefore, food intake should be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor. In order not to provoke a deterioration under lipid load, it is important to include in the diet foods with a high content of vitamin C (citrus fruits, currants, and others). Of the popular ways to safely raise cholesterol in the absence of allergy, a carrot diet is recommended. Any use of food must be agreed with your doctor.

The danger of increased cholesterol concentration in the bloodstream is well known. Such a phenomenon can lead to the development of serious diseases affecting the cardiovascular system. But in the human body can be observed and the shortage of this substance, which also adversely affects the body. Therefore, it is necessary to know why a person may have low blood cholesterol, how to detect such a problem, and what it means.

Low cholesterol in women

Cholesterol is an important element for maintaining the normal functioning of the human body. Most of this substance is synthesized by the liver. But about twenty-twenty-five percent of cholesterol enters the human body from food.

The substance is involved in many processes, including the processing of sunlight into vitamin D. Cholesterol is transported through the body only in conjunction with other molecules, forming lipoproteins.

Today there are several types of these substances:

1. LDL - low density lipoprotein. Transport cholesterol to the cells of the human body.
2. HDL - high density lipoprotein. Perform the inverse function, that is, are responsible for the return of cholesterol to the liver.

Normal body functionality is possible only at certain concentrations of these substances. Too low concentrations of this substance are dangerous for the body. Low cholesterol in the blood is referred to as the term cholesterol-cholesterol. As of today, this problem is not well understood.

In 1999, the indicator of 5.17 mmol per liter was called the optimal level of total cholesterol. Dangerous is the level of this substance below 3.1 mmol per liter.   This is the basis for diagnosing lower cholesterol in humans. Like its elevated level, too low an indicator of cholesterol can lead to the development of serious pathologies.

But total cholesterol is only one of the indicators of biochemical analysis. Also important indicators of cholesterol LDL and HDL. High-density lipoproteins are not ingested with food. This type of substance is synthesized exclusively by human liver.

An indicator of less than 1.29 mmol per liter, although included in the allowable range of values, should make a person think. Lower cholesterol can be a health hazard.

The normal indicators of low-density lipoprotein in women are shown in the following table:

It is necessary to bear in mind the fact that the indicators given in the table above were calculated on the basis of a survey of several thousand people. Broad ranges of values ​​are associated with the presence of the disease being examined. This circumstance also explains the low minimum figures. The study was conducted and published by the Eurolab clinic. Specific results on the results of biochemical analysis should be done by a specialist.

Causes and symptoms of cholesterol deficiency

As mentioned earlier, research on hypocholesterolemia continues today. On the basis of available research and knowledge, the following reasons for lower blood cholesterol can be identified:

The reasons that can cause a shortage of cholesterol are many. Not all of them are studied enough. Some are hypothesized. Modern medicine has long focused on elevated cholesterol, the problem of its deficiency began to be studied relatively recently.

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At high rates of HDL cholesterol plaque formation is blocked, the already formed formations are removed. Therefore, it is important to prevent the deficiency of this type of lipoproteins. The following factors can lower the level of HDL:

As in the previous case, the lack of high-density lipoproteins can be caused by improper diet and diseases affecting the liver. In addition, a decrease in HDL may be due to the use of certain types of drugs (interferon, statins, beta-blockers).

Lowered LDL cholesterol is rarely noticed during diagnosis. Meanwhile, a decrease in the amount of a substance in the body can be caused by:

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
• severe liver disease;
• inflammatory diseases of the joints;
• acute infections and diseases;
• hereditary hypocholesterolemia;
• oncological diseases affecting the bone marrow.

Changing the concentration of total cholesterol, as well as low and high density lipoproteins, does not cause any symptoms. The only way to diagnose a problem in time is to conduct a biochemical analysis. Persons who have reached the age of twenty are advised to undergo a similar examination at least once every five years.

People who have lowered cholesterol, can notice this phenomenon only against the background of diseases that have developed because of it. Among the symptoms of the problem are the following symptoms:

These symptoms, as mentioned earlier, occur only in the presence of disease and indicate the need to start therapy. It is impossible to prevent the development of diseases, focusing on similar symptoms. That is why it is recommended to regularly test for cholesterol.

What is dangerous low cholesterol?

Elevated cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Cholesterol plaques, which are formed due to its excessive concentration in the bloodstream, settle on the walls of blood vessels, gradually deforming them. Low cholesterol, found in human blood, also carries a risk to his health.

Specialists from San Francisco, who studied the effect of lowered cholesterol on more than three hundred and fifty thousand Americans, came to the conclusion that this phenomenon:

• increases the risk of stroke, asthma, emphysema, manifestations of depression, leading to suicide, by two hundred percent;
• increases the likelihood of liver cancer;
• increases the risk of developing alcohol and drug addiction.

In addition, cholesterol deficiency causes:

Depression, which causes a reduced level of cholesterol in the blood, can lead to the appearance of suicidal thoughts in a person, with further attempts to translate them into reality. In addition, the lack of cholesterol leads to the fact that fat-soluble vitamins can not normally be absorbed by the body, which can reduce its productivity.

To be afraid of lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood is first of all necessary for persons with problems with the cardiovascular system and blood pressure. In addition, the risk group also includes:

Representatives of the population groups described in this list should carefully monitor the level of total cholesterol in the blood, passing tests at some intervals. If low cholesterol is observed for a long time, you need to start therapy.

Problem therapy and preventive measures

Therapy of low cholesterol in the first place is to change the diet and method of cooking consumed meals. Proper nutrition contributes to the normal functioning of the liver, which charitable effect on the increase in cholesterol in the blood. Sugar, pasta, alcohol, cereals, bread, crackers - all this should be excluded from the diet or limited.

A list of foods that are desirable to use to raise cholesterol can be found in this table.

The essence of the diet used to increase the level of cholesterol in the blood is the limited consumption of simple carbohydrates and the complete elimination from the diet of trans fats. The latter adversely affect the level of HDL.

It is also important to change lifestyle. This means giving up bad habits, exercise, more mobile life. All this can positively affect the level of high-density lipoproteins, increase their concentration in the blood and make a person's life more comfortable.

In addition, drug therapy is also possible. But medication can be started only after consulting a doctor, best of all, by an endocrinologist. After testing, he can prescribe the following drugs:

The above preparations can only be used after prescribing a doctor. It is extremely important to adhere to the doses and dates of admission, which he indicates. Violation of the rules of taking drugs can lead to an overdose with the occurrence of further complications.

Based on the foregoing, the following preventive measures can be distinguished, making it possible to level the causes of cholesterol levels in the bloodstream:

These preventive measures, together with periodic blood donation for analysis, will help to avoid the development of diseases associated with low cholesterol. Experts recommend starting prevention at a young age to avoid problems in old age or to minimize them.

Thus, not only high cholesterol is dangerous, but also lowered. This phenomenon leads to the development of diseases, the most dangerous of which is a hemorrhagic stroke. In the absence of therapy, death is possible.

The absence of characteristic symptoms is the reason why it is impossible to detect the problem without biochemical analysis.

The first signs of low cholesterol appear only against the background of already developed diseases. In order to avoid complications, it is recommended to undergo examinations every five years.

DO YOU STILL THINK THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO FULLY CURE?

Have you been suffering for a long time from constant headaches, migraines, severe shortness of breath at the slightest exertion, and plus to all this pronounced HYPERTENSION? Did you know that all these symptoms indicate an increase in cholesterol in your body? And all that is needed is to bring cholesterol back to normal.

Judging by the fact that you are now reading these lines - the fight against pathology is not on your side. And now answer the question: does it suit you? Can all these symptoms be tolerated? And how much money and time have you already “leaked” to the ineffective treatment of the symptoms, and not the disease itself? After all, the correct treatment is not the symptoms of the disease, but the disease itself! Do you agree?

Some kind of nonsense, you say, after reading the article title, how can my cholesterol be too low? And is it can damage health? It turns out that it can. While we often hear from our doctors and the media about how dangerous it is to have elevated cholesterol, low cholesterolIn fact, it also has its own list of health risks, such as the risks of brain hemorrhagic stroke and depression.

Before delving into the details of these health risks that are too often overlooked, let us first recall what many already know, but not everyone is aware of:

“Cholesterol is important for our health. Elevated blood cholesterol is not the main culprit in heart disease. Recent studies have shown that the relationship between and heart disease is much more complex than it sometimes seems, and is determined not only by the level of total cholesterol. The relationship between LDL and HDL (low and high density cholesterol), type of LDL, () as well as homocysteine ​​levels. ”

This article only addresses the issue of low total cholesterol ( hypocholesterolemia).

Recently, one woman shared her impression of a visit to the doctor, who said that her total cholesterol content is below 150 mg / dl (3.9 mmol / l) and she has nothing to worry about - she will live a long and healthy life if she supports this level of cholesterol. This advice is misleading because it neglects the results of well-known and reliable medical research and statistical data, not taking into account many other indicators for a number of dangerous and debilitating diseases.

The statement of this doctor gives the patient a false sense of security, implying that low cholesterol levels are an indication of good health. It also does not correspond to the biochemical purpose of a vital substance called cholesterol. This recommendation is similar to the practice of other doctors prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs for people with cholesterol at 200 mg / dl (5.2 mmol / l), which is considered the lower limit value even by the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association.

In order for you to be well-grounded on this issue for a serious conversation with doctors, let's take a closer look at cholesterol and the reason why it is present in our bodies.

Cholesterol is produced in the liver and in most human cells. The liver produces 75% of all cholesterol moving with your blood stream right now. The remaining 25% comes from your food of animal origin.

Cholesterol performs several vital functions, including:

1. Maintaining the integrity of cell membranes in order to protect our cells from damage by free radicals, which can lead to heart disease and cancer. In this sense, cholesterol has an antioxidant effect.

2. Cholesterol acts as a precursor of vital hormones such as cortisol, sex hormones, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, which help us, in particular, cope with stress.

3. Cholesterol is a precursor of vitamin D, a vital fat-soluble vitamin necessary for normal bone health (by increasing proper calcium absorption) and nerve cells, mineral metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production, the immune system, and the ability to conceive. Without cholesterol, it is not possible to convert sunlight into vitamin D.

4. Bile salts are produced in the body from cholesterol. Bile salts are vital for the digestion and absorption of dietary fats and, therefore, for the metabolism of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K.

5. Cholesterol is necessary for the proper functioning of serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is a natural biochemical "good mood".

6. Food cholesterol plays a very important role in maintaining a healthy state and integrity of the intestinal wall.

This list shows why you should not get rid of cholesterol or even minimize it in your body. It is a truly vital substance, the deficiency of which can lead to the following health problems:

1. Chronic emotional disorders, such as anxiety and severe depression

2. Hemorrhagic stroke (acute violation of cerebral circulation with a breakthrough of blood vessels and hemorrhage in the brain)

3. Obesity (due to inability to digest fats properly)

4. Infertility and decreased libido

5. Osteoporosis

6. Syndrome of increased intestinal permeability and chronic indigestion

7. Hyperthyroidism (a condition in which the thyroid gland is too active and produces too many thyroid hormones)

8. Insulin Resistance (risk of type 2 diabetes)

9. Lack of various nutrients, especially fat-soluble vitamins

In one of the most recent studies on the effects on the body of cholesterol in the blood found that people with total cholesterol about 180 mg / dL (4.65 mmol / l) are twice as likely to get a hemorrhagic stroke (rupture of blood vessels in the brain) than those with cholesterol closer to the upper limit value. This is understandable, because cholesterol plays an important role in ensuring the integrity of the walls of all body cells, including the walls of blood vessels.

Despite the fact that the proportion of hemorrhagic strokes in the total number of all types of stroke is 20% (the remaining 80% are ischemic strokes resulting from thrombosis of the blood vessels of the brain), this is enough to remain the number three killer in the United States.

Based on a study that was presented at the American Heart Association's annual stroke conference in 1999, it was suggested that the ideal level of total cholesterol in the blood should be 200 mg / dl (5.17 mmol / l).

A recent study by Canadian scientists examined the relationship between cholesterol levels and the number of suicide deaths. They found that, adjusted for age and gender, those with cholesterol levels were in the lower quarter of the range of measured cholesterol values, the risk of suicide was six times greater than the risk of suicide of those who had cholesterol were in the upper quarter of the values. Consequently, low cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of severe depression and suicide.

What causes abnormally low cholesterol? One of the reasons that is increasingly coming to the fore is the use of drugs to lower cholesterol, such as statins. There is little data so far, since hypocholesterolemia (low cholesterol) is a field of medicine that has not yet been the subject of extensive research. Based on what we know about endocrine function, we can suggest several possible reasons:

1. Chronic stress

2. Foods high in sugar, low in fat

3. Heavy metal poisoning

4. Liver disease

5. Hyperthyroidism (increased activity of the thyroid gland)

6. Malnutrition or poor digestion

7. Genetic predisposition

Low cholesterol is quite common in marathon athletes and people with severe eating disorders (anorexia).

So what should the optimal level of cholesterol in the blood be and how to maintain it?

Currently, there is one research group that says that high cholesterol increases the risk of developing heart disease, and there is another group that proves that low cholesterol increases the risk of stroke. The question arises: is there a value for cholesterol that is optimal for any case? As you have already guessed, there is no simple answer to this tricky question.

First, like any other health factor, the optimal level of cholesterol in the blood will be different for each person. Some people are genetically predisposed to higher levels of cholesterol, while others have a very effective cholesterol metabolism and lower blood levels. Another caveat is that cholesterol acts as an antioxidant, so people with high free radical activity in the body tend to have higher levels of cholesterol in the blood.

In the light of these factors, considering together the results of the most recent and reliable research, we can assume that the optimal range of cholesterol levels in the blood is between 180 and 230 mg / dL (4.65 - 5.94 mmol / l).

Since the liver plays a key role in cholesterol levels, the best approach to maintaining optimal   its level is to take the necessary actions to improve overall health, including liver function. You can begin these actions by limiting the consumption of simple sugar and complex processed polysaccharides, especially pasta, bread, cereals, crackers and alcohol.

One of the main functions of the liver in conjunction with the pancreas is sugar metabolism. Most of us consume too much sugar, which overloads the liver, and it starts to work less efficiently, reducing its ability to perform such an important function as cholesterol metabolism. Consuming enough omega-3 fatty acids in flax seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and fish will also support the proper functioning of the endocrine glands.

Another important function of the liver is to identify and remove toxins from the body, which are always present in food and the environment. The liver usually becomes so overloaded with toxins that it disrupts its work. In order to activate this important organ and optimize its function, you can clean the liver, but before that you should consult with a qualified nutritionist about how to properly and safely go through the cleaning process.

At the same time, to increase the ability of the liver to remove toxins from the body, you can take some nutritional supplements, for example, alpha lipoic acid, milk thistle and glutathione.

Since bile is a key factor in fat metabolism, maintaining the function of the gallbladder can also be very helpful. Beet Juice Concentrate   is an effective nutrient for this purpose.

If you suffer from depression, chronic irritability, anxiety, or hemorrhagic stroke of the brain, check your cholesterol level, and if it is below 180 mg / dL (4.65 mmol / L), try changing your diet as described above, but with some liver maintenance supplements.

So, we made sure that low cholesterol can damage health and seriously enough. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more common, and you should not joke with it. If we do not begin to take responsibility for our own health, then hypocholesterolemia will soon become an epidemic, as we now see with other endocrine disorders, such as hypoglycemia and diabetes, which are also strongly influenced by diets low in fat and high sugar content.

Violation of cholesterol levels entails a great danger to human health. Not only high level is dangerous, but also low. What does low blood cholesterol mean? This is an insufficient level of its production, which can cause disorders, such as the psyche (contribute to depression), memory impairment and dementia in people over fifty years of age and a number of other diseases.

General information

Since cholesterol is produced by the human body, the overwhelming part of it is “native” cholesterol. And only one quarter of the total amount of this substance comes from the outside, namely, when eating food of animal origin.

Cholesterol is involved in the process of cell formation - it is a kind of framework for the rest of the cell elements. It is especially important for children, because at this time the cells begin to divide intensively. But adults should not underestimate the importance of cholesterol, since hypocholesterolemia, or simply low cholesterol, entails diseases of varying severity.

If we talk about its functional load in the body, the cholesterol:

• an important element for the formation of such hormones as testosterone, sex hormones, progesterone, cortisol, estrogen;
• protects the cell from the negative effects of free radicals, strengthening its membrane (i.e., acts as an antioxidant);
• the main element for converting sunlight into life-sustaining vitamin D;
• promotes the production of bile salts, which in turn are involved in the digestion and assimilation of dietary fats;
• participates in the work of serotonin receptors;
• it has a positive effect on the state of the intestinal wall.

In other words, cholesterol supports bones, muscles and nerve cells in a normal state, participates in mineral metabolism, insulin production, indirectly affects the absorption of vitamin A, E, K, protects from stress, cancer and heart disease.

Accordingly, low blood cholesterol can result in:

1. to disturbances of the emotional sphere up to the severe form of depression with pronounced suicidal tendencies;
2. osteoporosis;
3. decrease in libido and impossibility of conceiving a child (infertility);
4. overweight of varying severity (obesity);
5. increased intestinal permeability syndrome;
6. systematic indigestion;
7. hyperthyroidism (increased thyroid hormone production by the thyroid gland);
8. diabetes;
9. nutritional deficiencies of groups A, D, E, K;
10. hemorrhagic stroke (a form of stroke in which the blood circulation in the brain section is disturbed, the vessels rupture, and cerebral hemorrhage occurs).

From this list, the first and last points can be considered the most dangerous, since both of these cases most clearly demonstrate what it means to have low blood cholesterol for a person’s emotional and physical condition. Studies have shown that with reduced cholesterol, the risk of suicide is six times higher than with normal cholesterol, and hemorrhagic stroke most often occurs in people with hypocholesterolemia. At the same time, the risk of stroke, asthma and emphysema increases about as much as the risk of clinical depression - 2 times, the risk of liver cancer - 3 times, and the risk of becoming ill with alcoholism or drug addiction - 5 times.

Why is there a drawback

The attention of medicine is focused on high cholesterol, so its reduced level has not yet been studied at the proper level. However, there are quite a few reasons why blood cholesterol levels are low:

• various liver diseases. Any disease of this organ disrupts the production of cholesterol and the production of so-called good cholesterol;
• improper nutrition. Namely, the use of food only with a small amount of fat (fasting, anorexia, improper diets for weight loss and "wrong" vegetarianism ") and high sugar content;
• diseases that disrupt the process of assimilation of food;
• constant stress;
• hyperthyroidism;
• some forms of poisoning (for example, heavy metals);
• some forms of anemia;
• infectious diseases that are expressed by fever. This may be cirrhosis of the liver, sepsis, tuberculosis;
• genetic predisposition.

As you can see, a disease such as low blood cholesterol can have completely different causes. Often it affects athletes who do not select proper nutrition for their lifestyle.

Symptoms

It is impossible to independently detect lowered cholesterol, it can be done only with a biochemical blood test. But he can manifest himself with the following signs:

1. feeling weak in muscles;
2. swollen lymph nodes;
3. lack of appetite or reduced level;
4. steatorrhea (fat, oil excrement);
5. reduced reflexes;
6. aggressive or depressed state;
7. decay of libido and sexual activity.

Treatment

Since hypocholesterolemia is a very serious disease, it is impossible to prescribe a self-treatment, otherwise it can lead not only to another disease or even to a fatal outcome (see the paragraph for what low blood cholesterol can cause). First of all, you need to contact an endocrinologist, who, after setting the appropriate diagnosis, will decide on the methods of treatment. Since, as mentioned earlier, a reduced cholesterol is diagnosed by biochemical analysis of blood, it can also be detected: liver disease, nutritional disorders or lipid metabolism, anemia, poisoning or an infectious disease.

In addition to treatment, it is very important to change the diet that the patient will adhere to. To this end, a low cholesterol diet must be observed.

It is very important not to overcook food, remove fat from meat before cooking, and not only fry the meat, but also bake, boil, simmer or steam it. Also during the preparation of meat it is necessary to drain the water, and to use steamed vegetables as a side dish.

In addition, the preventive component is very important. It consists in the mandatory rejection of nicotine, proper nutrition and an adequate level of physical activity. On the recommendation of a doctor, it is possible to clean the liver with mineral water or honey.

Folk remedies

A folk remedy to increase cholesterol, is a carrot diet. You must comply with the daily use of carrot juice and fresh carrots. You can eat it together with parsley, celery and onion.

The optimal level of cholesterol for each person is individual, however, its level should be not less than 180 mg / dl and not more than 230 mg / dl, and its ideal level is 200 mg / dl. In recent years, more and more cases of cholesterol decay have become diagnosed, and you already know what low cholesterol means to the human body. That is why it is especially important to keep the cholesterol level in the normal state, being engaged in prevention, do not forget to periodically take a blood test to identify the total cholesterol level.