Posted on 05/11/2005 9:09:41 PM PDT by neverdem
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - We hear plenty about the dangers of high cholesterol levels, but low levels apparently confer their own risks. Naturally low cholesterol levels are associated with poorer performance on a variety of cognitive measures, according to a new study.
"It is not entirely surprising that lower cholesterol levels were associated with moderately lower levels of cognitive function, given (that) cholesterol is important in brain function," Dr. Penelope K. Elias from Boston University told Reuters Health.
Previous reports have related both high and low total cholesterol levels to deficits in cognitive performance, Elias and her colleagues explain in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
The team used data from 789 men and 1105 women participating in the original cohort of the Framingham Heart Study to examine the relationship between total cholesterol and cognitive performance.
Individuals in the lowest total cholesterol group (less than 200 units) performed more poorly than patients with higher cholesterol levels on tests of similarities, word fluency, attention/concentration, and overall, the investigators report.
Participants in the lowest total cholesterol group were 49 percent more likely than were participants in the highest total cholesterol group (240-380) to perform poorly, and 80 percent more likely to perform very poorly, the results indicate.
Do the findings raise questions about treating high cholesterol? "It is important to note that we did not examine the association between cognition (and) cholesterol-lowering via medications," Elias explained.
"In fact, a unique aspect of the study was that few of our participants were being treated with anti-cholesterol drugs; in other words, we looked at 'naturally low and high levels of cholesterol'," she pointed out.
"Naturally low levels of cholesterol and lowered levels of cholesterol may have very different ramifications for cognitive function," Elias said. "Thus, our study does not have implications for the guidelines for treatment of high cholesterol."
SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, January/February 2005.
I wonder if the low performance is as a result of lower protein intake? It would make sense that the low cholesterol would be a result of a low fat/no meat diet, which would also be low in protein if not managed properly.
Think I’m really ready now for another IQ test!
The brain is very much a cholesterol ball. I will get figures and come back, but there is a recognized danger that is serum cholesterol is lowered beyond a certin point, the body will scavenge cholesterol from the brain.
This could have negative long term consequences for brain function.
I was wondering why my mindreading skills have been weak lately.
I knew those hollywood vegan actresses just seemed to keep getting dumber and dumber for no good reason. Alas, science has my answer!
Were it true, then the poor diet normally associated with the underclass (see "Bell Curve") would be manifesting itself in the superabundance of geniuses, versus that of retards. This, however, is not borne by the data.
Since these drug companies have started advertising on T.V. nothing is sacred. These statin drugs are big sellers. Wish people would not believe everything they hear is truthfull. This includes doctors.
And putting kids on a low cholesterol diet is child abuse.
I guess you know what you’re talking about.
My wife had a book that was written in the late 70’s or early 80’s. It claimed blood type was the key.
As I remember it, the book said that if you have a certain blood type, you do best with a vegetable diet versus meat…
I remember it clearly because she always claimed to “feel better” after eating tons of vegetables. Greens, salad, vegetable stews, etc. Claimed she slept better and felt more refreshed afterwards…
I am (was?) the opposite. I like butter. And potatoes. And meat. I exist (or did) on alcohol in massive quantities. I could go to bed (pass out) and get up refreshed four hours later, provided I had a belly-full of meat and potatoes/cheese/butter before.
At the time, the book said her blood type “liked” vegetables. According to them my blood type “liked” meat and alcohol. Ha.
It sounded good, but I have no medical or biological background to determine any such thing…I’m not sure it’s worth caring about at this point…
The Framingham Heart Study has to be one of the most intensely studied cohorts in medical history. The relationship between total cholesterol and diet is not linear. Individual metabolisms are highly variable. Cholesterol is also made in the liver.
I was going to post some research from the web, and I found articles saying that High Cholesterol was good the brain function, about an equal number of articles saying that high cholesterol is bad for brain function, several articles saying low cholesterol is bad for brain function, and several articles claiming that cholesterol lowering drugs improve brain function.
Beats me.
Some think that the villain in food may not be cholesterol, but oxycholesterol.
When cholesterol is heated (as in fried or heavily processed foods), or gets stale, it oxidizes, producing a different molecule, which has different effects on the body than unoxidized cholesterol does.
So, according to this theory, fresh food, cooked at lower temperatures, even if high in cholesterol, is OK.
Me too. LOL.
Since cholesterol is essential for the functioning of nerves (it's part of the myelin sheath, or "insulation", covering nerves), the brain would have a goodly percentage of it - I've read 10-20%.
Several studies link low cholesterol levels to depression and anger. Apparently, there's an association between cholesterol levels and serotonin levels. (Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy.)
Especially in the diet department.
Joyous meat-and-lard eating, lipitor-rejecting, Weston Price PINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!
Cholesterol (total) is NOT the problem....it's OTHER things....like CRP (C-Reactive Protein) that indicate inflammation.....
That validates my hypothesis that people with significant cholesterol counts are merely high achievers. I had a cholesterol test a few years back and the doctors found bacon. Fortunately, I smoke enough cigarettes to maintain my svelte figure, because in addition to being a high achiever, I'm also not a quitter....;-)
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