I love this study! Then again, I love any study that sheds light on the
utter
myth of the evils of cholesterol - one that has been blow so
out of proportion by the greed of the pharmaceutical companies that reason is utterly
buried under fear.
The bottom line is this: cholesterol is
the mother hormone. Without it
you would die. Plain and simple. Lowering cholesterol may not be harmful if done
without dangerous statins (check with your doctor, but please be sure he or she
is not just being a pawn of the pharmies). However, when lowered too much, we find
serious side effects.
You hear about the dangers of elevated cholesterol so much that one may be tempted
to decrease it well below what's considered safe. And, what's sad is
your doctor will probably play along.
Here's just one out of a hundred studies on the subject. I'll be doing
an audio series with Dr. Holly Lucille on the topic of cholesterol in the next few
months that will be made available to all of you. We hope to clear up the myths
and present the facts without the media hype.
(SpaceDoc.com) - Researcher Penelope K. Elias MD of Boston University reported
recently in Psychosomatic Medicine that persons having naturally low cholesterol
levels demonstrate poorer performance on a variety of cognitive tests.
In this study, data was analyzed from 789 men and 1,105 women to examine the relationship
between total cholesterol and cognitive performance. They found that those who had
the lowest total cholesterol performed more poorly on tests of word similarities,
word fluency and attention and concentration ability than patients with higher cholesterol
levels. "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," reported lead study author, Doctor Elias.
"The differences were not small," she reported. Those in the lowest
total cholesterol group (a cholesterol level of under 200) were
49 percent more
likely to perform poorly and 80 percent more likely to perform very poorly
than were participants in the highest total cholesterol group (240 to 380).
The study was performed with people who had naturally low levels of cholesterol
and were not being treated with anti-cholesterol drugs. "Naturally low levels
of cholesterol and lowered levels of cholesterol may have very different ramifications
for cognitive function," Elias said."
If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, ask your physician about the
dietary and exercise plans, proven in countless studies to naturally lower cholesterol
to
a normal and safe level as found in
Fit Over 40. I think you'll
find the natural approach safer - and cheaper - than taking statin drugs.
While there are legitimate needs for statins, they are (in the words of cardiologist
Dr. Peter Langsjoen) "rare rather than common." This flies in the face
of what you hear on TV - which is no great surprise, now is it?