Too Low Cholesterol Levels May Lead to
Anxiety
Too much cholesterol is a health risk. It’s a refrain sang by many people who advocate weight loss. And so you want to get rid of all the cholesterol in your body. But, think again. A study conducted by Edward Suarez, a researcher at the Duke University Medical Center, showed convincing evidence that people with low cholesterol levels in their bodies are more prone to depression, anxiety, and mood disturbances. The study was published in the monthly journal of Psychosomatic Medicine.
The study involved 121 young women, aged 18-27, who don’t smoke and don’t take any medication. The women also have normal height and weight. Their cholesterol levels were screened and then they were asked to fill up two personality tests: Spielberger's Trait Personality Inventory and the NEO-Personality Inventory. These two detailed questionnaires are standardized tests that measure personality and mood characteristics.
A significant percentage of those who exhibited a strong tendency towards depression are women with low cholesterol levels. These women, as indicated by the questionnaires, are prone to anxiety and perhaps, suicide. Suarez linked his study to another earlier study which involved men.
Suarez theorized that the function of the brain cells are somewhat crippled due to low cholesterol levels in the body. When there is very little cholesterol, the brain has too few serotonin receptors, a mood-stabilizing chemical. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, is involved in several functions such as sleep, sensory perception, and the regulation of body temperature. Among violent suicide victims, the serotonin’s metabolite (product of metabolism), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, is found to be at very low concentrations.
Another study conducted by Richard Wurtman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology established a relationship between serotonin levels and diet. Wurtman showed that high-carbohydrate diets result to high serotonin levels while high-protein diets lead to low serotonin levels.
When a woman gives birth, her cholesterol levels drop significantly. According to Suarez, this could be a major reason why some women, after giving birth, suffer postpartum depression. This condition is characterized by dreams and desires of the new mother to hate or kill either or both the infant and the father. Suarez further said that in the future, diagnosing depression may include a cholesterol screening.
The normal cholesterol levels should be between 180 to 200 mg/dl. Many already
knew that more than 220 mg/dl means that the body may suffer heart diseases.
But less than 160 mg/dl is just as dangerous. A person who wants to stay
healthy both physically and emotionally should maintain a perfect balance.