by Darian Peters

Created on: August 08, 2007   Last Updated: July 30, 2009

Most people worry that their cholesterol levels are too high after eating fatty foods. But there are also ways in which cholesterol levels can be too low. Cholesterol is a necessary component of many biochemical processes, especially in cell membranes, where it functions to regulate the membrane fluidity and helps in cell signalling, for example. It is therefore a necessary part of any healthy diet. There are two ways in which cholesterol levels can be too low. One way concerns the lowering of the so-called good cholesterol in the blood, and the other way concerns a condition called hypocholesterolemia.

The first of these two ways concerns the important, recently discovered, distinction between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. The difference between the two lies in the types of lipoprotein that are present to transport the cholesterol in the blood plasma. (Lipoprotein is a protein-lipid molecule that is water-soluble and transports soluble lipids in the protoplasm). The bad cholesterols contain a type of lipoprotein called Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) whereas the good cholesterols contain High Density Lipoprotein (HDL).

Low Density Lipoprotein is associated with negative health outcomes such as arteriosclerosis, which is caused by the gradual blocking of arteries with plaques. Of particular concern in terms of their ability for causing coronary heart disease are the so-called small dense low-density lipoprotein or sdLDL. It is considered that an LDL content of under 100mg/dL is desirable to help avoid these negative health outcomes.

The other form of cholesterol, known as good cholesterol, is associated with positive health outcomes, such as lowering susceptibility to heart disease. In particular, High Density Lipoprotein is able to successfully move cholesterol away from the arteries and to the liver for excretion, thus reducing the risks of plaque formation and heart disease. Large numbers of large HDLs are especially effective in this process. Ultimately, this means that what is really required in a healthy diet is lower levels of the bad cholesterol and higher levels of the good cholesterol.

Another way in which cholesterol level could potentially be too low in someone is if they suffer from the little-researched condition known as hypocholesterolemia. This is where there is an abnormally low level of blood cholesterol. This condition may be linked to conditions such as depression, cancer, and cerebral haemorrhage, but there is no consensus of opinion as to whether low cholesterol is a cause of the problem or a symptom of these conditions.

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