Others believe that for LDL, lower numbers are always better.
Verywell / Laura Porter
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that your liver makes.
Verywell / Laura Porter
It is also present in many of the foods we eat.
Despite its association with heart disease, your body needs cholesterol.
The problem is that many Americans are fond of foods that are high in saturated fats and sugar.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
This often results in too much cholesterol in the body.
Can Cholesterol Be Too Low?
LDL is a lipoprotein whose role it is to deliver lipids to every cell in the body.
What Is The Difference Between HDL and LDL?
LDL cholesterol is considered “bad” cholesterol, while HDL cholesterol is considered “good” cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries, while HDL cholesterol helps remove cholesterol from your bloodstream.
What Causes Low Cholesterol?
Low HDL Cholesterol
There are many reasons why your HDL levels may be low.
Chief among these is a high-carbohydrate diet.
A diet of this sort not only affects your blood sugar, increasing the risk ofinsulin resistance.
It can also lower your HDL while raising both your LDL and triglycerides by 30% to 40%.
Other factorsassociated with low HDL levelsinclude:
Malnutrition can also contribute to chronically low HDL levels.
Far more commonplace is the likelihood of people taking medication to lower their cholesterol.
This may be an option if someone’s LDL level is 190 mg/dL or higher.
There has been some concern that these medications may drop LDL too low.
What Are the Risks of Low Cholesterol?
From the standpoint of heart health, a total cholesterol level can never be too low.
Risks of Low HDL
HDL that drops below 40 mg/dL is considered too low.
Vitamins to the Rescue?
What Are the Symptoms of Low Cholesterol?
Research into the health effects of low LDL cholesterol are ongoing.
People who are in this range tend to have lower rates of heart disease and stroke.
And continue monitoring your levels as directed by your healthcare provider.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Current Dietary Recommendations
You may have formed the idea that you better avoid all dietary cholesterol.
But that’s not necessarily so.
Cholesterol is a fat, and you need fat in your diet.
It’s thetypeof cholesterol-containing foods we eat that influence our risk for cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular-related illnesses.
Unfortunately, most foods that are high in cholesterol are also high in unhealthy fats.
Cholesterol is just one measure of heart health.
You just have to keep your eyes on the bigger picture.
The American Heart Association is stricter, suggesting that the daily percentage not exceed 7%.
A growing pile of research suggests that “lower is better” when it comes to LDL levels.
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