What are the dangers of low cholesterol in women?

In life, we often hear that someone has high cholesterol. We all know that high cholesterol is harmful to health. In fact, if the cholesterol content is low, it will also be harmful to health. For example, people with long-term low cholesterol are prone to cerebral hemorrhage. In addition, the probability of suffering from cancer is also relatively high. It is especially prone to diseases such as acute myocardial infarction. It can be seen that the harm of low cholesterol cannot be ignored.

1. Susceptibility to depression

Depression in the elderly is closely related to low cholesterol. Low cholesterol can speed up the reuptake of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin has a significant inhibitory effect on the function of the central nervous system. Therefore, hypocholesterolemia directly causes or accelerates the occurrence of depression. Research by Professor Kup, a famous Russian scholar, found that among the elderly people with hypocholesterolemia, 15.74% of those over 70 years old showed obvious symptoms of depression, and 15.23% of those over 80 years old were in danger of depression.

2. Cause cerebral hemorrhage

Cholesterol is an important component of cell membranes and can maintain the stability of cell membranes. If the cholesterol level in the body is too low, the stability of the cell membrane will be weakened, resulting in reduced cell membrane elasticity and increased blood vessel wall fragility. The small blood vessels in the brain lack support from peripheral tissues and have a low ability to resist changes in blood pressure. When blood pressure rises suddenly, the blood vessels are very likely to rupture and bleed, causing cerebral hemorrhage. Researchers from Japan and Italy found that people who often eat cholesterol-rich foods are less likely to suffer from stroke than those who eat less of these foods. At the same time, it was also found that when the cholesterol level in the blood of elderly women is too low, the mortality rate will increase by 4 times. Expert research by the World Health Organization shows that when elderly women have low blood cholesterol levels, their mortality rate is 4.23 times that of those with normal blood cholesterol levels and 2.72 times that of those with high blood cholesterol levels.

3. Reduced immune capacity

When the body lacks cholesterol, the stability of the cell membrane will be affected, especially when the biological membrane of immune cells is affected, it will inevitably reduce the body's immune function. The survival of "phagocytic white blood cells" in the body that can kill and devour cancer cells depends on cholesterol. Too low cholesterol can affect the number and activity of these cells, reducing the body's ability to fight cancer. In addition, cholesterol is an important raw material for synthesizing steroid hormones in the body. After metabolism in the body, it can be converted into progesterone, which is then used to synthesize corticosteroids, progesterone, androgens and estrogens. These hormones have an important impact on regulating the metabolism of the three major substances: sugar, fat and protein, as well as water and electrolytes, and on stress response and immune function. If the cholesterol level is too low, it will often lead to a decrease in the synthesis of corticosteroids, which will lead to a weakened stress response, weakened immunity, and weakened normal disease resistance; or it will lead to a decrease in the synthesis of sex hormones, affecting normal sexual function, both of which are not conducive to human health.

4. Affects intellectual development

If there is a lack of cholesterol during infancy and childhood, intelligence will be affected in later life. Because cholesterol is an important component of nerve cell membranes and nerve sheaths, and the latter two are the material basis for intellectual development. If people eat a low-cholesterol diet for a long time in their youth, in addition to causing refractory anemia, it is more likely to cause hemorrhagic stroke. It is often found that many people always keep a distance from meat dishes due to concerns about high blood lipids. Faced with a sumptuous banquet, they want to try something new and satisfy their appetite, but they are afraid of damaging their "health" and have to suppress their desires. In fact, long-term vegetarianism is extremely harmful to human health.

5. Increased mortality

Cholesterol is an indispensable nutrient for the human body. It is also the material basis of human cell membranes, sex hormones, cortisol, etc. and plays an important role in white blood cell activity. Expert research by the World Health Organization shows that when elderly women have low blood cholesterol levels, their mortality rate is 4.23 times that of women with normal cholesterol levels.