# Low blood cholesterol

- Author: Joichi Ito
- Date: 2007-01-19T02:38:50Z


I talked to a physician about my blood tests from yesterday. I will have the complete results soon, but the preliminary results are very interesting. I had 2 tests that were in or approaching the "red zone" a month ago. The levels are now well within the "healthy" range.

However, the physician was very concerned that my blood cholesterol was "too low". It was 132 mg/dL. He said that this means that I don't have enough energy and that it was dangerous. The problem with this for me is that I have more energy than I've ever had and have no signs of depression or anything like that.

In "The China Study" Campbell and Campbell explain the amazingly low rates of cancer, heart disease, liver disease and other "diseases of the affluent" in counties in China eating whole, plant-based foods. They tested the blood levels of the super-healthy Chinese. On page 106, they say:As I mentioned earlier, the time when the China Study was begun, a blood cholesterol range of 200-300 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) was considered normal, and lower levels were suspect. In fact, some in the scientific and medical communities considered cholesterol levels lower than 150 mg/dL to be dangerous...

But when we measured the blood cholesterol levels in China, we were shocked. They ranged from 70-170 mg/dL! Their high was our low and their low was off the chart you might find in your doctor's office!

[...] We too often have come to the view that the U.S. values are "normal" because we have a tendency to believe that the Western experience is likely to be right.So my question is... the diet that I am on has significantly improved all measurable indicators of a formerly much more unhealthy body. The one level that is "out of range" is blood cholesterol which is too low by Western standards. A quick google search shows various warnings about low cholesterol, but there appear to be a number of reports stating the opposite. Does anyone know of a resource to better understand the overall opinion of the medical community on the risks of low blood cholesterol?

I'm also going to try to talk to some of my friends in medical research about this.





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Health and Medicine