by Dr John Briffa
for The Cholesterol Truth

Excerpts:

Cholesterol is a substance that is generally painted as black by the medical and scientific communities, but the fact remains it is a substance that is innate to the body and forms a critical part of, among other things, key hormones, vitamin D and cell membranes. It’s also very concentrated in the brain, where it contributes to the functioning of ‘synapses’ – tiny gaps between cells which allow nerves to communicate with each other.

It has been noted that those who take statins (which reduce cholesterol) are at reduced risk of dementia and ‘cognitive decline’ in later life. This evidence appears, at first sight, to contradict the idea that cholesterol has an important and critical role to play in brain function. For the sake of our brains, we might perhaps be wary of driving cholesterol levels to ever-lower levels.

Read the Full Article and Comment here: http://www.thecholesteroltruth.com/cholesterol-plays-a-critical-role-in-brain-fu

See Also: Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s: The Low-fat Diet and Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Part of the Problem?

References:

1. Vilet PV. Cholesterol and Late-Life Cognitive Decline. J Alzheimers Dis 2012 Jan 20. [Epub ahead of print]

2. Mc Guinness B, et al. Statins for the prevention of dementia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Apr 15;(2):CD003160.

3. Ancelin ML, et al. Gender and genotype modulation of the association between lipid levels and depressive symptomatology in community-dwelling elderly (the ESPRIT study). Biol Psychiatry 2010;68(2):125-32

4. Martinez-Carpio PA, et al. Relation between cholesterol levels and neuropsychiatric disorders. Rev Neurol 2009;48(5):261-4