Today’s Claim in Focus:  Is low LDL-C harmful to health? Does high cholesterol benefit health?

In this episode Alan and Danny discuss the role of cholesterol in the body and claims that are made suggesting low levels of blood cholesterol are harmful to health.

Starting with the premise that cholesterol is an important molecule in the body and plays a role in many processes, discussed are two related claims:

1. we should avoid low cholesterol levels as it can harm our health
2. elevated levels of cholesterol may actually be protective against disease or mortality.

The episode also critiques claims about cholesterol being “conditionally essential” and that low LDL-C/ApoB increases risk of mortality, cancer and infection.

Example claims discussed:

• Low Carb Conference – Dr. Nadir Ali
• Mark Sisson – on JRE #1624
• Paul Saladino podcast – “How High Cholesterol Can Be Healthy, and Low Cholesterol Could be Harmful” 
• 2016 systematic review by Ravnskov et al.

Other references:

• Goldstein & Brown, 2015 – Cell
• Sigma Statement: Cholesterol, Lipoproteins & Lipids
• Luo et al., 2020 – Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
• O’ Keefe et al., 2004 review
• Sigma Statement: Low Cholesterol & Increased Mortality Risk?: Clarifying the Confusion