From: japantoday
Cholesterol is good for you


Foods such as steaks and paste of sea urchin eggs are bad for you because they contain lots of cholesterol which can cause cancers - this is common knowledge that has been believed by many people up to now.

But is it true? Medical science is changing all the time so that what was bad for your health last year is good for your health this year. The "experts" seldom seem to be able to agree on anything for very long.

The latest theory is that you may have a greater risk of getting cancer if the amount of cholesterol in your blood is low.

According to the Japan Atherosclerosis Society, the standard figure of high cholesterol is 220 mg per deciliter of blood. If you are over this figure, your doctor will probably tell you that your blood contains excessive fat and suggest you lower your cholesterol.

However, Dr Rokuro Hama, who represents the non-profit Japan Institute of Pharmacovigilance for Evidence-based Healthcare Center, pointed out, "It's a two-edged sword. Certainly, the more cholesterol there is in the blood, the greater risk there is of heart diseases such as a cardiac infraction. On the other hand, if your cholesterol level is too low, the chance of getting cancer increases. In fact, a lot of research shows that people with a high percentage of cholesterol in their blood, ranging from 240 to 260 mg per deciliter, tend to be at less risk of death. Their life expectancy may be even longer."

Cholesterol is actually one of three important ingredients for human health, the other two being carbohydrates and proteins.

"Cholesterol makes necessary materials for cells and cell membranes by cooperating with protein," explained Hama. "While killer T-cell are immune cells which eliminate cancer cells, if there is not enough cholesterol within a human body, the immune cells cannot work to break cancer cells at all."

"The causes of myocardial infraction are smoking, excessive overweight, high blood pressure, diabetes, or angina. If people have one of these conditions as well as high cholesterol, then they may be at risk of suffering cardiac infraction. The point is, a high cholesterol level alone won't cause heart disease, so going on a crash diet to reduce cholesterol might be worse in the long run."

Sachiko Yawata, a specialist of cancer preventive diets, warned, "Some people worry about cholesterol too much and don't take any meats, oils and fats. This is not good. This kind of eating habit makes for an unbalanced health condition. As long as you take in a modest amount of nutrients and exercise properly, you can get rid of excess fats without letting the rate of cholesterol in your blood go down."

September 13, 2001
Volume 33 Number 37