I recently had a cholesterol screening with the following results:

Total cholesterol: 145
HDL: 75
LDL: 51
TC/HDL: 1.9 (should be 4.5 or less)
Triglycerides: 96

At first I thought "GREAT!" But then I remembered hearing on the news that "very" low cholesterol could be associated with other health problems than high cholesterol. So, a bit of googling later, I found that total cholesterol levels < 180 are associated with a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke, among other things, and if cholesterol is even lower (< 160), emotional disorders like anxiety, depression, and a higher rate of suicide.

Interestingly, I don't make a strong attempt to eat a low-fat diet, having lost 15 lbs. doing low-carb five years ago and keeping it off by eating more of a zone-type diet. I eat real salad dressings (full fat), butter, eggs, cheese, and some meat (not a lot, mostly fish and chicken breasts), and lots of nuts for snacks. I also eat fruit, one low-fat yogurt a day, whole grains, and several servings of vegetables a day. I drink one glass of wine most days, and have about 1 oz. of dark chocolate one day. We cook mostly with olive oil.

I attribute my high HDL to diet and the amount of exercise I do. I have a fast metabolism and need to snack and eat small meals all day not to feel hungry but I don't think I'm hyperthyroid, which has been suggested as one cause of low cholesterol. I'm not sure if I need to try to raise my cholesterol or not, and since I already eat a reasonable amount of saturated fat, how exactly to go about that!

I found this article indicating that very low cholesterol may be caused by a malfunctioning gallbladder:

http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/low_cholesterol.htm


Based on this, I went ahead and ordered the supplement he mentions to try, since the CT scan I had for my pelvis showed "sludge" in my gallbladder, which my doctor said not to worry about, that most people my age have it.

Anyone else here have very low cholesterol or know more about it?

Thanks!
Emily