Eating Fabulous

Cholesterol May Have Benefits, Too!

by ruth on January 14th, 2008

Without wanting to encourage you to pig out on fat-laden foods, I just wanted to share a report I’ve come across with, indicating that cholesterol isn’t all the villain it’s casted to be. Having low cholesterol levels may be good for your heart, but researchers have discovered that lower cholesterol levels can actually reduce muscle gain with exercising.

In a study of 55 individuals who were asked to perform exercises 3 x a week for 12 weeks, those with higher cholesterol intake had the highest muscle strength gain. The cholesterol levels in the blood seems to have contributed to muscle gain.

“One possible explanation is through cholesterol’s important role in the inflammation process,” he noted.

“As you exercise, your muscles can become sore because they are rebuilding muscle mass. More cholesterol may result in a more robust inflammatory response. We know that inflammation in some areas, such as near the heart, is not good, but for building muscles it may be beneficial, and cholesterol appears to aid in this process.”

Riechman said that subjects who were taking cholesterol-lowering drugs while participating in the study showed lower muscle gain totals than those who were not.

These findings definitely raises a lot of questions regarding the role of cholesterol in muscle development and how its interplay with cardiovascular health. At this point, I suppose that it’s best to stick to the old adage that moderation is key. Try to keep cholesterol levels low, particularly if you are at risk for heart disease, but don’t overdo it!

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POSTED IN: Healthy Eating, ~Cardiovascular Health