A man on a very lowfat diet proclaims to his friends Im goin

Solution

Cholesterol is present in the blood in the form of lipoproteins. There are two major types of cholesterol: low-density (LDL) and high-density (HDL) cholesterol. LDL or “bad” cholesterol is responsible for clogging the arteries. HDL, or the “good” cholesterol, brings LDL cholesterol from the blood to the liver. In the liver, the excess LDL cholesterol is removed from the body. The liver is the site of synthesis of majority of cholesterol in the body. The rest comes solely from the animal food sources, like eggs, meat, and poultry. The acceptable values of cholesterol are given below:

Types

Acceptable values in mg/dL

Total cholesterol

< 200

LDL

< 120

HDL

40-60

Triglyceride

<150

Cholesterol is involved in the production of cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D (helps the body absorb calcium) and bile acids that digest fat. It also helps in the formation of memories and hence vital for neurological functions.

Lowering the cholesterol through exercise and use of medicine like statin is beneficial in persons having heart problems or at high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Under the condition of low LDL cholesterol, the LDL cholesterol is less than 50 mg/dL or the total cholesterol is less than 120 mg/dL. Extremely low level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or a very low total cholesterol level has been associated with high risk of cancer, hemorrhagic stroke, depression, anxiety, premature and low birth weight of babies (in pregnant women).

Hence, based on the above facts it can be infered that bringing down the cholesterol below the required amount is not at all desirable.