GUEST POST: Depressive Disorder Related to Cholesterol and Gender Researchers Reveal
Posted by Monique Colver on September 1, 2010
By Betty Doyle
Did you know the Institute of Medical and Health Research (INSERM) and University of Montpellier financed experts indicated that regulating ‘good’ and ‘bad’ levels of cholesterol may help prevent emotional disorders among aging population?
In a recently available issue of the academic journal Biological Psychiatry (http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com) written in July 2010, leading researcher Dr. Marie-Laure Ancelin of INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale http://www.inserm.fr) announced that gender specific regulation of cholesterol can aid prevent depression in the seniors.
French doctors followed a large group of men and women aged 65 and older for 7 years.
They observed that depression in women was connected with lower levels of “good” high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which puts them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, including heart stroke.
In contrast, depression in men was associated with low levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This association was strongest in men with a genetic vulnerability to depression related to a serotonin transporter gene.
Therefore, proper regulation of HDL-C and LDL-C levels can aid and prevent depressive disorder in the aging adults, the researchers concluded.
The research was published in the July 15 issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry (Reference: http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(10)00393-8/abstract).
Major dietary sources of cholesterol include dairy products, egg yolks, beef, pork, poultry, and shrimp. Plant products such as flax seeds and peanuts include cholesterol-like substances known as phytosterols.
Total cholesterol means the sum of HDL (High-density lipoprotein), LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), and VLDL (Very-low-density lipoprotein). Usually, only the total, HDL, and triglycerides are measured.
It is suggested to have cholesterol tested more frequently than five years if a person has total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL or higher, or if a man over age forty five or a woman over age fifty has HDL (good) cholesterol under 40 mg/dL, or exist other risk elements for heart problems and stroke.
So…what can you do to increase your HDL (good) and decrease your LDL (bad) levels?
1. Working out can substantially increase HDL cholesterol while lowering LDL cholesterol.
2. Smoking has been shown to lower HDL while raising LDL cholesterol.
3. Prepared trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol.
4. Monounsaturated fats such as those found in extra virgin olive oil and avocados raise HDL and lower LDL.
5. Fatty fish like sardines and salmon contain omega-3 fats that raise HDL and lower LDL.
6. Whole, intact grains contain soluble fiber and niacin, both of which raise HDL and may lower LDL.
Now it’s all up to you…
About the author – Betty Doyle contributes articles for the anti depression pills blog. It’s a nonprofit web site dedicated to her personal depression journey. The blog focuses on giving energy and hope to any individual who is experiencing depression and encourages those individuals to find the energy to fight against the effects of depression. This way she wants to alleviate some of the stigma mental illness depression can cause and help people’s perception of mood problems.
