The Misunderstood Role of Cholesterol in Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Risk

For decades, cholesterol has been vilified as a dietary villain, blamed for heart disease and targeted by cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins. However, emerging research challenges this narrative, suggesting that low cholesterol levels—whether due to diet, lifestyle, or medication—may contribute significantly to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Far from being harmful, cholesterol is essential for brain health, and efforts to drastically reduce it may have unintended consequences, including early-onset Alzheimer’s.