The Big Fat Cholesterol Myth

 
 

  

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High Cholesterol, low cholesterol, good cholesterol, bad cholesterol… it’s all bunk! There are many misconceptions and myths about cholesterol you need to know. If you are one of the millions of people that have been warned about the dangers of high cholesterol and heart disease, keep reading for some shocking insight.

First and foremost, a few facts about this important substance:

  • Cholesterol is responsible for brain synapses (communication between nerve cells)
  • Vitamin D is synthesized from cholesterol by action of sunlight on skin (vitamin D is essential for bone health and protects against cancer)
  • Cholesterol is needed for absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K & B12
  • Cholesterol repairs cells – “Cholesterol is being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that is there to repair damage.” [1]
  • “Low-fat, low-cholesterol diets can be very unhealthy, especially for women. All our major hormones are made from cholesterol: estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, DHEA, and testosterone. If we don’t eat enough, our bodies divert cholesterol from our endocrine system to use for brain function and repair. When that happens, it’s almost impossible for our bodies to maintain hormonal balance.” [2]

The bottom line; cholesterol is imperative to good health and our liver manufactures it as needed. Our body increases cholesterol as a reaction to inflammation and stress. This is a normal response. Our body is brilliant and is naturally self-protective. What ever energy force created the human body and its miraculous functions is a super-genius. I’m just sayin’…

By implicating cholesterol as the culprit (as medical science and the pharmaceutical companies would have us erroneously believe), and taking statin drugs to lower our levels, we inevitably set the body up for long term failure.

Some nasty side effects of cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) include: nausea, hostility, depression, loss of mental clarity, amnesia and early onset senility [3], kidney failure, diarrhea, cramping in the legs, sleep disorders, constipation, erectile dysfunction (that’s a bummer, I’m sure!), liver damage, destruction of CoQ10, and muscle degeneration. Yikes! With a list like that I would never put statin drugs inside my body.

Contrary to popular belief high cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease. Many recent studies indicate stress, bacterial infection and poor immunity as more probable causes [4] [5] [6]. Preventing heart disease is not about lowering cholesterol – cholesterol protects us, for goshsakes! A better way to support heart health and naturally lower cholesterol levels is to reduce or eliminate foods that contribute to stress, poor immunity and overgrowth of bacteria. Some common offenders:

  • Sugar, that increases stress hormone and feeds bacteria [7]
  • Excessive amounts of caffeine that increases stress hormone [8]
  • Eating sick and diseased animals living a stressed out life (factory farmed animals)
  • Consuming pesticide laden foods that damage the immune, reproductive and endocrine systems [9]
  • Chemicals and preservatives found in many packaged foods
  • Highly refined foods and refined carbohydrates

Reducing the risk of heart disease can be easy and delicious by choosing wholesome foods straight from the earth, naturally and ethically raised, without chemicals or preservatives. Foods to include in the diet: whole grains, beans, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, good fats, animals and animal products, including the much maligned egg and butter. We beat the crap out of butter back in the 1970′s when nutritional science recommended reducing saturated fat and cholesterol for heart health. They encouraged us to eat margarine instead. Egads! Today, we know butter is better than margarine (margarine is hydrogenated fat and total CRAP!). As far as eggs go… modern nutritional science teaches us that many of the best nutrients reside in the infamous egg yolk (lutein, lecithin, vitamins A& D). Just thinking about suffering through all those years of butter-less pancakes and yolkless egg white omelets makes me want to slap someone silly!

Besides proper nutrition and daily exercise, our heart also needs emotional healing. It’s important to practice forgiveness and compassion on a daily basis. And, lastly… we need to give and receive love as often as possible. As a matter of fact, I am sending everyone who has read all the way through this big fat topic a warm, loving, cyber hug!

To find delicious recipes that include good fats and other fantastic foods that benefit health, search this website or check out my new book:

Health is Wealth – Make a Delicious Investment in You!

[1] http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/28/cholesterol_heart.htm
[2] http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/fatandcholesterol.aspx
[3] http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Health/5-12-21-StateSideEffects.htm
[4] http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/14/bacterial_infections.htm
[5] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120095413.htm
[6] http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v6/n8/full/nm0800_841.html
[7] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37740.php
[8] http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/caffeine.htm
[9] http://www.ghchealth.com/pesticides-and-the-immune-system-overview.html

 

 
Deena Barselah March 29, 2011

Thank you so much for posting this! I hear the fear of cholesterol from clients all of the time and have worked with them to move their diets in a more healthful direction. Statins are not necessary and there’s so much we can do with diet and lifestyle! What a great article!

 
Andrea March 29, 2011

I know – it’s crazy! We have been sold a lie, and it has permeated our culture entirely. They even have kids on cholesterol lowering drugs right now. That’s insane!

 
Liz G. April 4, 2011

Very eye opening if you take the time to really read and get educated on this topic, most folks just believe the lies they are fed by food manufactures and their doctors…such a shame that even our own doctors cant get it right when it comes to Cholestorol, some people trust them 100%
Also I wanted to ask you your opinion of the Paleo diet/lifestyle way of eating that promotes a diet high in good fats from grass fed/finished animals, lots of veggies, and some fruits and dicourages grains, sugar and bad carbohydrates… Ive learned soooo much from researching this lifestyle, its during this research when I first learned that Cholesterol isnt the devil we are all lead to believe it is. Im personally sold on this way of eating and have been eating Paleo for about 3 weeks now and im loosing weight and feeling great all while eating lots of meat and fat ( veggies too!)
Your thoughts?

 
Andrea April 5, 2011

I think the Paleo lifestyle and diet is really good – it encourages eating whole foods. Although, I don’t agree with eliminating ALL grains entirely. I think we are overgrained and definitely over eating refined carbohydrates and sugars. There are many cultures around the world that have used grains (corn, wheat, barley, rye, oats, etc.) healthfully for thousands of years. I think we need to moderate our portions. I personally could not imagine going the rest of my life without some yummy polenta, whole wheat sourdough bread or brown rice. That food makes me happy :) Congratulations on your weight loss – keep up the GREAT work!

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