What ever you think you know about cholesterol, is all a MYTH.

It was not until the mid 20^th century that people started to fear eating saturated fat and cholesterol. Where did this fat phobia come from?

Dr. Ancel Keys performed research in the 1950’s, where he proposed that countries with higher intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol have increased rates of heart disease. For his research he chose only the 7 countries that supported his hypothesis and ignored all the rest. Despite many disagreements from doctors in the industries, his conclusions caught on like wildfire with media and marketing, and were adopted by the public. What no one, including the U.S. government and the American Heart Association, took into account was that he had left out data from the other 15 countries he surveyed, making his research useless. Our fear of saturated fat and cholesterol is based on a flawed study!

 

10 Reasons You Need Cholesterol

1. Why are some people slower recovering from illness and injury?

Cholesterol plays a very important role as a communicator between every cell membrane in the human body. It is a very important component to help the body make new healthy cells, to heal from illness and injury.

2. Feeling bloated?

Cholesterol helps in regulating the salt and water balance in the body to prevent bloating.

3. Can’t digest fat very well?

Cholesterol is converted into bile in the liver which helps the body digest fats. People who have been on a low-fat diet usually have problem in fat digestion.

4. Coping with stress?

Cholesterol makes adrenal hormones, cortisol and aldosterone that help us cope with stress. A low fat diet does not supply enough substrate to help make these hormones, leading us to feel exhausted and promoting fat storage, especially at the abdomen – belly fat.

5. Low in vitamin D?

Vitamin D is very important for proper immune function. Cholesterol in your skin communicates with UVB rays from the sun to produce vitamin D. Cholesterol also helps in the absorption of vitamin D in your food intake.

6. Frequently forgetting things?

Your brain needs cholesterol to function healthily. Cholesterol helps in the formation of memories and is important for proper neurological function. People with low HDL cholesterol have a higher risk of impaired memory and developing dementia later in life.

7. Feeling depressed?

Many studies show that people with abnormally low levels of cholesterol have tendencies towards depression or violence. Cholesterol is very important for the communication between brains synapses which helps produce serotonin, the ‘feel good’ chemical.

8. Worried about high cholesterol?

Elevated cholesterol level is a sign that your body is making more to heal the damaged cells or inflammation caused by high intake of sugar, starches and vegetable oils which contain omega 6. Lowering your cholesterol level by taking medication is as good as killing your internal combat team which is helping with your recovery, with dangerous side effects.

9. Elevated cholesterol?

For many, high cholesterol levels mean your body is trying to send you an important message. Cholesterol meant for healing is produced in excess because there is a lack of thyroid hormone or there is an autoimmune thyroid attack. Eliminating sugar and starch intake would help to normalize thyroid hormone level and balance cholesterol level.

10. Cholesterol is not your enemy.

Cholesterol acts as an antioxidant to heal free radical damage. Your body produces more cholesterol in response to inflammation-causing food (sugar, starches and vegetable oil-omega 6) in an attempt to heal the damage caused in our blood vessels. Cholesterol is your friend.

Summary

Cholesterol helps the body to reduce inflammation, strengthen our immune system, control our moods, regulate our metabolism and improve sexual function.

Our bodies need good quality cholesterol to help us function well. Without it we will not survive. When you avoid eating cholesterol in food, your liver instinctively produces more cholesterol to supply the needs of your body. Over time, you might over work your liver.

For most people who are eating a high sugar, high starch, low fat and mainly vegetable oil diet, it’s no surprise if their lipid panels show the following results: low HDL cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol (majority pattern B-oxidized cholesterol), high triglycerides, and a high total cholesterol. The other side effect would be metabolic syndrome: overweight, high blood sugar, high blood pressure or diabetes, etc.

Cholesterol is an important building block of the human body. Only oxidized cholesterol (LDL pattern B-oxidized cholesterol) is dangerous. The major cause of cholesterol oxidation that usually leads to arteries clogging and inflammation is a diet with high intake of sugar, starch which turns into glucose when digested, and vegetable oil (omega 6).

In other words, take care of the root cause by eliminating sugar and starches in your food intake, and use good oil like olive oil, butter, coconut oil and natural animal fats, etc. Your blood cholesterol quality will eventually improve.

If your doctors advise you to take cholesterol lowering drugs, ask them to tell you the truth about their possible side effects. And ask them for a natural solution rather than taking drugs.

There are no drugs effective in achieving a healthy lipid panel with a higher HDL level, lower LDL pattern B, and lower triglyceride level all at the same time, and without side effects. Only changing the way you eat can possibly achieve that result. 

 

The truth about Dr. Ancel Keys; we’ve all got it wrong.

 http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/12/22/the-truth-about-ancel-keys-weve-all-got-it-wrong/#more-1778

 

Want more knowledge about cholesterol? Read the information in the links below.

The brief version on what is cholesterol?

http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/what-is-cholesterol

What can I measure that predicts risk of heart disease?

http://eatingacademy.com/how-low-carb-diet-reduced-my-risk-of-heart-disease

 

Or, the detail explanation on cholesterol from Dr. Peter Attia. Make sure you read all the 9 parts of his sharing.

The straight dope on cholesterol-part 1

http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i

 

Share this with your friends!

Tweet