November 1, 2011
Busting Cholesterol Myths – A New Look at Cholesterol
If you are an adult in the United States, you’ve been hearing about the negative effects of cholesterol on our health for several years. When scientists initially learned how to measure and study cholesterol and its relation to heart disease, they warned everyone to stay away from high cholesterol foods like eggs, shrimp, lobster, beef and butter. After a few more years and extensive research, the medical community started backing off of high-cholesterol foods a little bit and started focusing on saturated and hydrogenated fats, or “bad fats.” New studies are actually starting to reverse the initial claims that cholesterol is bad, and instead are claiming that higher levels of cholesterol can have a positive impact on our health. Perhaps the cause of heart disease and the reason for plaque buildup in our arteries is not related to our cholesterol levels and is instead caused by something else entirely.
Why Is Cholesterol Necessary?
Some of the cholesterol in our bodies is taken in by foods, but the vast majority is manufactured in our livers. One of its primary functions is to repair damage in an area of the body that is inflamed. It is also crucial for producing and repairing cell membranes, making hormones, vitamin D, bile acids that help digest fats, and helping our brain cells communicate.
A recent study from researchers at Texas A&M University found a significant association between dietary cholesterol and change in strength. The study found that those with higher levels of cholesterol in their blood were able to build muscle better than those with lower levels. The researchers were surprised by these findings, but are suggesting that the effect may be due to the role cholesterol plays in the inflammation process. More cholesterol in the blood may help repair muscle tissue that is impacted during strength training, thus helping to build the muscles. More research is needed, but this study supports other studies on inflammation and cholesterol’s role in working to decrease it.
Dr. Ron Rosedale, an internationally known expert in nutritional and metabolic medicine, has this to say about cholesterol:
"First and foremost, cholesterol is a vital component of every cell membrane on Earth. In other words, there is no life on Earth that can live without cholesterol.
We would not be here without it. No wonder lowering cholesterol too much increases one’s risk of dying. Cholesterol is also a precursor to all of the steroid hormones. You cannot make estrogen, testosterone, cortisone, and a host of other vital hormones without cholesterol."
What About Plaque Buildup in Our Arteries?
If cholesterol is so important in our bodies, then why is it often blamed for heart disease? Doesn’t it build up on artery walls and cause blockages, heart attacks and high blood pressure?
Cholesterol in our blood can be compared to oil and water – they don’t mix. Cholesterol is an oily, waxy compound that won’t dissolve or mix into blood, which is water-based. Scientists have purported that when we have too much cholesterol in our blood it collects on the insides of our blood vessels, similar to the way grease collects on the inside of pipes when poured down a sink drain. New research is starting to hypothesize that cholesterol is reacting to inflammation in our vessels and arteries, causing it to collect and build up. If that is the case, then cholesterol is not the culprit, but is doing its job in trying to reduce inflammation in the body.
Other studies are pointing to triglycerides being the most important factor in heart disease. Eating a lot of sugar and refined grain products are the leading cause of high triglycerides. They, like cholesterol, belong to the lipid family and are the major source of energy for our bodies. When we have more triglycerides than we can use, they end up in our fat cells. Scientists agree that high triglyceride levels are one of the leading risk factors for heart disease. There is also evidence that too much sugar and refined grains lead to internal inflammation, so perhaps these foods are responsible for heart disease and not cholesterol.
How Much Cholesterol Is OK?
Some scientists, like Dr. Rosedale, claim that cholesterol is just cholesterol and the comparison of HDL “good” to LDL “bad” is unnecessary. The main thing we need to watch is our triglyceride levels. Others claim that it is more important to know our triglyceride to HDL ratio than to compare LDL and HDL. Having high triglyceride and low HDL levels puts people at much bigger risk of heart disease. One study found that people with the highest ratio of triglycerides to HDL had 16 times the risk of heart attack as those with the lowest ratio of triglycerides to HDL.
Dr. Mercola asserts that the cholesterol levels the experts claim to be healthy have never been proven. In fact, studies are finding that people with very low levels of cholesterol (less than 100) can be at risk for depression, violence, stroke and Parkinson’s Disease, to name a few. Since every cell in our bodies need cholesterol to thrive, too little can wreak havoc on our health and intellect. Dr. Mercola suggests that an optimal cholesterol level be somewhere between 150 and 200.
Since 2004, recommended LDL “bad” cholesterol levels have come down from 130 to as low as 70 milligrams for patients at very high risk. These extremely low targets usually require cholesterol-lowering drugs. Unfortunately, eight of the nine doctors on the panel that developed the new cholesterol guidelines had been making money from the drug companies that manufacture statin cholesterol-lowering drugs. Coincidence? Probably not. Be wary of these drugs, as there are many studies that point to the risks and complications associated with them. Do your research and consider lowering your cholesterol and triglyceride levels naturally instead.
The Bottom Line
It always comes back around to nutrition and exercise, and this is no exception. Rather than focusing on how to get our cholesterol levels lower, we should be focusing on eating nutritious, unprocessed foods and avoiding sugar and grains. We should also include regular exercise and plenty of hydrating liquids so that we can be our best, brightest, most energetic selves.
Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109173717.htm
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/10/making-sense-of-your-cholesterol-numbers.aspx
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-full-story/index.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/05/28/cholesterol-heart.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/02/02/cholesterol-has-benefits-too.aspx
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