When most people hear the word cholesterol, they tend to view it as something bad to avoid at all costs. But the reality is much more complex. This waxy substance is essential to many bodily processes, from insulating nerve cells in the brain to providing structure for cell membranes. Moreover about 75% of the cholesterol in your blood is made by the liver and cells elsewhere in your body.
The widespread misconceptions about cholesterol suggest that people with high cholesterol are more prone to heart attacks, cholesterol and saturated fat clog arteries, eating a cholesterol-rich diet will raise your cholesterol levels, and cholesterol-lowering drugs have saved many people from heart attacks. Most studies show that high cholesterol is associated with a longer lifespan. There is very little cholesterol or saturated fat in the arterial plaque or clogs. Most of the material is a calcium deposit akin to lime and most of the fatty acids are unsaturated (i.e. corn and soy oils). In the most recent trials, cholesterol-lowering did not result in any improvement in outcome.
Now let’s look at the role cholesterol does play in the body:
·
Cholesterol is produced by almost every cell in the
body.
·
Cholesterol in cell membranes makes cells waterproof so
there can be a different chemistry on the inside and the outside of the cell.
·
Cholesterol is nature’s repair substance, used to
repair wounds, including tears and irritations in the arteries.
·
Many important hormones are made of cholesterol, including
hormones that regulate mineral metabolism and blood sugar, hormones that help
us deal with stress, and all the sex hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen
and progesterone.
·
Cholesterol is vital to the function of the brain and
nervous system.
·
Cholesterol protects us against depression; it plays a
role in the utilization of serotonin, the body’s “feel-good” chemical.
·
The bile salts, needed for the digestion of fats, are
made from cholesterol.
·
Cholesterol is the precursor of vitamin D, which is
formed by the action of ultra-violet (UV-B) light on cholesterol in the skin.
· Cholesterol is a powerful antioxidant that protects us against free radicals and therefore against cancer.
·
Cholesterol, especially LDL-cholesterol (the so-called
bad cholesterol), helps fight infection.
So if cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease then,
what is?
Many scientists conclude:
DEFICIENCY of VITAMINS A and D:
Back in the 1930s, Weston A. Price, DDS, observed that rates of heart attack
rose during periods of the year when levels of these fat-soluble vitamins in
local butter went down.
DEFICIENCIES of VITAMINS B
6, B12 and FOLIC ACID: Kilmer
McCully, MD, PhD, demonstrated that these deficiencies lead to elevated levels
of homocysteine, a marker for heart disease.
TRANS FATTY ACIDS: Fred
Kummerow, PhD, and many others have linked heart disease to the replacement of
saturated fats with trans fatty acids; saturated fats actually protect against
heart disease in many ways.
MINERAL DEFICIENCIES: Deficiencies
of magnesium, copper and vanadium have been linked to heart disease.
MILK PASTEURIZATION: J.C.
Annand, a British researcher, observed an increase in heart disease in
districts that implemented pasteurization compared to those where milk was still
sold unpasteurized.
STRESS: heart attacks often
occur after a period of stress, which depletes the body of many nutrients.
Little research money is
available to study these theories, which is unfortunate for millions of healthy
people who are frightened into eating a tedious, bland diet that is said to
lower their bad cholesterol.
