LET'S TALK ABOUT CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is not the big, bad evil that it has been made out to be. Cholesterol was discovered in the late 1800’s. Since then, many scientists have tried to figure out how to prevent/treat familial hypercholesterolemia, which is an inherited disorder that causes cholesterol levels to reach 500+ and is found in children as young as 5. As scientists were attempting to find a way to prevent this condition, they produced the statin family of drugs that came out in 1987. When the statin drugs entered the market the medical industry also lowered the levels of what it considered to be healthy cholesterol levels. This mean that, instead of prescribing statins to people with familial hypercholesterolemia, it became the mainstay for everyone young and old.

While doctors generally hail it as safe and effective, I would like to point out some important issues that are being ignored by our modern health system. Statins decrease Vitamin D levels, which is essential for fighting infections, preventing type 2 diabetes, and decreasing heart disease and many other important functions of the body. (I will explore this in my next post.) Statins also decrease and thin the nerve pathway in the brain and spinal cord, which leads to Parkinsons, dementia, and other diseases. Last, Statins decrease CO Q10, which is an essential part of the mitochondria that causes the heart, liver, and kidneys to work.  

Because of a general fear of cholesterol during the 1990’s, many people followed a health fad where they began to eat a “low fat diet”. This trend has created the same issues that statins have caused because people no longer ate healthy fats.

Our bodies actually need cholesterol because it is a primary structure of the cell walls in every single cell in our body. It gives them just the right structure and stiffness while also maintaining their flexibility. Additionally, cholesterol is needed for many other functions: myelin sheath formation that helps nerve transmission and is particularly important for memory formation; food digestion and bile production to absorb fat from the intestine; reproductive hormone production such as testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen; adrenal function; and production of vitamin D. On top of all of this, cholesterol acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. As you can see, it is very important.

Where we have gone wrong is that we have been told that all fat increases cholesterol to dangerous levels. However, there is a difference between healthy fats (natural fats from meats and vegetables like avocados, coconut oil, and olive oil) and unhealthy fats (oils pressed from non-fatty food such as vegetable seeds). Healthy fat does not cause increased cholesterol. Instead, cholesterol increases when people eat processed sugars, highly processed foods, and excess refined carbs.  

So, the solution is to produce good cholesterol at the right levels. To do this, eat healthy fats such as beef tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, eggs, and grass fed butter. This will help keep your cholesterol at the right level, and will provide your body with the nutrients it needs for proper brain, reproductive, and gut function. On top of this, these foods are delicious!!