Cholesterol could easily be described as the smoking gun of the last two
decades. It’s been responsible for demonizing entire categories of foods (like
eggs and saturated fats) and blamed for just about every case of heart disease in
the last 20 years.
Yet not too long ago, cholesterol, and the fear that yours is too high was rarely
talked about. And even long before that there was no such thing as a heart
disease epidemic.
Somewhere along the way however, cholesterol became a household word --
something that you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences.
You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray fat and
cholesterol as one of the worst foods you can consume. Please understand that
these myths are actually harming your health.
Not only is cholesterol not going to
destroy your health (as you have been
led to believe), but it is not the cause of
heart disease.
And for those of you taking cholesterol-
lowering drugs, the information that
follows could not have gotten to you
fast enough. But before I delve into this
life-changing information, let’s get some
basics down first.
What is Cholesterol, and Why Do You Need It?
That’s right, you do need cholesterol.
This soft, waxy substance is found not only in your bloodstream, but also in every
cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin
D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the
formation of your memories and is vital for neurological function.
Your liver makes about 75 percent of your body’s cholesterol,1 and according to
conventional medicine, there are two types:
1. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL: This is the “good” cholesterol that
helps to keep cholesterol away from your arteries and remove any excess
from arterial plaque, which may help to prevent heart disease.
2. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL: This “bad” cholesterol circulates in
your blood and, according to conventional thinking, may build up in your
arteries, forming plaque that makes your arteries narrow and less flexible
(a condition called atherosclerosis). If a clot forms in one of these
narrowed arteries leading to your heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke
may result.
Also making up your total cholesterol count are:
• Triglycerides: Elevated levels of this dangerous fat have been linked to
heart disease and diabetes. Triglyceride levels are known to rise from
eating too many grains and sugars, being physically inactive, smoking
cigarettes, drinking alcohol excessively and being overweight or obese.
• Lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a): Lp(a) is a substance that is made up of an LDL
"bad cholesterol" part plus a protein (apoprotein a). Elevated Lp(a) levels
are a very strong risk factor for heart disease. This has been well
established, yet very few physicians check for it in their patients.
Total Cholesterol is NOT a Good Indicator of Your Heart Disease Risk
Health officials in the United States urge everyone over the age of 20 to have
their cholesterol tested once every five years. Part of this test is your total
cholesterol, or the sum of your blood’s cholesterol content.
The American Heart Association
recommends that your total cholesterol is
less than 200 mg/dL, but what they do not
tell you is that total cholesterol level is just
about worthless in determining your risk
for heart disease, unless it is above 300.
I have seen a number of people with
levels over 250 who actually were at low
heart disease risk due to their HDL levels.
Conversely, I have seen even more who
had cholesterol levels under 200 that were at a very high risk of heart disease
based on the following additional tests:
• Your HDL/Cholesterol ratio
• Your Triglyceride/HDL ratios
HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL
level by your cholesterol. That percentage should ideally be above 24 percent.
You can also do the same thing with your triglycerides and HDL ratio. That
percentage should be below 2.
Keep in mind, however, that these are still simply guidelines, and there’s a lot
more that goes into your risk of heart disease than any one of these numbers. In
fact, it was only after word got out that total cholesterol is a poor predictor of
heart disease that HDL and LDL cholesterol were brought into the picture. They
give you a closer idea of what’s going on, but they still do not show you
everything.
Cholesterol is Neither “Good” Nor “Bad”
Now that we’ve defined good and bad cholesterol, it has to be said that there is
actually only one type of cholesterol. Ron Rosedale, MD, who is widely
considered to be the leading anti-aging doctor in the United States, does an
excellent job of explaining this concept:2
“Notice please that LDL and HDL are lipoproteins -- fats combined with
proteins. There is only one cholesterol. There is no such thing as “good” or
“bad” cholesterol.
Cholesterol is just cholesterol.
It combines with other fats and
proteins to be carried through the
bloodstream, since fat and our
watery blood do not mix very well.
Fatty substances therefore must be
shuttled to and from our tissues and
cells using proteins. LDL and HDL are forms of proteins and are far from
being just cholesterol.
In fact we now know there are many types of these fat and protein
particles. LDL particles come in many sizes and large LDL particles are
not a problem. Only the so-called small dense LDL particles can
potentially be a problem, because they can squeeze through the lining of
the arteries and if they oxidize, otherwise known as turning rancid, they
can cause damage and inflammation.
Thus, you might say that there is ‘good LDL’ and ‘bad LDL.’
Also, some HDL particles are better than others. Knowing just your total
cholesterol tells you very little. Even knowing your LDL and HDL levels will
not tell you very much.”
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