Tag Archives: Cholesterol

Cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease: A Quiz

A Cholesterol Quizcholesterol 3

Did you know that there has never been a direct, proven link between high cholesterol and heart disease, heart attack or stroke? All of the hype was, at best, based on conjecture (the fancy term for guessing) and, at worst, a conspiracy to get people to take expensive prescription drugs!

If you’re one of the millions of people who believe these “facts” about cholesterol, get ready for an education. Take this True or False quiz to see if you can separate fact from myth about cholesterol.

  1. Cholesterol is a vital substance necessary for good health. T / F
  2. The lower your cholesterol, the healthier you will be. T / F
  3. Having cholesterol levels of less than 150 significantly reduces your risk of dying from heart disease. T / F
  4. The lower your cholesterol levels are the greater your risk of dying from cancer. T / F
  5. Cholesterol plays a role in helping to protect the body against environmental toxins. T / F
  6. Cholesterol is important in maintaining fertility and sex drive. T / F
  7. Eating foods high in fat will raise cholesterol levels. T / F
  8. The use of statin drugs has lowered the incidence of heart disease. T / F
  9. Oxidative stress and inflammation are the root cause of cardiovascular disease. T / F
  10. High insulin levels are a greater risk factor for cardiovascular disease than high cholesterol. T / F

 Don’t Peak below until you’ve answered the questions. 

Answers to Cholesterol Questions

Answers:

  1. True
  2. False
  3. False
  4. True
  5. True
  6. True
  7. False
  8. False
  9. True
  10. True

 Please share this with someone who needs to know!!!! 

 

 

Nourishing Traditions: Cholesterol

Cholesterol is actually REALLY important!cholesterol

We have heard about “dangerous” cholesterol for years, but cholesterol is essential for:

  • proper brain function
  • energetic muscles
  • a strong immune system
  • a long, healthy life

Cholesterol is so important it is made by nearly every cell in your body. In fact, recent studies reveal that the higher the cholesterol level in the elderly, the longer they live! (1-2) High cholesterol has repeatedly been shown not to cause heart attacks or cardiovascular disease.

If a person’s cholesterol is higher than average that is a sign that there is inflammation somewhere in the body. Inflammation is associated with cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes – in fact all the “diseases of civilization.”

Cholesterol is anti-inflammatory; it fights inflammation

Cholesterol molecules are like firemen in your body – they help put out the fire of inflammation. If you see high cholesterol you should put out the fire (the inflammation), not shoot the firemen.

What can cause elevated cholesterol? Stress – physical, chemical and emotional stress – such as dental infections, subluxations, toxicity and an unhealthy diet full of bad oils, poor quality fats, refined foods, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

Because your body needs cholesterol to work properly, if you eat a “low-cholesterol” diet your cells will simply make more cholesterol to keep your amount at a healthy level.

That is why cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) such as LipitorT and CrestorT, that interfere with cholesterol synthesis, cause:

  • muscle pain
  • cancerCholesterol2
  • dementia
  • suicide
  • depression
  • sudden heart death

In addition, cholesterol-lowering drugs don’t get to the cause of inflammation; they are suppressing a beneficial symptom.

Do your heart, brain, nerves and muscles a favor and enjoy cholesterol. Include lots of healthy fats in your diet such as butter; coconut, olive and avocado oils; lard, tallow (beef fat), chicken fat and duck fat to fight inflammation.

Just as importantly avoid unhealthy fats such as vegetable oils like canola, soy, corn, cottonseed, safflower, peanut and other unnatural oils. Especially stay away from trans-fats and hydrogenated fats such as CriscoT and margarine and fake butter “spreads.” They are a “heart attack in a can.”

  1. Towards a paradigm shift in cholesterol treatment. A re-examination of the cholesterol issue in Japan: Abstracts. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2015;66(suppl 4):1-116.
  2. Ravnskov U et al. Lack of an association or an inverse association between low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in the elderly: a systematic review.BMJ open.6.6(2016): e010401.

Cholesterol: Good or Bad?

Did you know? cholesterol

Your body makes over 3000 mg of cholesterol every day. That’s equivalent to eating:

1 pound of butter or 300 strips of bacon or 14 eggs each and every day!!!

If you make that much every day, why is it bad?

It isn’t.

You need cholesterol

Cholesterol is good for you and needed by nearly every cell in your body. Cholesterol is needed to create your hormones and helps your brain, nervous system and internal organs function.

If you have inflammation in your body your cholesterol levels will be high – and for a good reason. Cholesterol is an antioxidant and helps fight inflammation.

The myth about heart disease

Cholesterol does not cause heart disease – that’s a myth that has been discredited.

However, if there is high cholesterol it means there is something in you causing inflammation. The goal should be to address the cause of the inflammation rather than to fight the symptom (high cholesterol).

Ravnskov U. High cholesterol may protect against infections and atherosclerosis. Quarterly Journal of Medicine. 2003;96:927-934.