Most of the information you have been told about cholesterol just isn’t true. This faulty belief system was started by a man named Ancil Keys who said that coronary heart disease was caused by the intake of animal fats and the “harmful” cholesterol they contained. Call it a perfect storm if you want, but the biased information he presented occurred at just the right time for the medical association and the FDA to jump on the bandwagon and believe everything he said, even though the statistics he used were flawed and intentionally misrepresented. Now, here we are, many years later, dealing with the fallout of misplaced attention on a substance that is really nothing short of a Superhero.
Largely due to financial incentives, mainstream medicine has done an outstanding job of convincing the masses that the consumption of fat from any animal product will cause cardiovascular disease, strokes or heart attacks. And nothing could be further from the truth. Here are the facts you need to know about cholesterol:
- Maintains healthy cell membranes
- Allows for the utilization of fat-soluble vitamins
- Precursor for the creation of sex hormones and adrenal hormones including cortisol
- Shown to be protective against heart attacks
- Needed for optimal memory and cognition
- Supports healthy immune function
- Essential for the production of serotonin
- The more saturated fat consumed, the healthier the arteries
In addition to all of its benefits, when cholesterol levels fall below 180, the consequences can be disastrous:
- 200% increase in strokes
- 300% increase in liver cancer
- 200% increase in lung disease
- 200% increase in depression and suicides
- 200% increase in addictive behavior
Statin anyone?
Because cholesterol is so important in the body, the liver is tasked with the huge responsibility of producing it. And the liver doesn’t EVER produce too much; it always produces just what the body needs. If your stress level is up, cholesterol will be up because you need more cortisol (which is made from cholesterol). If you have inflammation anywhere in your body, cholesterol will be manufactured to help quell that inflammatory response regardless of where it is. If your brain or nerves need more cholesterol, your liver gets right to work ensuring your body has enough to keep things working. If cholesterol levels are above 300 then further investigation should be made to determine the “WHY.” Something is going on that needs cholesterol to mend. And it isn’t very often your arteries. In fact, less than 30% of all cardiovascular patients have elevated cholesterol. Most of the time, it is due to something else going on in the body.
So don’t be afraid of your cholesterol! It is your friend, your ally and an amazing superhero in your body, working to normalize, repair, restore and help you function better. The healthiest levels are between 200 and 250. Whether we like it or not, medicine has a vested financial interest in making you believe that your cholesterol should be low. But suppressing with a pharmaceutical drug comes with unpleasant side effects and does not make you healthier. Find out what your cholesterol levels are by ordering your own blood test here. And let’s hope it’s nice and high!
