According to conventional medicine today, cholesterol is the villain. The common belief is that it is the primary cause in growing numbers of coronary heart disease and obesity, even in children. This is called the lipid hypothesis, which is a three-step process. Step 1 is when you eat a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol (animal fats), resulting in high levels of cholesterol in the blood. This in turn, leads to atherosclerosis (step 2), which then clogs blood vessels, and finally, coronary heart disease (step 3).
The vast majority of the public has been led to believe, over the past five decades, that this hypothesis is fact. However, there is extensive scientific evidence that actually contradicts this information! “Fundamentally, the war on saturated fats stems from a misperception about the effects of saturated fatty acids on cholesterol levels (Enig, M. & Fallon, S., Eat Fat Lose Fat, pp. 23-24).“ Unfortunately, because of misinformation and poor evaluation of the data on this subject, recommended total blood cholesterol levels are getting lower and lower, and animal fats are looked upon with open hostility. But what is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is often referred to as a fat, but it’s actually a heavyweight alcohol with a hormone-like structure that behaves like a fat, being insoluble in water and in blood. Cholesterol, however, has a coating of a compound called a lipoprotein, which makes it water soluble so it can be carried in the blood.
Lipoproteins are described in terms of their density. Generally speaking, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol away from the cells to the liver, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol to the cells. We speak of HDL as “good” cholesterol and LDL as “bad” cholesterol. However, both HDL and LDL play critical roles in body chemistry (Enig, M., et al, p. 24).
Benefits of Cholesterol:
- Your body uses cholesterol to make hormones that help you deal with stress and protect against heart disease and cancer.
- Your body needs cholesterol to make all the sex hormones, including androgen, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and DHEA.
- Your body uses cholesterol to make vitamin D, vital for the bones and nervous system, proper growth, mineral metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production, reproduction, and immune system function.
- The bile salts are made from cholesterol. Bile is vital for digestion and assimilation of dietary fats.
- Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Since serotonin is the body’s natural “feel-good” chemical, it’s not surprising that low cholesterol levels have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior, depression, and suicidal tendencies.
- Mother’s milk is especially rich in cholesterol and contains a special enzyme that helps the baby utilize this nutrient. Babies and children need cholesterol-rich foods throughout their growing years to ensure proper development of the brain and nervous system.
- Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall. This is why low-cholesterol vegetarian diets can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal disorders.
- Finally, the body uses cholesterol to repair damaged cells. This means that higher cholesterol levels are actually beneficial. Meyer Texon, M.D., a well-known pathologist at
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