The Truth About Cholesterol
Media, advertisers and big Pharma have done a good job leading us astray when it comes to the truth about cholesterol! But I am here to debunk all things “bad” cholesterol and empower you to take charge of your own health. This is the truth about Cholesterol:
“The great ship Cholesterol-Lowering has ripped its guts out on the harsh rocks of evidence, but still it does not sink” Dr Malcolm Kendrick
Heart attack?
Stroke?
High Blood Pressure?
Coronary Heart Disease?
Science has been manipulated for these outcomes when in reality cholesterol is quite important for our survival and elevated cholesterol levels can tell a lot about a patient and health changes they need to address.
Let me show you cholesterol benefits!
Cholesterol is a lipid, or fat, that you’ll find in every cell in your body.
Cholesterol plays a vital role in many essential body functions:
Primary constituent of all cell membranes and myelin (sheath around nerve fibers)!
Controls membrane fluidity
Protects nerve fibers
Supports brain function
Builds membranes (a membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others)
Part of Vitamin D production (Vitamin D is actually a hormone, not a vitamin, ugh)
Precursor of all steroidal hormones (Pregnenolone, DHEA, Cortisol, Testosterone etc)
Forerunner of Bile Acid (you need this to digest fat and line your intestines)
Repairs damage in the arterial wall
Cholesterol is your FRIEND. Stop thinking of it as a villain and let me explain how you can quickly lower your cholesterol levels while eating yummy foods and healthy saturated fats.
For 35 years we have been told to eat less fat and more carbs, avoid cholesterol, or take statins. But if you look at all the science out there and not just the science by our ‘bodily experts’ you will be surprised by the findings.
Check out this interesting study that shows that 75% of people who have heart attacks have cholesterol in the optimal range.
The lower the cholesterol the greater the risk of mortality in elders.
Women live longer with a high rather than lower cholesterol level!
But let’s back up for a minute. In my functional diagnostic training, which is led by doctors, the first thing I learned is that the majority of cholesterol is produced by the liver and is not derived from dietary sources of cholesterol. So why are we being told to stop eating foods with cholesterol in it, such as butter, eggs and red meat? Some of my favorite things to eat btw!
Total cholesterol is the sum of 3 lipoproteins. HDL, LDL, VLDL
HDL (high density lipoprotein) is the primary lipoprotein that transports cholesterol (and other nutrients) from the peripheral tissue back to the liver.
LDL (low density lipoprotein) is the primary lipoprotein that transports cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins, and essential fatty acids from the liver to the peripheral tissue.
VLDL is a low-density lipoprotein that carries triglycerides from the liver to the peripheral tissue.
Triglycerides are the fats in the blood that can be derived from the diet or synthesized by the liver. Triglycerides serve as a source of fuel for all muscles of the body and carry fat-soluble vitamins in the blood.
If you want a more accurate assessment of cardiovascular disease, it would be better to check your LPP (a Liproprotein Particle Test) levels. This test delineates the specific number of particles in each lipoprotein subclass.
Cholesterol hormones?
Here is a steroid hormone pathway chart that shows you what cholesterol gets turned into:
So why are there so many mixed outcomes in all of these studies, and why do some people die when they have high cholesterol levels?
The key to understanding the truth about cholesterol is to learn why your body is not using the cholesterol circulating in your blood, which was made by our liver!
The truth about cholesterol: “We have a lot of evidence accumulated for the past 100 years indicating that the real culprit is a thyroid deficiency. Cholesterol is the innocent bystander in hypothyroidism.” Broda O. Barns MD
How to reduce cholesterol without medication?
By now you may have gathered that you too can reduce your cholesterol without medication by fixing your metabolism and improving your thyroid health.
STEP 1. Check thyroid blood markers, especially free T4 and free T3! (Please fire your doctor if he/she only offers to run the TSH thyroid marker!)
STEP 2. Usually, with a low metabolism and thyroid comes chronic bacterial and viral infections. You may want to fade in several cycles of anti-pathogenic treatments. Improving your thyroid reduces pathogenic load.
STEP 3. Nourish your liver. Do not detox your liver, but rather give it the building blocks it needs to function. A lot of hormone conversion happens in your liver so having it work properly is important. Increasing your thyroid health will boost your liver too!
STEP 4. Nutrients. You need a lot of different nutrients that bind to your cholesterol to make hormones, bile acid, myelin sheathing and so forth. Things like B vitamins, phospholipids from eggs, and protein for essential amino acids. Without the correct nutrients your body doesn’t have the building blocks to function.
Step 5. Reduce stress, and sleep more so that your body can proceed with repair and growth. Prolonged stress creates a cascade of hormone imbalance issues, blood sugar problems, and oxidative damage that all together create the perfect storm for poor cardiovascular health. Stress contributes to every single risk factor for unhealthy cholesterol, and inadequate sleep only further fuels this fire.
Step 6. Try temporary support with digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, or digestive bitters. This supports fat metabolism and nutrient extraction from the foods you consume.
Step 7. Replace all trans fats with healthy sources like fish, grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, butter, avocado, coconut, and olive oil.
Cholesterol lowering drugs tend not to fix the root cause and hence prevent healing and overall health.
Statins are very big business. “In the changed post COVID-19 business landscape, the global market for Statins estimated at US$13.6 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$15.2 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 1.6% over the period 2020-2027.”
Somebody out there is making a ton of money at the cost of your health.
Statins come with a large list of side effects.
Atorvastatin side effects include:
muscle weakness in your hips, shoulders, neck, and back
trouble lifting your arms, trouble climbing or standing.
liver problems - upper stomach pain, weakness, tired feeling, loss of appetite, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
kidney problems - little or no urination, swelling in your feet or ankles, feeling tired or short of breath.
joint pain
stuffy nose
sore throat
diarrhea; or
pain in your arms or legs.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.
There are only good side effects when changing lifestyle, eating habits and boosting your thyroid to get your cholesterol levels in range!
Feel free to reach out to get your blood work interpreted with functional ranges that support thriving and not just surviving.
Resource:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513326/
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