High Cholesterol: Myths and Facts

Most of us incline to believe that cholesterol is dangerous. When thinking about heart disease, the first risk factor that comes to our mind is the high level of cholesterol. However, there is no medical evidence till today that proves the link between total cholesterol levels and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the whole idea of lowering cholesterol does not prove itself as beneficial for our health. On the contrary, conventional medicine encourages us to lower our cholesterol level by statin drugs that can do more harm to our body than good, while too low cholesterol reduces serotonin, thus causing depression and aggressive behavior. The article “The 6 Greatest Cholesterol Myths Debunked“ lists the common myths about cholesterol.

Myth Number 1: Cholesterol Will Kill You

This is simply not true. Cholesterol is your friend, not your enemy. Essential to good health, cholesterol should not be something that is feared and revered when eating a nutritious diet.

It is a naturally occurring product found in the body which is made by the liver. It is vital to normal cell function and is the parent molecule for such major hormones as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. It is critical to the immune system and the brain.

For example, even if you did not consume any cholesterol at all, you would still find it present in your body. Your diet is actually secondary when it comes to looking at cholesterol levels, but this is often ignored by the doctors.

Myth Number 2: High Cholesterol Causes Coronary Heart Disease

There is NO proven link between dietary cholesterol and coronary heart disease.

Numerous studies have been done which claim to show a link, but all have been flawed and NONE have been conclusive. This, we now know.

The most influential study of all – the Seven Countries Study done in 1953 by Dr. Ancel Keys – involved a highly suspicious model of analysis in itself, with Dr. Keys removing statistics which did not ‘agree’ with his ideology. Having taken data from 22 countries, he only took note of the seven countries whose evidence supported his views, discounting the rest. Incredibly, it is this paper upon which the whole cholesterol theory is based. Can you believe it?

“If all 22 countries had been analyzed, there would have been no correlation found whatsoever,” confirms leading physician, Dr. Joseph Mercola.

As a result of the study, everyone was told to cut out butter, red meat, animal fats, eggs and dairy from their diet. This approach is mistakenly still in force around the world today, which brings me to my next point.

Myth Number 3: Saturated Fat Is Dangerous

There is absolutely no correlation between saturated fat and heart disease, as two major studies have recently confirmed.

The biggest issue for the body in terms of fats is WHERE THEY ARE FROM.

Raw fats from a healthy natural diet are GOOD! Your body NEEDS these in order to thrive. They even help REDUCE heart disease.

Artificial and chemically induced fats from processed food are to be avoided at all times.

Great sources of healthy fats include nuts, wild fish, wild and grass-fed meats, seeds (such as chia and flaxseeds), avocados, organic free-range eggs, olive oil and coconut oil.

Myth Number 4: The Higher Your cholesterol, The Shorter Your Lifespan

In a major inquiry into cholesterol known as the Framington Study, those who actually lived the longest had the highest cholesterol. Fact.

Myth Number 5: High Cholesterol Is A Good Predictor Of Heart Attacks

Statistics actually show that more than 50 percent of people admitted to hospitals with cardiovascular disease have NORMAL cholesterol, where those with high cholesterol are seen to have HEALTHY hearts.

Myth Number 6: Lowering Cholesterol With Statin Drugs Will Prolong Life

Research shows no difference in death rates between patients who take statins and those who don’t. In fact, statin medication can cause major negative side effects on the body, such as loss of memory, loss of libido, muscle pain and fatigue.

If we reflect on myth number 3 that claims saturated fats are dangerous, recent studies on low-carbohydrate diets show them as extremely beneficial on our cardiovascular health. Not only that they do not increase cholesterol, but also reduce triglycerides, glucose level, blood pressure, and C-reactive protein, which greatly affects our heart. Low-carb diets are also known for their positive effect on HDL cholesterol. They also lower the hidden culprit for high LDL cholesterol – sugar, the most important ingredient in candies and soda. Sugar’s hidden presence in processed food, which we do not see as sweet at all, takes part in increasing blood pressure and deterioration of arterial walls. Therefore, balanced diet based on fresh vegetables and proteins together with giving up of the old unhealthy habits like smoking and alcohol can prevent our heart from suffering a heart attack.