Cholesterol

I know it has been months since I have done another nutritional post from the book "Nourishing Traditions", slowly but surely I will post them. Last time I had a very in depth post on fats, and now just a few thoughts on the topic of cholesterol.


As I started writing this post on cholesterol I stumbled upon this article, it so nicely sums up most of what I was going to write so I decided to save myself some time and send you over there. Please read, it covers all the basics and highlights most of what I've read in "Nourishing Traditions."


Also, here is an entertaining video (or here & here & here) on the low fat, low cholesterol topic.

Here are a few excerpts from "Nourishing Traditions" book that I found interesting and may help shed some light on cholesterol and the impact of our current diet.

“The cause of heart disease is not animal fats and cholesterol but rather a number of factors inherent in modern diets, including excess consumption of vegetable oils and hydrogenated fats; excess consumption of refined carbohydrates in the form of sugar and white flour; mineral deficiencies, particularly low levels of protective magnesium and iodine; deficiencies of vitamins particularly of vitamin A, C, and D needed for the integrity of the blood vessel walls, and of antioxidants like selenium and vitamin E, which protect us from free radicals; and finally, the disappearance of antimicrobial fats from the food supply, namely, animal fats and tropical oils. These once protected us against the kinds of viruses and bacteria that have been associated with the onset of pathogenic plaque leading to heart disease.” Pg 13

“Prevention of heart disease will not be achieved with the current focus on lowering cholesterol—either by drugs or diet—but by consuming a diet that provides animal foods rich in protective fats and vitamins B6, and B12; by bolstering thyroid function through daily use of natural sea salt, a good source of usable iodine; by avoiding vitamin and mineral deficiencies that make the artery walls more prone to ruptures and the buildup of plaque; by including antimicrobial fats in the diet; and by eliminating processed foods containing refined carbohydrates, oxidized cholesterol and free radical-containing vegetable oils that cause the body to need constant repair.” Pg 13

Maybe you wonder what is oxidized cholesterol. Oxidation is when something is damaged by oxygen, like and apple after it is cut and sits on the counter it starts to turn brown. Well cholesterol can be damaged as well when subjected to oxygen. Falon states that damaged cholesterol seems to promote injury to arterial walls as well as buildup of plaque in the arteries. You can find oxidized cholesterol in powdered eggs, powdered milk (which is also included in reduced fat milk to give it more bulk).


Now how do you determine if you have high cholesterol, and will it really cause heart disease?
Dr Lustig explains in this video "Sugar:The Bitter Truth" that not all LDL cholesterol is harmful for you. So when you get a blood test, the resulting LDL number is only significant when you know what type it is.
However, there are two better ways to determine if you have high cholesterol as well as a risk for heart disease. One way is to is to look at a substance called homocysteine which is a strong indicator of heart disease, and is directly correlated with plaque formation. And the other way is to take a look at your HDL and triglycerides together, if you have high HDL's and low triglycerides this is great but if you have the opposite there may be cause for concern. Note: I highly recommend watching the above video, its long but well worth it.

It is interesting how many professionals are still studying the topic of cholesterol and heart disease. I have shared just snippets of what is available about cholesterol, but there is reason to doubt the American Heart Association's low fat, low cholesterol diet.