I am a holistic doctor, and wrote this for my patients:
Cholesterol is our friend, and not our enemy. It does not cause heart disease.
When you get your blood cholesterol levels checked, your total cholesterol that is reported is the sum of LDL + HDL + 1/5 triglycerides. Note that when people talk about cholesterol, they usually are talking about HDL and LDL, and triglycerides are spoken of independently.
Cholesterol is used for repair in the body, and many, many other very important functions. LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins) are like little submarines that transport cholesterol from the liver to areas that need help. Because cholesterol is so important, the body recycles it and HDL (High Density Lipoproteins) are like little submarines that transport unused cholesterol back to the liver to be reused. We also absorb cholesterol from our food - again, because it's so vital to health and we need lots of it. LDL cholesterol is good cholesterol, and if it is high that may mean that your body is in need of more repair. It also is an indication that you may live a long life. As world renowned cholesterol expert Uffe Ravnskov is fond of
saying
“Old people with very high cholesterol live the longest”. Read that last sentence many times and let it sink in! HDL cholesterol is also good, and if it is high it means your body is recycling a lot of unused cholesterol.
Triglycerides are a measure of carbohydrate consumption vs. exercise. If your triglycerides are high, it is an indication of a diet too high in carbs and/or not enough exercise. Expert cholesterol researcher Dr. Malcolm Kendrick
says
a
"high VLDL (triglyceride) level, with a low HDL, is almost always a sign of the metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance (I say, using a term I do not like). If you can reverse the metabolic syndrome (usually by cutting down/out the carbs) then the VLDL will fall and the HDL will rise. At the same time the blood sugar will fall, the insulin level will fall, and many other potentially damaging factors can, and will, normalise. There is a however, a little secret, that I can share with you. VLDL is pro-coagulant, and HDL is anti-coagulant. So, lowering VLDL and raising HDL has benefits – independent of anything else."
Some practitioners think that small dense LDL infiltrate the endothelium, which is a thin layer that lines the arteries. They believe this infiltration begins the process of plaque formation. Malcolm Kendrick disagrees and
says
"I think small dense LDL is a sign of underlying metabolic problems (usually the metabolic syndrome). They are not, of themselves, causal. At least I am pretty sure that is the case.”
The bottom line is: Don’t mess with cholesterol! If your triglycerides are high, eating less carbs and/or exercising more will usually move it to the normal range very quickly.
Fantastic Resources:
1.
The Cholesterol Myths
Brief 1 page summary of why you do not need to fear cholesterol.
2.
Statin Nation
Well done 1 hour documentary that explains how we got the cholesterol hypothesis so wrong, and why statins are a nightmare.
3.
A Statin Nation
Book by one of my favorite researchers Dr. Malcolm Kendrick that goes into detail about cholesterol and statins.
4. “Reversing Heart Disease”
In the 1990’s, Linus Pauling and Mathias Rath showed that vitamin C deficiency is a primary cause of heart disease and how to easily reverse it. The book also includes a simple and straight forward explanation of why plaque forms in the arteries. A quick read - 60 pages.
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5.
Fat and Cholesterol are Good for You
Book by Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, who was one of the first pioneering doctors that questioned the cholesterol hypothesis. His book reviews the big cholesterol studies, and how they got it wrong.
6.
Malcolm Kendrick’s blog
An outstanding resource that turns much of the conventional thinking about cardiovascular disease on it’s head.
7.
Dr. Mercola & Dr. Kendrick interview
Well worth watching- 1 hour. Dr. Kendrick says his cholesterol is about 300, and he would like it to be higher!
8.
Lipid numbers
Good article about interpreting lipid numbers from a conventional point of view by Dr. Thomas Cowan.
