THE TRUTH ABOUT CHOLESTEROL

Sugar and Cholesterol are two of the most misunderstood components of the modern day diet. Many are adamant on lowering their cholesterol, believing that it kills, when they have no idea on the vital role cholesterol plays in our wellbeing.

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Last week, we took a look at the damage sugar has on our health. As promised, here is the down low on Cholesterol. . .

Cholesterol is seen as our enemy. The lower our cholesterol consumption is in our diet, the better.

Like sugar, this advertising is seen on product packaging in our supermarket and on advertisements on tv; "low cholesterol", "cholesterol free" "lowers cholesterol" etc etc.

We invite you to take a look at Cholesterol through a different lens, and view it for what it is – our friend, not our enemy.

Low cholesterol (not high) is surprisingly linked to an increased risk of death due to suicide, heart attack, multiple sclerosis, infectious disease and cancer.

A lot of the information around high cholesterol leading to heart attacks is misleading.

This happens when we look at correlations rather than cause and effect research – we assume that cholesterol is the one causing the damage, but it is not.

To name a few sources . . .

It is imperative that we understand what role cholesterol plays in the body.

Cholesterol is a fat protein, also known as a lipid or a lipoprotein.

Its role in the body is to help us absorb fats and vitamins.

It is also necessary to produce hormones like oestrogen, testosterone, vitamin D and cortisol.

The body naturally produces cholesterol; however, it also needs to obtain it through our diet.

You may be surprised to now that cholesterol performs many vital roles in the body.

Here are some of its functions you may not have heard about before.

• Cholesterol is produced by almost every cell in the body.
• Cholesterol in cell membranes makes cells waterproof so there can be a different chemistry on the inside and outside of the cell.
• Cholesterol is nature's repair substance, used to repair wounds, including tears and irritations in the arteries.
• Many important hormones are made of cholesterol, including hormones that regulate mineral metabolism, blood sugar, stress and all the sex hormones.
• Cholesterol is vital to the function of the brain and nervous system.
• Cholesterol protects us against depression, through the utilisation of serotonin, the body's "feel-good" chemical.
• The bile salts, needed for the digestion of fats, are made from cholesterol.
• Cholesterol is the precursor of vitamin D, which is formed by the action of ultra-violet (UV-B) light on cholesterol in the skin.
• Cholesterol is a powerful antioxidant that protects us against free radicals and therefore against cancer.
• Cholesterol, especially LDL-cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol), helps fight against infections and heavy metals.
• Cholesterol comes from the Ancient Greek word chole (bile), stereos (solid), -ol (alcohol).

Toxin exposure (like mercury) results in chronic inflammation.

Cholesterol carries antioxidants which fight the free radicals that cause chronic inflammation.

So when there is chronic inflammation present in the body, it triggers a lipid response, or rise in LDL cholesterol, helping to heal that inflammation.

Another example of how cholesterol support the detoxification process in our body is with alcohol.

Alcohol is a neurotoxin, meaning that it affects the brain. Drinking alcohol also triggers a lipid response. Cholesterol protects the brain and its neurological tissue by keeping the neurotoxins away.

With both toxins (like mercury and alcohol), after they have been bound to your red blood cells, the role of Cholesterol is to escort these our of the body via the bowel.

This is the safest way to detoxify.

When you take this into account, it becomes clear that elevated cholesterol is a natural bodily response designed to protect the body.

'The actual science – based on studies as opposed to marketing hype – show that those most at risk to environmental toxins and health issues are those with low total cholesterol, poor protein status and low triglyceride levels.

A pattern that is most concerning with Multiple Sclerosis (M.S), Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease.' [2]

Again, like sugar, we can see corruption in the great war on cholesterol. Many myths have been formulated and fed to us by Big Pharma rather than us being exposed to the facts, through science.

We will leave you with an excerpt from the 2012 book, The Great Cholesterol Myth, that looks to separate fact from fiction when it comes to cholesterol. . .

• Myth – High cholesterol is the cause of heart disease.
  Fact – Cholesterol is only a minor player in the cascade of inflammation pathways, which is only one cause of heart disease.
• Myth – High cholesterol is a predictor of heart attack.
  Fact – There is no correlation between cholesterol and heart attack.
• Myth – Lowering cholesterol with statin drugs will prolong your life.
  Fact – There is no data to show that statins have a significant impact on longevity.
• Myth – Statin drugs are safe.
  Fact – Statin drugs can be extremely toxic including causing death if not managed appropriately.
• Myth – Saturated fat is dangerous.
  Fact – Saturated fats are not dangerous. The killer fats are the transfats from partially hydrogenated oils.
• Myth – The higher the cholesterol, the shorter the lifespan.
  Fact – Higher cholesterol protects you from gastrointestinal disease, pulmonary disease, heavy metals like mercury and hemorrhagic stroke.
• Myth – A high carbohydrate diet protects you from heart disease.
  Fact – Simple processed carbs and sugars predispose you to heart disease. A prolonged high carbohydrate diet will typically suppress important HDL cholesterol.
• Myth – Fat is bad for your health.
  Fact – Monounsaturated and saturated fats protect you from metabolic syndrome. Sugar is the foe in cardiovascular disease.
• Myth – There is good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol.
  Fact – This is over-simplistic. You must fractionate LDL and HDL to assess the components and they do not always add up to the total cholesterol reported by a pathology lab.
• Myth – Cholesterol causes heart disease.
  Fact – Cholesterol is only an epidemiological theory in heart disease and not causal.

We MUST understand the function Cholesterol plays in the body to understand its vital role in our wellbeing.

As you can now see, lowering cholesterol does not equal good health.

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Until next time,

Dedicated to Improving Your Wellbeing and Committed To Helping You Achieve Abundant Health and Wealth,

The team at Unique Health and Wellness.