Debunking The Cholesterol Myth
Cholesterol Isn’t Bad, In Fact, It’s Protective!
Did you grow up avoiding or limiting foods like eggs, red meat, butter, and other dairy products because you thought cholesterol was bad? Many households used margarine and other vegetable oils because the belief was that saturated fat would clog the arteries and cause heart disease.
There has been a mass deception and diet dogma that still asserts that cholesterol is bad. The truth is, cholesterol is an unsung hero! Cholesterol is a fundamental component of every living cell, especially brain cells; it serves as a MAJOR ANTIOXIDANT for the body, protecting from free radicals. Cholesterol also serves as the basis for sex hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, and hormone D (aka Vitamin D).
When there is inflammation, the liver makes cholesterol and sends it to the part of the body that needs help. This is commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol. Once it has done its job, it travels back to the liver to be recycled and then for elimination; this is commonly referred to as “good” cholesterol.
Cholesterol is like an MVP; blaming cholesterol for health problems is like blaming the firemen who show up to the scene of a fire for the fire itself!
The density of the cholesterol does matter and it tells us about how severe the inflammation is. It is the root/underlying cause of inflammation that we should be looking for and paying attention to; not impairing our body’s natural healing response by decreasing cholesterol or taking statin drugs.
Cholesterol allows cells to function and to create hormones; we also need cholesterol to get real Vitamin A, which only comes from animal fats. Low fat diets lead to Vitamin A deficiency; this impacts copper and the ability for the body to make energy. Other factors like low metabolism, poor thyroid function and oxidative stress call all lead to higher than usual cholesterol levels.
In 1973, Dr. Leslie M. Klevay discovered that a lack of copper was a major cause for cholesterol to rise in the body. Copper is what allows us to safely make energy with oxygen; the second most reactive element on the plant. When we are overloaded with iron and/or are copper deficient, we create OXIDANTS instead of energy; this leads to accelerated aging and disease.
When we cannot make energy effectively, our body senses this and gets to work and makes cholesterol to safely harbor oxygen (it takes 11 molecules of oxygen to make just 1 molecule of cholesterol). This is a PROTECTIVE mechanism to keep oxygen from creating oxidants and RUST. Even though cholesterol is good and essential, anyone with high cholesterol is probably having a lot of trouble making energy at the cellular level.
Copper is also needed to convert LDL (“bad”) cholesterol to HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Even though cholesterol gets blamed for many things like heart disease, in reality it’s very protective against disease. It is excessive iron that oxidizes cholesterol and causes the plaque that atherosclerosis is known for.
It is time to rethink cholesterol.
From the Desk of:
Dr. Bryan C. Siegel, DC, PLC
Platinum Wellness Strategies
T: (480)-363-1132