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Today, we are overwhelmed by statements from the media and by doctors about the good and bad cholesterol in our diets. They emphasize that we must cut out fat and reduce our bad cholesterol, the LDL (low density lipoproteins) to have healthy arteries and stave off heart disease. The drugs promoted to lower this cholesterol are one of the biggest revenue generators for the pharmaceutical industry in their entire history. If you go for a checkup and your total cholesterol level is 200 or more, some form of statin drug is invariably foisted upon you. You are told that without it you will surely die of some form of heart disease. You are infused with the fear of death. By the way, it was the manufacturers of the statin drugs who decided that a combined cholesterol count of 200 was the safe limit and they are currently pushing the idea of even lower levels. A close look at the components of your cholesterol number reveals that it is in fact quite meaningless. I will expound on this later.
The real truth is quite the opposite. Cholesterol is manufactured in our liver. It is an essential fat that is surrounded by a protein case. Its primary function in our body is to repair tissue damage usually caused by stress. The stress can be from physical or emotional causes, refined foods including all sugars and refined grains, ingested toxins from food, water or air pollution, or heavy metals such as mercury from amalgam fillings or vaccinations. Our brains are about 70% cholesterol, every cell wall in our body contains it, and our hormones all have a cholesterol base. Why would it ever be a bad substance?
When we ingest cholesterol in our food, our liver adjusts how much it makes to equal the bodily demand at any given time. The foods we eat that contain cholesterol give us both types—LDL and HDL (high density lipoproteins). The primary difference between these 2 types of fats is their size. LDL are big and HDL are small.
There are three basic forms of fat. Cholesterol is only one of these. The other fats are various lengths of carbon chains which are either saturated or unsaturated. The degree of saturation reflects the completeness of the carbon chain. Any fat that has a complete chain, (2 hydrogen atoms connected to each carbon atom) regardless of its length is called saturated in that all of the carbon atoms have hydrogen atoms attached to them. This type of fat normally is derived from animals, but can also comes from coconut, and will be solid at room temperature.
Unsaturated fats are carbon chains that have missing hydrogen atoms. This type of fat is liquid at room temperature and is usually less stable than saturated fat. All of these fats are essential for good health. The caveat attending this statement is that in order for fats to be healthy, they need to be derived from healthy, natural, organic sources. If the sources are toxic, the fats will be toxic as well.
Problems begin to occur when the fats are unnatural, such as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. This is where unsaturated fats are made saturated by putting hydrogen atoms into the open spaces of the fat molecule. An example is making margarine from inexpensive corn oil. It starts out liquid and is turned into a solid. Another source of unnatural fats today is the animal fats from any animal raised in confined areas such as feedlot cattle, chicken raised in pens and farm raised fish. This represents over 90% of the animal protein consumed today in this country. The natural proportions of saturated and unsaturated fats are distorted and have very little omega 3 in comparison to omega 6, 9, and saturated fat. Additionally, feedlot animal fat is full of antibiotics required to keep the animals from getting sick and dying in their sub optimal conditions, as well as growth hormones, which are administered to these animals to accelerate weight gain.
When you eat fat, contrary to popular belief, it does not get immediately absorbed into your bloodstream. Instead, it is picked up in the intestine as large fat molecules called chylomicrons by lacteal ducts in your intestinal wall that lead directly to your lymph system. As these large molecules move through your lymph system, cells in need of repair, division, or energy from fat pull off molecules as needed. The body uses all of the different fat types as long as they are in a natural form. When the fat you eat finally reaches your bloodstream, what is left are smaller remnants of the chylomicron (LDL, HDL, VLDL, and triglycerides) and the unnatural fats your cells didn’t know how to use.
Any unused cholesterol that makes it to your bloodstream is then monitored by your liver. The heart is communicating with the liver regarding the body’s need for cholesterol and consequently the liver will then make any extra LDL cholesterol as requested. LDL is then secreted by the liver into the bloodstream and this is what is measured in a blood test.
As the LDL cholesterol flows through the blood stream, cells in need of repair begin to pull off molecules to complete the job of self-repair. In some instances, unnatural fats and other cellular debris in the blood will stick to the sticky cholesterol. When this happens, a blockage can be created. The important point here is that a cholesterol molecule is the same in an LDL or HDL. These two lipoproteins are only distinguished by their size. The concept of one being bad and one being good is absolutely incorrect. The LDL is just bigger.
One’s LDL count does provide some valuable information though. Your liver makes LDL for tissue repair. If it is elevated in a blood lipid panel, say over 160, you then need to be asking yourself what you may have done to create the cellular damage that is requiring the extra LDL for repair. An elevation of your LDL is usually caused by something you have eaten or been exposed to such as pollutants including tobacco smoke. Excessive stress can also cause cellular damage due to the inflammatory nature of the adrenal hormones. Another reason you may have elevated LDL is from consuming excessive refined sugar and flour in your diet.
When consumed in a refined state, sugar stimulates the rapid release of large amounts of insulin, one of the most inflammatory hormones made by the body. Excessive insulin will create cellular damage just by itself but the excessive energy released by the sugar also increases the production of free radicals. The rapid release of insulin also is the only way the body can create and store fat. Without insulin, you can’t make or store fat. The fat made by insulin is triglycerides and the key to the fat cells is insulin. Consequently, if you eat a lot of sugar or white flour, you will create cellular damage and get fat. If you eat good fats without sugar you will not get fat and will be providing your tissues the necessary nourishment and building material it needs. Usually, consumption of large amounts of refined sugar means you are eating less antioxidant containing fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants contained in these healthy foods are needed to counteract free radicals that cause cellular damage.
This LDL information is in contrast to your total cholesterol number, which is meaningless, and not reflective of any health status. Ask any health practioner to describe in a logical way what the sum of your LDL, HDL, and 1/5 of your triglicerides tells them about the status of your health. If you get a good answer, please write to me and tell me what they said for I have yet to be able to figure it out.
In conclusion, LDL is not BAD. It is just bigger that HDL. Trying to artificially lower the body’s primary repair tissue is not only detrimental; it is down right dangerous for your health. Once again I want to stress the idea of eating a diet that promotes healthy balance in the body and stay away from statin drugs as there are better and safer ways to control the state of your health.
Rick Wagner, C.N., M.S
This section of our website is dedicated to describing these concepts. It will be comprised of the following sections:
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