Medical professionals have been completely duped by the affects of cholesterol in the body.  The traditional idea was that cholesterol caused coronary heart disease. This is not true. We found the truth about cholesterol in a study published in the The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Titled Bad Cholesterol or Bad Science.

LDL “bad” cholesterol has been unfairly titled.

1. It’s an essential component of lipids, which compose the nervous system.
2. Many of our hormones wouldn’t be made without it in our body.
3. Vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the skin.
4. Used to create myelin sheaths around neurons.
5. Lastly, There is no such thing as “bad” cholesterol

Why is my cholesterol so high?

I live in a very hot, very dry desert climate.  Suffice to say I am dehydrated a lot.  This is one of the major causes for high cholesterol.

A fun little fact: As your blood becomes less hydrated it becomes more acidic, when it becomes acidic it starts causing minute tears in arteries which could peel off then lead to embolisms in the brain, kidneys or other organs. Scary right? Cholesterol though, covers and coats these little tears and prevents the life threatening embolisms. Information  accredited to F. Batmanghelidj, M.D

Your body will naturally create more cholesterol to protect you from dry climates. So if you live in a place that is as dry and as hot as my home then you are actually benefiting from your high cholesterol.

Other things like stress, fear of needles, or even putting a cuff around your arm can raise cholesterol levels.

What about Heart disease? 

 F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. stated (I am paraphrasing), “Cholesterol is measured from blood out of the veins, yet no time in history has there ever been a recorded case of cholesterol causing an obstruction in the veins.” he goes on to say, “Venous blood moves far slower than arterial blood and thus would be more inclined to have cholesterol deposits if the assumption of ‘bad cholesterol’ was correct”.

We think of cholesterol build up like grime clogging the pipe line.  This is actually not how it works at all. The grime actually accumulates in between the inner and outer layer of  artery wall .

The proper name for this “grime” is Atherosclerotic Plaque. And, it is composed of smooth muscle cells, calcium, connective tissue, white blood cells, of course cholesterol, and fatty acids. So you can see there are many different components that play a role in this dangerous grime.

The actual reason coronary heart disease is so prevalent is because of poor general health, not because of cholesterol. An excerpt from   the study Bad Cholesterol or Bad Science read “Proliferation of plaques may occur, not because of simple elevations in blood cholesterol, but because of unfavorable physiological conditions that damage or weaken the structure of the arterial wall. These factors include nutrient deficiencies, poor glycemic control, cigarette smoking, homocysteine, psychological stress, nitric oxide depletion, high iron levels, microbial infection, dietary trans fatty acids, excessive refined carbohydrate intake, and excessive omega-6 fatty acid intake and/or deficient omega-3 fat intake”

Your doctor has got you worked up about coronary heart disease and they are pointing to your high cholesterol as the cause of it all. There is only one problem.  It isn’t cholesterol that is the problem, there are multiple contributing factors.

How to Protect Your Heart

Now days coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of deaths.However, you have to take into account that now days life expectancy is higher than it has ever been.  Back in the 30s average life expectancy was 60 years old, and now it is close to 80!  People are just outliving their hearts.

The best way to protect your heart is through proper nutrition and exercise.

Now, most foods are going to have some valuable nutrients in them; however, you should avoid things packed with preservatives (I am talking about fast food).  Try to eat a healthy diverse diet.  Be sure you are getting your proteins, as these will synthesize the muscle tissue needed to strengthen the heart.  Also aim for a lot of veggies. These provide essential nutrients that make that protein synthesis possible.

As far as exercise goes. Have you ever heard of walking?  I don’t want to be rude, but it is something that nobody does as much as nature intended us to.  There are even these neat things called treadmills (I left a link to wiki just in case you really don’t know what a treadmills is).  In all seriousness though, simple aerobic activities for thirty minutes a day will make a huge difference.