Title: The Truth About Cholesterol - why you should be eating more bacon
1The Truth About Cholesterol -Dr. Samantha Boldt
2Why do we avoid eating fats? It raises our
cholesterol numbers of course! So then, why do
we care if we have high cholesterol levels? Heart
disease, right? Thats the story and we have
been sticking to it for the last fifty
years. By the time you have finished reading
this book, I hope to change that story and give
you peace of mind when eating your bacon and
sausage!
3What is cholesterol?
- Cholesterol is needed in every cell of our body.
- Cholesterol helps our bodies produce hormones.
- Cholesterol is used in the production of bile,
which then helps to digest other foods with fat
in them. - Cholesterol helps with the absorption of the
fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
4Why did it get a bad rap?
In 1953, Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper that
served as the basis for the cholesterol makes
you fat and causes heart disease theory. The
study was known as the Seven Countries Study and
was highly publicized, even appearing on the
cover of Times Magazine. A beautiful line was
able to be drawn and everything correlated
perfectly! It showed without a doubt that fat was
causing heart disease!
5Or did it?
The paper failed to mention that there were
actually 22 countries involved in the study. The
other countries just didn't have data points that
fit as nicely into the chart.
It's a lot harder to make a nice line from these
data points. The red dots are additional island
countries whose data was taken a few years later,
and most of their diets were rich in fish, meats,
and fats.
6Then a study was done using 86 different
countries comparing cholesterol levels versus
deaths from cardiovascular disease. We actually
see a reverse in the theory. Higher cholesterol
levels (between 200-220) actually resulted in
fewer deaths than lower cholesterol levels
(between 160-200).
Cholesterol levels between 200-220 had the
lowest risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
7If our cholesterol levels arent causing
cardiovascular disease, then what is?
Lets first take a closer look at what
cholesterol is. Most people know about their HDL
and LDL markers. These stand for high-density
lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein and that
HDL is good and LDL is bad. What most people
dont know is that these are not cholesterol. Our
HDLs and LDLs are more like little submarines
that transport fat-soluble particles around our
body. On the outside are the proteins and on the
inside are the fats, cholesterols, and vitamins.
8LDLs transport fats, cholesterol, and the
fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) around the
body to where they are needed.
HDLs return the empty LDL particles back to the
liver for recycling, which includes proteins,
some fats, and some cholesterols.
9We need this system and healthy amounts of HDLs,
LDLs, and cholesterol in order to function
properly. The important thing that we should be
testing for is particle size. Our LDLs are
normally big and fluffy. The bigger and fluffier
our LDLs are, the less likely they are to get
stuck in the walls of our blood vessels.
Sometimes, however, we start having more small,
dense LDLs, and these are much easier to get
stuck in walls of our arteries and cause
plaquing. So why do some people have more small
, dense LDLs than others?
Particle Size
Big, Fluffy LDL
Small, Dense LDL
10Too much Sugar!
In the bloodstream, sugar can latch on to the
LDLs, causing them to become small, dense LDLs.
Eating too much sugar increases your chance of
cardiovascular disease. As our sugar consumption
goes up, so does the amount of cardiovascular
disease.
11How Do You Test for Particle Size?
The VAP test, or the vertical auto profile test,
is a cholesterol, lipid, and lipoprotein test. It
measures the different sizes of your HDLs and
LDLs and gives you a much better idea of your
risk of heart disease. Testing your cholesterol,
HDLs, and LDLs the normal way gives very little
information into the state of your heart health.
You can have an LDL level of 150, but if they are
all fluffy, it doesnt pose much of a health
risk. You can also have an LDL level of 50, but
if they are all small and dense, you are at much
greater risk than the person at 150!
12Do Statins Affect Particle Size?
- No! There has been no evidence that statins help
decrease small, dense lipoproteins whatsoever. - There has been a lot of evidence that statins
- Breakdown muscle tissues, resulting in weakness
and muscle pain, normally in the shoulders, upper
arms, thighs, or low back. - Increase liver enzymes, causing liver damage.
This will appear as fatigue, loss of appetite,
and possible pain in the abdomen. - Cause neurological side effects such as memory
loss, confusion, muscle twitching, and muscle
weakness. - Increase your risk for type II diabetes by as
much as 50, because lowering cholesterol levels
can increase insulin levels. - Deplete your body of much needed cholesterol!
13In conclusion.
- The healthiest range for cholesterol appears to
be between 180-220. - It is not the number of LDLs you have, but rather
the size of the LDLs. - You can test for these particle sizes using the
VAP test. - The best way to normalize cholesterol levels and
decrease the amounts of small, dense lipoproteins
is to decrease your sugar intake. - Sugar includes not only the stuff you add to
coffee or your deserts, it is also in all grains,
pastas, breads, and baked goods. Plus, it is now
being added to many of our drinks, sauces, meats,
and more. - Statins have no effect on particle size, but they
do have lots of other serious side effects.
14We need cholesterol!
Low levels of cholesterol are actually more
detrimental to your health!
It is used to make all of our cell membranes, in
the creation of hormones, and helps us absorb our
fat-soluble vitamins. It is also used in the
protection of our nervous system and to create
the neurotransmitters (or messengers) needed to
carry signals around the brain. So stop worrying
so much about your cholesterol levels. Instead,
go ahead and eat healthy fats, just try to avoid
the sugar!