Few subjects contain more nonsense per square inch than that of cholesterol. For thirty years America has been on an anti-fat, anti-cholesterol fanatical crusade — the definition of a “fanatic” being one who redoubles his effort after he’s lost sight of his goal. Lest I be misunderstood, let me say that high cholesterol is a problem, but there’s a lot more to it than just avoiding cholesterol in the diet. On the other hand, low cholesterol is also a problem, a subject totally foreign to most medical doctors. And, above all, you need to learn that fat is not your enemy — not categorically at least.
WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?
Cholesterol is an odorless, soft, waxy substance present throughout the body, including the nervous system, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and heart. It is essential for the manufacture of hormones, bile acid, and vitamin D. There are two kinds of cholesterol: blood and dietary. Blood cholesterol is manufactured in the liver, and to a lesser extent, absorbed from the food you eat. About 80% of the cholesterol in your body was manufactured in your own liver — not from dietary sources. Dietary cholesterol is present only in foods of animal origin.
CHOLESTEROL GUIDELINES
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has established the following guidelines for diagnosing high blood cholesterol in individuals 20 years of age or older:
Desirable Cholesterol Less than 200
Borderline-High Cholesterol 200 – 239
High Cholesterol 240 or higher
HIGH CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE
As most people know, high cholesterol is regarded as the primary cause of heart disease. Excess cholesterol results in clogging arteries with plaque. High cholesterol may also be a cause of gallstones, impotence, mental impairment, high blood pressure, colon polyps, and colon cancer. If your blood cholesterol is 240 or greater, you have twice the risk of heart disease as someone with a cholesterol of 200. If in addition to high cholesterol you also have high blood pressure or smoke, the risk of heart disease goes even higher.
HDL & LDL LIPOPROTEINS
Cholesterol travels in the blood in packages called liporoteins, which are basically “transporting detergents” that are formed in the liver. The Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) take the cholesterol from the liver to where it is needed in the body, while the High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) bring the cholesterol back to the liver for processing and removal from the body. When LDL is not effectively removed from the blood, it can build up atherosclerosis deposits in the arteries. Thus, it’s often called the “bad cholesterol.” Conversely, since the HDL does the removing of excess cholesterol, it’s often called the “good cholesterol.”
The amount of HDL is far more significant than the amount of Total Cholesterol in the blood. LDL should be less than 130. Borderline high is 130 – 159, and high is above 160. HDL less than 35 is too low. Ideally HDL should be in the low 50’s.
You can have normal Total Cholesterol and still have a problem because the HDL is too low. A Johns Hopkins study of people with coronary artery disease who all had Total Cholesterol less than 200 found a great difference between those with high HDL and those with low HDL. Of the low HDL group, 75% died from a heart attack or experienced new cardiovascular problems. Less than half the high HDL group had problems.
In short, cholesterol is not that important, while HDL is extremely important.
THE BIG FAT LIE
Contrary to popular opinion (resulting from decades of repeating a lie over and over again), dietary fat intake does NOT cause high cholesterol and increased heart disease. It’s another example of saying, “The Emperor has no clothes!”
“The idea that saturated fats cause heart disease is completely wrong, but the statement has been ‘published’ so many times over the last three or more decades that it is very difficult to convince people otherwise . . .” (Dr. Mary Enig, Consulting Editor to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, President of the Maryland Nutrition Association, and noted lipids researcher)
“The diet-heart hypothesis [that suggests that high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol causes heart disease] has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and prejudice, the hypothesis continues to be exploited by scientists, fund-raising enterprises, food companies and even governmental agencies. The public is being deceived by the greatest health scam of the century.” (Dr. George V. Mann, participating researcher in the Framingham study and author of Coronary Heart Disease: The Dietary Sense and Nonsense, Janus Publishing, 1993.)
“In Framingham, Massachusetts, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower people’s serum cholesterol . .” (Dr. William Castilli, Director of the Framingham Study, Archives of Internal Medicine, 1992.)
Given the fact that 80% of the body’s cholesterol is made in the liver, a far more important question than dietary fat intake is “How is your body handling the fats you eat?” Digestion is an issue here, as is exercise. People who are very physically active seem to be able to eat a high fat diet with no effect on their cholesterol levels.
LOW CHOLESTEROL DANGERS
Average, uniformed medical or lay opinion is that “your cholesterol can’t be too low.” Baloney! A study in the British Medical Journal linked low blood cholesterol to depression and suicide. Normally cholesterol helps transmit the mood elevating neurotransmitter, serotonin, to the brain. Thus, low cholesterol may equal low serotonin. After childbirth, cholesterol levels tend to drop sharply in the mother. This may be the reason for the post-partum depression so often experienced.
THE BIBLE & FAT
Fat is spoken of both in favorable and unfavorable terms in the Bible. Generally the negative references to fat relate to growing fat from gluttony. The Ceremonial Law required that the fat be offered to the Lord, prompting the dieter’s favorite Bible verse, Leviticus 3:16 “. . . all the fat is the Lord’s.” Since the most valuable parts were given to God, this actually elevates the importance of fat.
In Nehemiah 8:10 as part of the celebration of Ezra’s reading the Law after the rebuilding of the wall, an antidote to the depression the people were feeling was offered:
“Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Mood elevation is likewise tied to fat in Proverbs 15:30:
“. . . good news puts fat on the bones.”
MEDICAL APPROACHES
Big surprise! The conventional medical approach to high cholesterol is primarily drugs, along with “low cholesterol” diets we have previously identified as bogus. The two main types of drugs are HMG CoA reductase inhibitors or “statin” (lovastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin) and bile acid sequestrants (cholestyramine and colestipol). Other drugs sometimes used are fibric acid derivatives (gemfibrozil) and, for post-menopausal women, estrogen replacement therapy.
Possible side-effects from the statins and fibric acid derivatives include stomach upset, gas, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, skin rash, impotence, insomnia, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, muscle cramps, tiredness, and decreased mental alertness. The negatives of estrogen are numerous as well.
NATURAL APPROACHES
- Quality Fat Diet — While dietary fat is limited in its true effect on blood cholesterol, I nevertheless suggest lowering animal fat content in favor of healthier vegetable fats. I think this is wise for overall health. Usage of olive oil, canola oil, and raw nuts are recommended. Fried foods should be totally eliminated.
- High Fiber Diet — Fiber affects a lowering of cholesterol. Whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables should be in abundance in the diet, while minimizing meats and refined grains.
- Avoid Refined Sugar — All refined sugar (sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, raw sugar, brown sugar, etc.) is bad for cholesterol and heart disease overall.
- Avoid Caffeine — Heavy caffeine intake appears to increase cholesterol.
- Fiber Supplement — We often use a psyllium/pectin/guar gum fiber supplement for cholesterol lowering, as well as many other problems. These water-soluble fibers bind dietary and biliary cholesterol, thus decreasing their absorption.
- Fish Oil Supplement — Fish consumption has been shown to correlate with decreased mortality from cardiovascular disease. The responsible agent is believed to be eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), most often derived from salmon oil. Vegetable oils have considerably less effect on lowering cholesterol.
- Niacin — Vitamin B-3 in the form of Nicotinic Acid has been shown to lower cholesterol. The buffered form, niacinamide, is reported to not be as effective. “Flushing” reactions from high doses of niacin can, however, be uncomfortable.
- Garlic Supplement — Sulfur compounds in garlic, particularly allicin, inhibit cholesterol synthesis and thus reduce blood cholesterol. Garlic usage likewise improves the HDL to LDL ratio, lowers blood triglycerides and inhibits platelet aggregation.
- Aerobic Exercise — This is a must for cholesterol reduction. Walking or other aerobic exercise improves the HDL to LDL ratio. Losing weight can also have a beneficial effect.
- Mineral Supplement — Calcium, magnesium and potassium in a chelated multi-mineral are essential for cholesterol reduction and overall cardiovascular health. Animals fed a fatty diet with calcium supplements do not build up cholesterol in the heart or liver, but rather eliminate it out the digestive tract.
- Lecithin — This supplement has been recommended for cholesterol lowering for decades. Lecithin is a natural fat emulsifier made from soybeans and high in the B vitamins choline and inositol.
- Coenzyme Q10 — This antioxidant improves circulation and can be helpful for cardiovascular and other problems.
- Vitamin E (emulsified) — Likewise improves circulation.
- Omega 3 Oil Supplements — The unsaturated fatty acids in these oils can reduce LDL’s.
One final important point — you don’t need to take ALL these supplements! These are the “possibilities.” Individual testing at the clinic is always recommended to determine which ones are right for you. Don’t waste money taking supplements that aren’t helping.
I suggest exhausting natural remedies for cholesterol lowering first, and then, and only then turn to drugs, if the results are not adequate.
Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1066, Sisters, Oregon 97759, Phone (800) 255–4246 with branch clinics in Boise, Idaho, Post Falls, Idaho and Portland, Oregon. E-Mail: drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com. Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author. Reproduction Prohibited.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.