New studies are coming out that clarify the myth that cholesterol is bad. Understand, we need cholesterol for the functioning of our cells and our brain. When we take these “lowering cholesterol” meds, what are they doing to the health of our cells and our brain by not giving them the cholesterol they need? It is something to think about and do your own research.
“I’d Prefer to Read Your Message!”
We have also been told that we have “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and a good cholesterol (HDL) but that seems to have been a lie.
Don’t just believe what I say or others. It’s important that we get educated ourselves and stop just taking the word of our Doctors. Yes, they may know more than we do but that doesn’t mean they know it all or that we can’t educate ourselves. It behooves us to do our own research so we can decide if we are being medically treated properly or being put on a statin because it is a financial issue with the doctor and of course the pharmaceutical company. It does create a lifelong patient.
Dr. Aieta wrote an e-book that I believe is worth a read as he educates us on the truth about cholesterol because it is not the villain we were made to believe. Education is power and when you educate yourself, you will then have to tools to understand what is happening to your body and know if you are being treated correctly by your doctor.
Let Me Share a Personal Story
Shortly after my divorce and the selling of my home in 2007, I had not yet found a new home for my children and I to live in. Hence, we moved into a Marriott Residence Inn. It was lovely, the staff was lovely, and we became friends with some of the other guests there. Sadly, though I could not enjoy this stay as a time to relax because I had to find a place to live and that’s where 100% of my focus was. To say the least, “it was stressful.”
It was such a stressful time for me as I would wake up in the middle of the night crying, thinking “What have I done to my children. We have nowhere to live.” Erroneously I thought we would be there for only 30 days. Well, 30 days came and went and then another 30 days. My stress level was high as our stay ended up being 90 days.
Prior to the move into the Marriott, I had an appointment with my Internal Medicine Doctor for a yearly physical. Along with that appointment I had blood work done. My total cholesterol I think was about 235 and it concerned her. I point blank said, “Don’t even talk to me about a statin because I will never go on it.” I didn’t even know then what I know now but I trust my gut and it always said, stay away. So, she replied, “Ok well watch your diet.”
I Changed Nothing About My Diet!
Now I ate pretty well but living in the Hotel and being gone most days made it hard to cook good meals. The Hotel had “light” dinners and as a convenience we ate many nights in the dining room. It was not food I would normally eat but I had to make do for the time being. I’m saying this to tell you I changed nothing about my diet.
Finally, after 90 days of living in the Hotel, we moved into our now home. About 2 weeks after we moved in, I had a follow up appointment with my doctor because she wanted to check my cholesterol after 90 days. Lo and behold it was normal. She said, “good job changing your diet.” I told her I did nothing to change my diet and asked her if my “high” cholesterol (which I didn’t believe it was high) had anything to do with stress? She said, “Absolutely not!” Needless to say, I did not continue with her as my physician. She had no answer for the change.
Below is an excerpt from Dr. Aeita’s writing.
Take a few minutes to read what He has to say about cholesterol. It’s very informative and enlightening.
Most of you are probably familiar with the terms LDL and HDL cholesterol.
You have probably been told by your physician or some other health professional that LDL cholesterol is bad and the HDL is good.
Today I’m going explain why all cholesterol is exactly the same and there is no such thing as bad or good cholesterol.
First off, it’s important to realize that HDL and LDL are not actual cholesterol at all, but merely the protein transport mechanisms for cholesterol.
When I’m explaining this process to patients I like to use the analogy that LDL is like a bus with a lot of people on it (the people represent the actual cholesterol and the bus represents the protein transporter). The HDL is like a bus with just a few people on it.
So let’s discuss LDL first. LDL takes cholesterol away from the liver out to the tissues and other organs to be used for various purposes, including the manufacturing of important steroid hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, vitamin D (not a vitamin but a hormone) and several others.
Just like a bus leaving the bus station (the liver) and dropping them off at various spots around town.
LDL also serves as a transport mechanism for critical fat-soluble nutrients, including vitamin D and antioxidants as well as certain fats.
HDL simply returns any excess or used cholesterol back to the liver to be recycled . Just like a bus picking people up from their destination and bringing them back to the bus station.
There is a third transport protein that I’d like to discuss which is called VLDL. Think of this as a double decker bus with a lot of people on it but on the first level we have very large people which represents a different type of fat called a triglyceride and on the top level we have our regular cholesterol just like on the LDL “bus”.
Triglycerides are Fats!
Triglycerides are fats that are produced from excess glucose that we take in from our diet from sugar and carbohydrates. When we eat more sugar and carbohydrates than what our bodies can burn it’s considered excess so the liver converts the glucose over to triglycerides that are transported in that VLDL molecule out to our tissues to be either burned as a fuel source or to our fat cells for storage.
The more excess sugar and carbs you ingest the more VLDL particles are produced to carry more triglycerides out to storage.
The problem with too many triglycerides being formed is that they take up a lot of room on the bus so the liver starts making more and more smaller and denser LDL particles to carry the cholesterol that doesn’t fit in the double decker bus.
These smaller and denser LDL particles (little short buses) become the major problem when it comes to cardiovascular health.
Within the arterial endothelium lie spaces between cells that serve as channels for the influx and outflow of nutrients.
These small dense LDL particles can actually lodge themselves in the spaces between these vascular arterial cells and shut off those natural channels, resulting in poor nutrient flow to the endothelium and triggering a damaging inflammatory response.
If anti-oxidants are now unable to get into the cell to protect the cholesterol from damage due to free radicals that form during the inflammation process, then that cholesterol goes from being a great healing and structure forming agent to useless trash that is now being deposited into the artery wall.
LDL & HDL Particles
Not only do the LDL particles become very small and dense but so do the HDL particles. With small HDL particles now there is less room on the bus to pick up any used or excess cholesterol to be brought back to the liver for recycling.
So the take home message here is that it’s less about the quantity of cholesterol in the blood and more about the quality (oxidized and damaged) and the size of the transport proteins (large and buoyant vs. small and dense) which are the only lipoproteins of significant consequence.
Drug companies would rather you didn’t know this at all, as statin drugs do absolutely nothing to change the size of the LDL or HDL particles….ONLY DIET CAN DO THIS!
That diet is one that is rich in natural fats, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates.
For more information on this topic and to learn about a truly heart healthy diet, check out both of my E-books available through my website and start TAKING BACK YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH!
I hope you find this helpful,
~ Dr. Frank Aieta
Are you ready to make lifestyle changes but need some guidance? My Study Guide Your Journey to Wholeness! will help you make those lifestyle changes that are critical to your health as well as my Coaching Program Let’s get you Grounded in Wholeness!
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