Doctors, scientists, the government and independent regulatory agencies, drug companies and most of all the media - it seems like everyone is taking turns to blame this biological entity for everything bad that happens to us, health-wise.
Obesity. Diabetes. Metabolic syndrome. Heart attacks.
If you believe most of what you see and hear, our cholesterol levels are at the root of these and every other major health problem.
 |
| Structure of the cholesterol molecule |
It has spent many millions of dollars on informing Americans about cholesterol through its National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).
In its pamphlet entitled "High blood cholesterol: what you need to know", the first question you encounter is "Why is cholesterol important?"
A fair question.
The answer, however, is truly staggering. "Your blood cholesterol level has a lot to do with your chances of getting heart disease."
Staggering because there's plenty of evidence out there that this is simply not true. And not on the fringes or in blog posts expressing anti-establishmentarianism, neither.
The evidence is right there in black and white in peer-reviewed articles based on controlled studies and published in standard scientific and medical journals.
So why do most people believe the worst about cholesterol, to the extent they are even willing to take drugs that force down their body's production of this innocuous little molecule?
Good question.
Whatever the reason, health authorities everywhere are united in assigning cholesterol the bad-guy role. Its as if there is nothing good or normal about it - and the best thing we can do is lower our blood cholesterol levels as quickly as we can and make sure they stay low.
But guess what?
The truth is very different, and much more complex. And that is what this blog post is about.
First of all, cholesterol is not a fat at all but a waxy, solid alcohol. Up to 7% of our body's cholesterol is found in our blood; the remaining 93% is stored in our cells.
In fact, it is first and foremost an essential structural molecule that makes up one-fifth of the outer protective cover - called the "plasma membrane" - of each and every one of the 50 or so trillion (a trillion is 1 followed by 14 zeros!) cells in our body.
Plasma membranes separate cells from the rest of the body and from each other, and keep the identity and integrity of each cell intact.
Essential means that we cannot survive without cholesterol.
Unlike carbohydrates. Did you know that the actual amount of carbohydrates we need for health is ZERO? I kid you not.
Cholesterol keeps cell membranes stable and strengthens them against mechanical rupture, while also keeping them fluid and accessible. This allows them to function properly, allowing nutrients and waste matter to move in and out as needed.
Cholesterol has many other critically important functions:
It serves as a building block for hormones, including testosterone and estrogen.
It is chemically modified to make vitamin D, necessary for normal development and function of our bones, immune system and nervous system.
It is the main component of bile acids, without which we cannot absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K from our diet - all essential for life.
It plays a major role in the transport of triglycerides, the real fats in our blood.
It contributes to the normal development of our brain and nervous system.
It is hugely important for the creation and repair of all our body's cells - without cholesterol, our body cannot repair cells or make new ones.
For instance, did you know that the entire lining of our intestine is replaced every 4 to 5 days? We grow new hair, skin, nails, bone, muscle and blood cells constantly.
Cholesterol is essential for these processes of our bodily renewal.
All in all, it's no lie to say - no cholesterol, no life.
So in reality, cholesterol the biological molecule is very different from the bogey governments and drug companies would have you believe.
Did you know - up to 3/4ths of the cholesterol we need is made in our liver, intestines and skin?
Dietary sources account for a mere 20-25%.
Now follows a statement which has profound implications for many things, not least your understanding of dietary cholesterol's role in disease.
The statement is this:
A regulatory feedback loop in your body monitors and controls your blood cholesterol levels, so that when your dietary intake of cholesterol decreases, your body adjusts and makes more; and when you consume more cholesterol, your body makes less.
Why is this so important?
While it is relatively easy to understand, the implications of this statement are profound.
It means that if your body is functioning normally, reducing dietary intake of fats and cholesterol can be counteracted by your organs which compensate to keep your blood cholesterol levels constant.
In other words, a diet low in cholesterol and fats will not affect blood cholesterol levels significantly.
But what about the well-known association between hypercholesterolemia, the medical term for high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides - and heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure?
Hypercholesterolemia is usually caused by genetic abnormalities passed down through families - although it may also be a result of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and alcoholism.
Elevated blood cholesterol levels in people afflicted by this disease are caused by a failure of their body's ability to regulate their blood cholesterol levels for various reasons.
If nothing else, I'd want you to take these 2 messages away from this post:
1. Cholesterol is an essential biological molecule, absolutely necessary for life.
2. Trying to lower blood cholesterol levels by restricting dietary consumption of cholesterol or fat simply does not work in the average person.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten