How many times have you heard from your Dr. or someone you know was told by their Dr. "Your cholesterol is too high" and immediately put you or someone you know on statin drugs to help "lower" the bad cholesterol. Let's take a look at what cholesterol is, what it is made of and what it actually does for the body so that you, as an individual, can make an informed decision on YOUR health and whether or not cholesterol is good or bad and if cholesterol lowering drugs are for you, someone you know or your loved ones. The healthcare industry and big pharma work hand in hand. They measure cholesterol as good and bad so that they can push cholesterol lowering medication to their patients who are told their cholesterol is too high. I ponder the question though......if there are pills to lower bad cholesterol shouldn't there be a pill to raise the "good" cholesterol, if health is the number one factor? Cholesterol is used freely in the blood stream, just as calcium to neutralize acid in the body where it is much needed. The word Cholesterol is pertaining to the liver (chole) and fat (sterol). It is a sterol or fat produced by the liver but can also be obtained by consuming good animal products such as beef, chicken, pork, fish and eggs. Cholesterol moves freely through the body in search of things to repair and to carry out essential functions in the body. Cholesterol is the pre-cursor for all the hormones made in the body. Cholesterol is used for producing the stress hormone cortisol. When someone is under stress, cholesterol is sent to the adrenal glands. LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein carries cholesterol from the liver to the adrenals to help people handle stress, this is also called 'bad' cholesterol. HDL or High Density Lipoprotein takes the remaining cholesterol back to the liver for recycling which we know as the 'good' cholesterol. This would also mean that cholesterol is much needed in production of sex hormones for both males and females, like testosterone, progesterone and estrogen. This would be the cause of erectile dysfunction, or reproductive issues, when cholesterol is too low or when you are not taking in enough cholesterol through the diet. Gonads thrive on animal fats which is what makes you healthy and thriving. If you are taking statin drugs or cholesterol lowering meds, this would be the reason why you are not able to get good blood flow to that area; Oh but don't worry, they have a pill for that.......Cialis anyone?
Did you know that breast milk is high in cholesterol or that new cells that are born in the bone marrow are also high in cholesterol? Cholesterol is used by nerve cells in the brain and about 25% of the body's cholesterol is found in the brain. According to the medical community cholesterol in the brain promotes neurogenesis or birth of new brain cells. The human brain is made up of fat and most of the brains cholesterol is found in the myelin sheath. The myelin sheaths are sleeves of fatty tissue that protect your nerve cells, which is part of your central nervous system, that carries messages back and forth between your brain and the rest of your body. Also, cholesterol is converted into vitamin D in the body by the sun.
With our stressful lifestyles and bad eating habits, our liver is not able to keep up with the demand of producing enough cholesterol in the body to help where it is needed, that is why eating a good source of grass fed animal protein or dairy helps to alleviate the stress put on the liver. Patient's with low cholesterol are praised in the medical community, but is it because they are truly healthier and their doctor only wants the best for them and don't want to have to see them again or is it because they will be a future patient with future expensive health issues? "I will take future patient with future expensive health issues for $1500.00 Alex"........Cha-chiiiing!
Could it be that having "high" cholesterol is actually keeping you alive and saving your life and that lowering the cholesterol in the body prematurely will actually have the opposite effect and cause health issues? Nooooo, that's too far fetched, your doctor knows what is best for you............
In conclusion, cholesterol is neither good or bad but actually great in repairing arteries, repairing injuries in the body and keeping our brains and bodies functioning properly so that we can live to see another day spending precious time with those we love, to make new friends, to mend broken relationships and to also make sure you make it to your next doctor's appointment.
In the meantime, stay well, stay informed and always allow nature to nurture........