I know that this statement seems
like heresy, but hear me out.
For the past thirty years we
have been bombarded with the
message that too much
cholesterol causes heart
disease.
It’s not quite so
simple. Cholesterol is essential
for a healthy body and our liver
manufactures far more of it than
we eat.
Robert Superko, MD, director of
research at the Berkeley
HeartLab Inc. explains,
“Cholesterol is not the problem
we thought it was. Relying on
cholesterol levels as a risk
factor for coronary artery
disease may not be wise since 80% of coronary patients have
the same cholesterol as
individuals who do not develop
the disease.”
Certain members of the
pharmaceutical industry do not
look upon this finding as good
news. Cholesterol lowering drugs
now have total annual sales of
more than $14 billion.
How Arteries Clog
What the above illustration
fails to describe is what causes the "bad" LDL cholesterol
to stick to the artery walls.
Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author
of “The Perricone Connection”
explains,
“To
visualize how LDL cholesterol
operates, think about rust. Rust
occurs when metal oxidizes. Rust
corrodes and eats away the
metal, ultimately destroying it.
Similarly, when LDLs are
oxidized in our bodies by free
radicals or sugar, the LDL
molecules create an inflammatory
cascade resulting in cell and
artery damage, irritation of the
artery walls, and fatty streaks.
More oxidized LDLs start to
build up at this spot, producing
an artery-blocking plaque.
Left
untreated, this plaque
eventually closes the artery
entirely, leading to a possible
heart attack or stroke.”
There are a few more pieces
in
the cholesterol puzzle.
Berkeley Lab researchers have
discovered that LDL cholesterol
has two important sub classes.
The LDL Pattern A subtype is
made up of large buoyant
particles that travel freely
through the arteries without
sticking. These are the good
guys.
LDL Pattern B cholesterol
however consists of small dense
particles, which easily permeate
the artery walls. Too many of
these mixed with inflammation
caused by sugar and free
radicals which cause oxidation and its “heart attack
city.”
We need saturated fat!
The role that cholesterol and
saturated fat play in keeping
the body healthy is rarely
mentioned. Mary Enig, PhD, the
author of Know Your Fats tells
us:
“We need saturated fat in our
diets. The important
phospholipids that form the
membranes in all of our cells
are made mostly of saturated
fatty acids. This is especially
true for our brains.”
Recent research also shows that
getting enough saturated fat
prevents stroke and helps
protect kidneys from disease.
A 1998 study reported in the
American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition evaluated the
relationship between dietary
saturated fat intake and changes
in amounts of Pattern A and
Pattern B cholesterol.
One group consumed a low fat
diet consisting of 24% fat; 6%
saturated and 59% carbohydrate.
The second group ate 59% fat;
18% saturated and 39%
carbohydrate.
The group eating
the diet which was higher in
saturated fat and lower in carbs
showed increases in the
protective Pattern A cholesterol
and decreases in the Pattern B
cholesterol which can cause so
much trouble. Chalk up one in
the “I told you so.” column for
the late Dr. Atkins.
Yes, steak and eggs are actually
good for you. The saturated fat
police should look
for a new
endeavor to keep them busy.
Click here to learn where to
obtain a blood test of your
LDL pattern A and pattern B
cholesterol.
Gene
