Cholesterol Rocks!

Great post here: https://www.bulletproof.com/diet/healthy-eating/what-is-cholesterol/

 We've all been taught to be afraid, very afraid of cholesterol.  First it was total. Then it was good (HDL) and bad (LDL) then it was particle size.  Just last month I had an ophthalmologist tell me that I should be concerned about my "high LDL" (140).  Never mind that my HDL (bullshit "good" is very high and my triglycerides are low with excellent blood pressure, etc. For the record, it's normal for your LDL to elevate while following a LCHF (low carb, high fat) diet as it is the driver of the fat cells out of your liver to be used for energy. And LDL by its lonesome tells you nothing about particle size -- small may be an issue. If you want a real measure of potential heart attack risk, get a coronary calcium score to show the build up of calcium which is a superior indicator of risk!

The "training" medical doctors and professionals receive is super weak. And they're almost all influenced by big Pharma pimpin' statins which have an incredibly high needed-to-treat number and plenty of shitty side effects. I could write for HOURS on cholesterol but others who are more advanced in their research have already done so, and I encourage you to follow and listen to them, and read their work, which is impressive and evidence based.

Here are my favorite fun facts about our buddy, cholesterol, which are all beautifully explained in the Naturally Nourished podcast #157:

• An increase in LDL cholesterol is inversely related to all cause mortality 
• LDL is not at all "bad;" it is essential and attaches to pathogens to stop bacterial, parasitic and viral activity and block cell entry, allowing immune cells to remove them
• 75% of the people who experience a heart attack have normal cholesterol
• 25% of your brain is made of cholesterol!
• if you don't eat enough, your body will make cholesterol, which is a building block for all cells and involved in healing from infection
• LDL increases naturally during other hormone shifts such as post partumm or menopause
• low cholesterol levels are associated with increased dementia; higher levels are associated with better memory
• it reduces oxidative stress

In closing, there's plenty to worry about -- your weight/body fat, blood pressure, triglycerides, etc.  cholesterol just ain't one of 'em for the vast majority of people. There is a genetic condition, familial hypercholesterolemia which is outside of the scope of this post and requires careful care with an expert physician who may correctly prescribe statins.  But for many, many people swallowing these pills, they're doing so needlessly.

Here is some excellent and thorough further reading and watching. The first two are books by MDs, the third is a link to a YouTube talk by (super cute) engineer and cholesterol research extraordinaire, Dave Feldman, who runs an incredibly thorough website, and the fourth is The Fat Emperor podcast with Dr. Ross Walker.