Solving the Mystery of Heart Disease
Did you know that there is not a strong connection between cholesterol and heart disease?
In fact, if your cholesterol is high – it’s probably because your body is trying to protect itself by making more of it. In other words, don’t shoot the messenger. We eat 20% cholesterol and our body makes 80% of our cholesterol in our liver. That’s because we need cholesterol for many health reasons – one being, that it acts as an antioxidant in our body. Here are few facts regarding cholesterol:
1. High cholesterol has no correlation to heart disease.
2. Middle-age and older women may be better off with higher cholesterol.
3. On blood panels – 250 mg/dl used to be the normal levels for cholesterol. Now normal is considered <200 mg/dl.
4. High cholesterol is a result of stress, obesity, illness, alcohol consumption, carbohydrate and sugar consumption, medications, lack of activity, smoking and heavy metal toxicity.
5. Low Cholesterol is connected to heart disease.
6. Saturated fats are protective of HDL – the “good” cholesterol
7. LDL is needed as we get older – it is protective to the immune system.
Risk factors for Heart Disease include:
- Stress
- High Triglycerides
- Low LDL
- Low Saturated Fat
- Excess vegetable fats
- Excess Carbohydrates and Sugars – which lead to elevated insulin levels
- Lack of exercise
- Thyroid deficiency
The two greatest contributors to heart disease are sugar consumption and a sedentary lifestyle.