Cholesterol!

For the typical “health-conscious” individual, the word cholesterol has STEER CLEAR written all over it. From doctors to diet gurus, food packaging to TV advertisements, we are constantly being advised to keep our cholesterol levels low by avoiding the notoriously cholesterol-rich, saturated fatty foods such as eggs, red meat, and butter. After all, how could we not be concerned when claims issued by government health officials, food corporations, and pharmaceutical titans state that “high cholesterol is the primary cause of heart disease and atherosclerosis”? Is cholesterol really the deadly plague we’ve been taught to abolish? Let us take a closer look...

Perhaps it would be wise to begin by briefly breaking down this mysterious substance. Cholesterol is a steroid metabolite, in other words, a small molecule found in the cell membranes of all animals. It is an essential bodily component of life. Cholesterol is especially crucial for infants, as it is the chief material required for building a healthy brain and nervous system. Mother’s milk, in fact, is among the highest food sources of cholesterol, which is why it is so very important to receive breast milk as a baby. Among its primary roles in the body are the production of sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, synthesis of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A and D, and manufacturer of bile acids which are essential for the digestion and absorption of dietary fats. Cholesterol is also required for the proper functioning of serotonin (the “bliss” chemical) receptors in the brain. Very low cholesterol levels have been linked to conditions including anxiety, aggressive behaviour, and depression. Our bodies are constantly producing cholesterol, and we would indeed be unable to survive without it.

Another key role of cholesterol that has been largely under-represented is as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are primarily responsible for reducing the body's levels of inflammation via "free radicals". If one's body becomes rampant with these free radicals, excess cholesterol is automatically synthesized to help counter the damage of oxidative stress, thereby elevating our total cholesterol level. High cholesterol in itself is not a problem, but rather a possible warning sign that the body is overloaded with free radicals and is in need of some help.

Throughout history, different cultures from all over the world have subsisted largely upon saturated fats and high-cholesterol foods, yet have somehow managed to escape the clutches of heart disease, cancer, and arteriosclerosis. The traditional Masai of Africa live on a diet comprised of milk, blood, and flesh, yet have a low rate of heart disease, as well as cholesterol levels averaging half that of the typical North American. In northern India, 17 times more animal fat is consumed than southern India, yet heart disease rates are 7 times lower (Fallon, Nourishing Traditions). Even the infamous Okinawans, renowned for their extreme longevity and plant-heavy diet, consume fairly high levels of cholesterol-rich animal fats.

From the scientific evidence-based standpoint, a famous study was conducted from 1983 to 1987, led by world renowned American cardiovascular surgeon Michael DeBakey. The purpose of the study was to take a closer look at just what causes arteriosclerosis. By 1987, DeBakey had concluded that there was indeed no link between high cholesterol levels and the rate of arteriosclerosis. Another study of his even deduced that smoking, high blood pressure, and a high fat diet are not the direct causes of arterial plaque.

Clearly, there’s been a misunderstanding. For how can diets fully loaded with cholesterol and saturated fat, produce such vibrant health and longevity? The answer lies in the SOURCE. As I’ve stressed in previous posts, it is the quality, the integrity, and the state of the food that truly determines its effects upon the body. Cholesterol is indeed, no different. When we consume saturated animal fats in their natural, unheated, unoxidized form, the fat-processing enzyme lipase is kept intact and is able to properly break down the fat into free fatty acids. When we ingest rancid or hydrogenated "trans fats" however, the lipase enzyme has been destroyed and these highly unstable fats first of all, cannot be properly broken down, and secondly, spawn a slew of free radicals. Some of the notorious offenders include margarine, vegetable oil, canola oil, pasteurized, homogenized milk, powdered eggs, and deep fried meats. These foods are the true culprits behind the massive free radical damage, arteriosclerosis, and heart disease pandemic we are facing today.

The verdict is in: cholesterol is not the enemy. Whole, natural, unprocessed animal fats are an important and healthful part of our diet. Cheap, modern rancid oils and high-heat, oxidizing, light-exposing processing methods on the contrary, have no place in the human diet. Treat yourself, EAT REAL FOOD!