The Cholesterol Myth

[marmel75]

Something that really gets under my skin is hearing doctors, media and people in general talk about how they have "high" cholesterol. I am here to tell you there is no such thing as "high" cholesterol. You do not "get" high cholesterol from eating foods that contain cholesterol. If you stop eating these foods, the liver will simply produce the cholesterol instead from fat.

People who attempt to "get rid" of cholesterol are simply misinformed and ignorant. Every steroid hormone in the body is created from cholesterol. Estrogen, Testosterone, Cortisol, etc are made from cholesterol. Without cholesterol you have no hormones and would die.

However, when someone is diagnosed with "high" cholesterol, what it really means is their body is in a very unhealthy state and is suffering from a lot of damage from oxidation and free radicals. A "free radical" is simply a cell that has become unstable due to having an unpaired electron from being "oxidized". Usually this happens during metabolism, but many other conditions can cause excessive amount of free radicals to be produced including smoking, unhealthy diet, pollution, etc. If there is a lack of "anti-oxidants" or substances to help remove these damaging compounds, it creates a chain reaction that continues to damage cells as one after another cells start stealing electrons from other cells to regain their stability. Eventually cells start dying and daage starts occuring to the various parts of the body.

So what does this have to do with cholesterol? Simple. In addition to being the precursor for all steroid hormones, cholesterol plays a very important role in acting as a "band-aid" for the damaged area. Without the proper nutrients to repair the damaged area, the body instead tries to "patch it up" with cholesterol. Kinda like road crews filling in pot holes in the spring with asphalt. It doesn't really do a great job, but it is a temporary fix. The problem is, more and more cholesterol has to be applied to the area to keep the "patch" in place. Eventually this leads to things such as heart attacks and strokes as the cholesterol that has been built up and up and up inside the arteries and blood vessels end up clogging the very things it was trying to repair.

The answer from pharmaceutical companies, western medicine and doctors? Why of course, create a drug that simply attempts to stop the body from producing cholesterol. Don't bother addressing the actual problem, that the person has the equivalent of an internal cess pool going on inside their body...just treat the symptom. So all the while, the body continues to deteriorate due to lack of "patching" material being made available, and the doctors claim the patient is "cured" of this condition. Its not a condition at all, its a symptom of being in an extremely unhealthy state. Fix the state and the body will stop producing the excessive cholesterol.

Natural alternative to drugs to help lower the cholesterol? Lecithin. Lecithin binds to cholesterol and keeps it in suspension, preventing it from accumulating and ushering it out of the body. A lot cheaper and safer than the expensive drugs the pharmaceutical companies peddle from their billion dollar offices inside the FDA and AMA...

Also a 1/4 teaspoon of cinammon twice a day reduces triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure significantly. It also makes the cells up to 20 times more insulin sensitive and can actually in many cases be used instead of insulin in diabetics...

Remember, virtually all drugs are synthetic versions of substances that occur naturally. In virtually every case, there is a safer, cheaper alternative out there that works better than a synthetic drug with little to no side effects. It just is common sense. Natural substances are made to work with us, synthetic ones are not. The body knows the difference and its pretty obvious by the number of deaths and adverse reactions caused by drugs versus natural substances. Don't expect the doctor to know or recommend any of these. They went to schools run by the AMA which are controlled by the pharmaceutcal companies to train doctors to prescribe drugs to keep their billion dollar industry going strong...

 

[Colossus]

Another pharmaceutical conspiracy theorist. Please provide some scholarly references for your claims. Or do you think the medical journals are in cahoots with "big pharma" too?

 

[marmel75]

Another pharmaceutical conspiracy theorist. Please provide some scholarly references for your claims. Or do you think the medical journals are in cahoots with "big pharma" too?

I don't deal in theories. You and your ilk are like ostriches with your head stuck in the sand. Where do you think these universities get money from for their studies and by whom are they accredited? My mother was in medical research for 45 years and gave me plenty of insights into how things really work. I also talked to a lot of the other researchers there when I visited and heard the same things. Do you really think they are trying to find a "Cure for cancer?" You must be high on some of that good stuff. There is no money in cures, only in prolonged treatments. I listened as screaming matches took place about why something that eradicated certain conditions was not being published in in a journal or why funding got pulled after they found something a little "too" promising. I don't need theories, I saw it first hand brother.

Do you realize the FDA is attempting to ban virtually any supplement that was not in use in 1990? Meanwhile drug companies are allowed to continue selling products that cause more problems than they cure. Ever see how many commercials there are about "if you took such and such drug" to contact this lawyer to join a lawsuit? How many of those have you seen for vitamins or supplements?

Either you are ignorant of what is going on or you choose to look the other way and hipe it goes away. Well, its not going away, its getting worse. By banning supplements the FDA will ensure they are either extremely expensive or that people get sicker and sicker so they have to rely on drugs instead. Either way the pharmaceutical companies win.

They say ignorance is bliss. Enjoy your happiness.

 

[DanZy]

There's simply too many generalizations made in this article.

It's not a major issue here but in the states there seems to be a culture of overprescribing, linked to the "quick fix" mentally of American society. Drugs are absolutely required in certain cases, however too many receive them needlessly. Doctors are also to blame, not just the pharmaceutical companies. I'm saying this whilst my father is a psychiatrist, one of the most respected in South Africa. Without the use of drugs many of his patients would never recover. Additionally, try and motivate a severely obese man with diabetes to recover from his conditions using hard work and natural products; you'd have a better chance of converting lions to vegans.

 

[Colossus]

Marmel75-

You do deal in 'theories', because you have yet to show us any DATA that substantiates your claims. I hear a lot of "insights", "talked to", "first hand", etc. That does not hold up in a court of science. If you are going to come on this forum---which is mine to moderate---and make medico-economic statements like the above, that's fine, you are entitled to your opinion. BUT--if it's your OPINION, which it is, you need to state that. You are presenting this as 'fact' with any supporting evidence. We are supposed to believe your 'first hand' experience? Would you like to believe my first-hand experience with the easter bunny?? Well you should, because I SAW it bro. It's the truth, and if YOU dont believe it, your head is stuck in the sand.

Dont come on here and yank people's chain. No one gives a fvck about your experience. Most of the very small readership of the H&F forum are young guys who want to get in shape or post their training logs. Higher-level discussions are certainly welcome, but either state something as solely your opinion or reference your factual claims with peer-reviewed sources. Snake oil diatribes will not be tolerated.

 

[marmel75]

I simply refuse to believe "what I'm told" and decide to find answers for myself. Anything I post is based on studies that I have read(I read 3-4 a day on average) or articles I have read written by researchers or doctors. I don't always have this information at the tip of my fingers because I honestly don't always bookmark them and sometimes cannot find them again. None of this is theoretical stuff I make up.

I encourage people to form their own opinions and do their own research. Its a good way to find out the difference between what we are told and the truth, which isn't always the same thing. Realistically, anytime there is agreeance by virtually everyone towards something, that is when you should question it most. You will usually find most people in agreeance simply agree because that's what they have "been told". More people should learn to think for themselves instead of blindly following like a sheep follows a shepherd.

Here is a lengthy article written by a doctor talking about many of the same points I bring up, although more in depth. When I have more time to locate other sources I will post them.

http://preventdisease.com/home/tips87.shtml

 

[Colossus]

I read that article and while more geared for the layperson, he is mostly correct. Interestingly, a pubmed search of the author only revealed 2 publications, 1 first author. A rather modest "research" profile for someone who claims to be so prolific.

I think your central issue here is that cholesterol itself isnt "bad", it's the imbalance of serum lipids that CAN lead to atherosclerosis and coronary events.

HDL has been demonstrated to have a preventative effect on CHD, while high levels of LDL and long-term elevated serum triglycerides are positively correlated with a higher incidence of CHD and negative events.

Referencing things is tedious and time-consuming, I know. Especially with a subject this deep, expert knowledge almost requires research to be a full time job.

 

[Down Low]

Eggs. High in cholesterol. High in lecithin. Such a great breakfast food -- I eat 'em everyday.