High Cholesterol Myths

It seems as though we all "know" that cholesterol is "bad" for you.  We see countless commercials for it every day that cholesterol is "bad" but we shouldn't worry because there are so many drugs out there that will help bring down our levels.  But what is cholesterol and what makes it bad for you?  

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) that forms the lining of all cell walls and provides a protective sheath around the peripheral nerves.  The liver produces cholesterol at a rate dictated by the body's need.  When toxins are present in the blood stream the liver produces low-density lipids (LDL), which is considered the "bad" cholesterol.  The LDLs attach themselves to the toxins and bind to them so that the toxins will be unable to cause damage to the body.  The HDL, or high-density lipids are the "good" cholesterol and it is sent in to sweep up the toxin-loaded LDL so it can be cleared out of the body by way of the bowel.  Then, the LDL levels can return to normal. Yes--we do NEED cholesterol!  Lowering our LDL without addressing the toxic cause may expose the body to more toxins that cannot be swept away without enough LDL. Cholesterol is also important in the production of cell membranes, all the steroid hormones (testosterone, estrogen and progesterone), vitamin D, and the bile acids that help digest fat. Cholesterol also helps your brain form memories and is vital to your neurological function. So, why is LDL bad?  If too much needs to be constantly produced,  it can build up plaque in the arteries.

How do we know if our cholesterol is too high?  The recommendations are for total cholesterol to be lower than 200, which has been reduced from 300 over the years.  The only problem is that there are even more risks related to low cholesterol than high cholesterol (with those who have no prior history of CVD).

• A 3 year study on 11,500 patients showed that low cholesterol resulted in increased lung cancer , other cancers, higher risk of cardiac death (that's heart attacks for LOW cholesterol, folks!), erectile dysfunction and infertility, and a loss of memory and mental focus.
•  A Swedish researcher discovered that individuals with low cholesterol suffer from frequent and severe infections while inidviduals with higher cholesterol had a lower mortality than the average population
•  A 30-year follow-up of one of the original studies linking cholestrol and heart disease showed no correlation between high cholesterol and mortality, but did show correlation between low cholesterol and mortality.  Death rates from CHD increased 14% for every 1mg/dl drop in total cholesterol per year
• High cholesterol readings are associated with protection from neurotoxins and cancer protection according to the Journal of the American Medical Association

The above doesn't even take into consideration some nasty side effects of the statins themselves such as:

       -headache, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, constipation, insomnia, shoulder or back pain, chest pain, dry mouth, diarrhea, heartburn, leg pain, rash, pain in a muscle, blurred vision, cough and arthralgia (a severe pain in a joint)

Furthermore, statins deplete the body's production of coenzyme-Q10 which must be replaced.  The Co-Q10 will protect you from developing muscle aches, fatigue, cardiomyopathy or exacerbation of congestive heart failure. As a matter of fact, Physicians in the U.S. rarely inform people of this risk and only occasionally advise them to take a CoQ10 supplement. Canadian law requires that all statins carry a label warning of the risk of  CoQ10 depletion.