CHOLESTEROL: MYTHS & REALITY

8 min readJun 12, 2024

This article is a follow-up to my previous article referred to below. My audience requested additional information regarding Cholesterol. I have done so by sticking to the basics in the minimum scientific way possible.

(Thanks for reading Sammy’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.)

GHEE: THE AYURVEDIC HEALTH BOMB

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/ghee-the-ayurvedic-health-bomb-0bba76980d6b

Yes, Ghee contains Cholesterol and a good version of HDL. When we think of Cholesterol, it conjures up negative images of clogged arteries, stents, heart attacks, and a lifetime of medication. Consequently, we become highly conscious of fats, oils, deep-fried foods, and foods rich in natural fats like lamb, bacon, etc. It affects us psychologically and adversely.

Ever since 1953, the initial misconception of cholesterol as a compound we should avoid to prevent clogged arteries leading to heart attacks has been proven incorrect by scientists and medical experts alike. This awareness led to further studies correcting the original misconception by Mr. Ansil Benjamin Keys. Many publications in reputable medical journals have not been well-disseminated to the general public. If they are, they are either too complicated to understand, or eclipsed by conglomerates promoting medications, dietary supplements, fast foods, and food products through aggressive advertising, demonizing cholesterol to the advantage of promoting their products.

The pharmaceutical companies are restless at bombarding physicians and the public through intense mass-marketing. Their target audience extracts its information from this media blitz. Although, ironically, in this information age, we have more knowledge than ever, if only we care enough to research the facts.

The French have the richest diet, yet they are all reasonably slim and healthy. They have one of the highest Cholesterol diets, but one of the lowest incidents of cardiovascular disease. You may attribute this to the fact that they drink red wine from a young age. Perhaps that is the reason they have problems with their liver. The Africans and Southeast Asians eat complex carbohydrates and deep-fried foods, yet they are robust and resistant to ailments of modern industrialized nations.

The Lyon Diet Heart Study of France confirms that diet and lifestyle lower the risk of cardiovascular complications by 76%, and deaths by 70% — without necessarily lowering the Cholesterol intake.

The average post-war US diet included natural milk, whole creams, butter, eggs and bacon, beans, etc. But since they resorted to the consumption of refined vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats (margarine, “Crisco”, etc.) to avoid Cholesterol (all containing trans fats), and sweetened beverages, their rate of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and reproductive dysfunctions, have skyrocketed. They are at more than twice their previous Cholesterol levels accompanied by the wrong foods.

Cholesterol is not the cause. Our constitution requires cholesterol for the healthy function of the brain (which assimilates animal fat better than vegetable fats), and for the glands to produce hormones generously and efficiently.

Cholesterol is hydrophobic (anti-liquid), and cannot travel through the bloodstream without lipoproteins as its carrier. Lipoproteins are round particles made of fat/lipids (Cholesterol and triglycerides) and proteins. They travel in the bloodstream to the cells throughout the body, carrying a range of HDLs and LDLs.

Though LDLs are generally considered the “bad” cholesterol, some are light and fluffy protecting the artery walls. At the same time, their smaller and denser versions hinge on the artery walls initiating the accumulation process of plaque. White sugar adds to their “stickiness”, clinging faster and tighter.

The Endothelium is the arterial wall, a smooth and flexible muscle that moves in rhythm with the heart. It is a layer of cells constituting the lining of the blood vessels, arteries, veins, and the lymphatic system. When the body is overwhelmed by free radicals which alter the lipids in the lipoproteins and the DNA, it is a sign of infection or injury. Endothelial inflammation occurs when the autoimmune cells rush to the rescue, a condition known as oxidative stress, which causes inflammation. High amounts of blood sugar nourish inflammations in the body. If the inflammation is not controlled rapidly with antioxidants (vitamins, minerals, and plant sources) to neutralize this oxidative stress, it leads to plaque, calcium deposits, or a blood clot. This in turn triggers some chronic diseases leading to diabetes, arthritis, thrombosis, chronic liver, kidney, heart, or respiratory diseases — or even cancer.

Here are 4 signs of plaque in the arteries called atherosclerosis (blocked arteries):

· Chest pain.

· Recurring dizzy spells.

· Heart palpitations.

· Occasional nausea.

Here are 6 measures to avoid cardiovascular complications:

· Avoid smoking, alcohol, recreational drug use, and abuse.

· Maintain a low glycemic, sugar diet.

· Consume the healthy fats that contain healthy Cholesterol, immediately converting it into energy, such as Oriental Ghee instead of refined oils and trans-fats that produce a thick gel, one molecule short of becoming plastic.

· Maintain a healthy weight and diet, through regular eating intervals.

· Include a colorful variety of vegetables and fruits in the daily diet, incorporating natural grains, cereals, and nuts.

· Work out regularly, or maintain a regular physical routine.

Below is a range of 11 tests to be taken whenever there is any inflammation or complication in the metabolism.

The archaic HDL/LDL blood tests introduced in the early 1960s are currently inaccurate and outdated. There have been big strides in medicine and healthcare since then.

i. Blood tests check the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, lipoproteins, or proteins that are signs of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein.

ii. The Coronary Angiogram is the best test to detect heart blockage. The CT angiography more accurately detects coronary artery disease with future risk (compared with ECG). It is a painless, non-invasive imaging test that uses X-rays to take detailed pictures of the heart and its blood vessels.

iii. ECG: Electrocardiogram.

iv. The high-sensitivity CRP indicates the risk of heart disease before symptoms develop, by showing plaques in the arteries. (Inflammation plays a major role in the buildup of plaques in the arteries, called atherosclerosis.)

v. The Coronary Calcium Scan is a non-invasive test that uses a low-radiation CT scan without any injected dye, to identify the calcified part of any atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle.

vi. The Stress test involves walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike, while a healthcare provider observes the heart rhythm, blood pressure, and breathing.

vii. The Ankle-brachial index (ABI) test is a non-invasive tool for the assessment of vascular status.

viii. Ferritin is a test that measures a blood protein that contains iron. The test shows whether the blood has too much or too little iron. Too much is susceptible to oxidation.

ix. Fibrinogens is a test for the blood protein Fibrinogen which is made in the liver and helps the blood clot. Low fibrinogen makes it difficult for the blood to clot.

x. NMR: (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy, is a test for the molecular structure of a sample. A lipo-profile test detailing the LDL levels.

xi. ITT is an Insulin Tolerance Test. A high-glucose beverage is taken before the blood is drawn initially, then every half hour for two hours, to check the plasma glucose and insulin levels change in response to the drink. The lab technicians calculate an insulin resistance score.

ADVICE

1. Sugar is an active contributor to developing heart disease. It is also instrumental in nourishing cancerous cells. Because of the unawareness that sugar exists in all processed foods, juices, and beverages, it is best to avoid them as much as possible. It is more addictive than opioids. It comes under various classifications on labels, depending on its source and extraction method. Like heroin, refined white sugar is one of the most lethal, requiring a minimum breakdown in the body to enter into the bloodstream, shooting up insulin, and storing the excess in the muscles creating insulin resistance. Eating complex carbohydrates provides fiber and progressive breakdown in feeding the muscles.

2. Statin drugs have destructive chemical reactions on the body’s natural chemicals. They only lower Cholesterol levels in the blood. They do not unclog the arteries. With healthy eating habits and a wholesome lifestyle, the metabolism can be regulated gently without the aggressive effects of statins.

3. Contrary to general belief, the most important organ in the body is not the heart. The Chinese have always known that it is the liver, through TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). It is over 5,000 years old and functions efficiently until today. It cannot be wrong. The liver purifies the blood that feeds the heart and regulates the metabolism. Everything we swallow first enters the liver to eliminate the toxins from entering the blood. The refined “garbage” food overloads the toxins in the liver, causing it to heat up. Through overworking it gets hot and angry, unable to oxidize the food in tandem with the rhythm of the digestive system. This unhealthy overload even turns healthy food toxic and causes indigestion and health complications. With only one liver in the body, it is indispensable to respect its function, regularly cooling it down with green vegetables, herbs, and fresh fruits. They regulate and invigorate the liver.

4. Lemon juice is an excellent and organic antioxidant. If used sparingly in salad dressings, particularly roasted dishes, and with fruits it boosts the body’s immune system and cleanses the liver. Alternatively, ACV (apple cider vinegar) is a good substitute for salad dressings.

5. Eat real and wholesome foods and not processed fast foods.

6. Stick to your ancestral diet. Each constitution is different with its tolerances and intolerances.

7. Eat polyphenols. They are compounds naturally found in plant-based foods. They can be found in fruits, vegetables, cereals, microalgae, medical plants, tea, infusions, edible and wildflowers, seeds, nuts, etc.

8. Use healthy cold-pressed olive oil, or clarified fats like Ghee to replace the industrially-refined hydrogenated oils and trans fats, they damage the liver and clog the arteries.

9. The sun is the best source of Vitamin D. It is called the sunshine vitamin. The Cholesterol in the skin converts the sunlight into Vitamin D3 through photosynthesis.

Many people with high Cholesterol have no cardiovascular problems, others with low Cholesterol have a high level of clogged arteries and are susceptible to heart attacks and other unhealthy diseases. To conclude, it is not the amount of Cholesterol, HDL, or LDL in your blood that matters most. It is how well you oxidize and assimilate those fats.

MESSAGE

I regularly write on health matters and well-being on my MEDIUM platform. You may wish to select from the list of my ‘published articles’ what interests you best. If there is a subject of particular interest that I have not covered, I shall be glad to do so. We all learn in the process. Every new day introduces new and interesting content.

(Thanks for reading Sammy’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.)