Cholesterol gets a bad rap most of the time. That fatty substance circulating around in our blood vessels has been associated with heart disease for many years. Rightly so. Usually found at the scene of damaged blood vessels in significant amounts, cholesterol is a known player but are we reading the situation correctly?
What We Already Know
Cholesterol serves our bodies well. Found in many of our favorite foods (meats, eggs, baked goods), cholesterol is also made in the liver, so we have plenty of opportunities to maintain a supply in circulation. Used by our bodies to maintain a healthy equilibrium, it keeps our cells happy and is essential for the production of cool chemicals like hormones. Without our hormones, we are no longer who we are.
There is a balance of circulating cholesterol that our bodies try hard to maintain. However, when our diets contain a high level of cholesterol, the liver lowers production. Lower the consumption, the liver kicks out more.
As you’ve likely heard, we have two types of cholesterol. The sticky low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and its less sticky and nicer sibling, the high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Both are needed for a healthy body but the LDL character is the one usually found at the scene of the blood vessel crimes.
Too much of this good thing, known as hypercholesterolemia, has been associated with heart disease. Wherever damaged of blocked blood vessels are found, cholesterol is also often found. Whether this is a cause of the disease process or just a symptom, the science has not yet been clearly demonstrated.
Bad Rap for Cholesterol
I have heard a number of metaphors for heart disease and cholesterol but the one I like best, mostly because of my familial connection with law enforcement (I’m the only one who didn’t become a cop), is the aerial view of doughnut shops. Doughnut shops are always surrounded by police cars. Is this to say that police cause doughnut shops?
The same reasoning goes for the LDL cholesterol. It is present at the scene of inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels but is it a fair assumption that they are causing the inflammation? As the substance accumulates, it will most certainly narrow the opening. Blaming LDL for causing the inflammation is a tough interpretation to prove.
In the same way our bodies will add bone to an unstable/damaged joint in osteoarthritis, adding LDL to irritated/inflamed tissue is a normal response of physiology to an abnormal situation. The body is just responding in the best way it can.
The Statins Question
Statins, as cholesterol lowering medications go, are a mixed bag. They work by lowering cholesterol production in the liver. However, they don’t compensate for high intake of dietary cholesterol. Lifestyle changes are needed for that.
Statins have an anti-inflammatory effect on tissues. This may explain some of the effectiveness of statin therapies. Maybe the cholesterol lowering should be viewed more as just a happy side effect.
Statins are also associated with a number of negative side effects in some patients. Muscle soreness, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and other symptoms are observed. All pharmaceuticals produce side effects. The number and degree vary by the individual.
Alternatives
If inflammation of blood vessels is our smoking gun, what can we do?
Avoid things in life that irritate the body, of course!
The biggest irritants in our diets are processed foods. Yes, the stuff that is so much fun to eat. From the questionable flavors but undeniably convenient treats of the drive-thru, to joys of baked goods, our love affair with processed foods is undeniable. However, we truly can have too much of a good thing.
Try to bring balance to your fun foods. Add in unprocessed foods. Like some of our parents used to remind us, eat your vegetables. Partaking in real food gives the body nutrition that is processed out of the fun stuff.
If you want to go the route of vegetarianism or vegan, more power to you. Both regimes are noted for the healthy effects they have on participants.
Don’t forget to get up off the couch while you’re eating better. Physical activity also contributes to our bodies managing inflammatory processes effectively. In the same way that it wasn’t just one thing that brought on the inflammation in the body, so too the solution comes from several sources. The result is improving the Health we already have.
It is a scientific fact that your body will not absorb cholesterol if you take it from someone else’s plate.
― Dave Barry
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