🫀 Cholesterol

[This is an 𝕏 Thread 🧵 @chrisboettcher9.]

You’ve been lied to about heart disease. Give me 2 minutes to tell you the truth about cholesterol: 

We’ve all heard the same story:

“Cholesterol is bad.”

“Cholesterol causes heart disease.”

But it’s not true. We NEED cholesterol to not only survive. But to thrive.

Let’s start with the 3 biggest reasons why:

1) Hormonal Regulation

Cholesterol is the precursor for numerous important hormones like:

• Cortisol
• Estrogren
• Testosterone
• Progesterone

Without cholesterol, these systems don’t function properly.

2) Vitamin D Synthesis

Cholesterol is also the building block for vitamin D production. You can supplement Vitamin D and get all the sunlight you want. But without healthy amounts of cholesterol, your body won’t produce as much Vitamin D as it could.

3) Neurological Functioning

Cholesterol is abundant in the brain. It supports the formation of nerve cells. And is essential for regulating the nervous system. It also maintains synapses between brain cells responsible for:

• Memory
• Learning
• Overal cognition

Now you know why cholesterol is essential for survival.

But I’m sure you still have questions:

1. “Is there a difference between good and bad cholesterol?”
2. “What’s really causing heart attacks and stroke?”
3. “How can I lower my risk of heart disease?”

Let’s dive into each:

1) “Is there a difference between good and bad cholesterol?”

We’ve been taught HDL is “good” and LDL is “bad.” 

It’s just not that simple. Both play key roles in cholesterol regulation. HDL transports it to the liver while LDL brings it to the blood. So what are we missing? The mainstream narrative is that excess LDL (bad cholesterol) can lead to the buildup of plaque in arteries.

It’s easy to then build a very lucrative pharmaceutical industry on the fear of cholesterol. But this is leaving out one important factor in the buildup…Oxidation.

LDL and HDL are simply vehicles. They move back and forth. When they become oxidized they are slowly damaged or destroyed. Now we have a traffic jam. And to make matters worse, these vehicles are on fire and toxic causing inflammation. You’re body responds forming a plaque.

2) So what’s really causing this oxidation, plaque formation, and heart attacks? 

It’s not cholesterol. It’s the modern diet. Heart disease continues to go up year after year.

You know what else does? Sugar and seed oil intake. Both drive up blood sugar and increase oxidation.

Excess sugar in the blood is then stored as fat in the form of triglycerides. One of the best indicators of heart health is the Triglyercide to HDL ratio. If you generally have less oxidative sugar stored as fat and more carriers back to the liver it’s a recipe for longevity.

3) So now you’re thinking. How can I lower my risk of heart disease?

Eat healthy fats like:

• Fish
• Nuts
• Eggs
• Olive oil
• Avocados
• Quality Meats

Also, incorporating fiber into your diet from fruits and veggies is crucial for HDL production.

Avoid foods that include:

• Sugary sweets and beverages
• Highly processed foods
• Vegetable/Seed oils
• Fried foods

This diet + a sedentary lifestyle = a recipe for disaster.

So what’s the conclusion?

Cholesterol is not inherently bad. It’s a necessary building block of many functions of the human body. The key is to limit processed foods that damage and break down our cholesterol.

Thanks for reading!