Cholesterol – Good or Bad?
What is cholesterol and why we need it?
- Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in every cell of our body, and it is essential for life!
- It’s the building block for cell membrane, keeping them flexible and allowing for perfect signalling and communication between the inner cell and the outer cell environment.
- It is needed to make sex hormones, like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
- It is the precursor of Vitamin D synthesis and steroid hormones like cortisol.
- It is the key component of bile production, needed for fat digestion.
- It is the major structural components of the myelin sheaths, that insulate our nerve cells (neurons), which allow for rapid signalling of thoughts, impulses etc.
- Your brain is made of cholesterol.
- Cholesterol facilitates immune cells function.
- It is needed for cell regeneration and repair after injury.
- And so much more!
- Put it this way, you will not survive without cholesterol!
Type of cholesterol:
There are others, but the two main cholesterol molecules are:
- Low Density Lipoprotein or LDL
- High Density Lipoprotein or HDL
- Note the word “protein”, which means that cholesterol (lipo means fat) is bound to a protein molecule, needed for transportation throughout the body
LDL & HDL functions:
- LDL molecules, carry cholesterol from the liver, where they are formed, to the rest of the body, where cholesterol separates from the protein it was bound to and it is then used to produce vitamin D, bile, myelin sheath etc.
- HDL molecules are formed at the cell site to bring cholesterol back to the liver.
Is LDL cholesterol bad?
- No!! Full stop!!
- It is vital for life! Your body must produce it daily as a molecule that transports good fats to wherever it is needed!
Can LDL become problematic?
- Absolutely yes!
- This is because LDL, compared to HDL, is more instable and more prone to damage.
Under what circumstances LDL becomes “bad”?
- Oxidation
- Glycation – binding to sugar molecules (insulin resistance)
- Chronic, systemic inflammation
- Genetic predisposition
What drives oxidation, glycation and inflammation?
- Your diet and lifestyle! End of!
Do you need statins?
- If your cholesterol metabolism dysfunction was caused by a lack of statins, then the answer would be yes!
- However, as your cholesterol metabolism dysfunction is caused by your diet and lifestyle, then the answer is no!
- But, if I was in your shoes, as I am not telling you what to do, in case you would be at risk of developing cardiovascular disease due to years of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, then I may only take statins for a short while, until I will be able to tackle the root cause of my cholesterol and heart disease problems. Makes sense, right?!
- You also need to know that over the years, within the blood test results, the cholesterol upper reference limit has been constantly lowered, which means that more people will be prescribed statins.
- Atorvastatin has been the most sold drug in the UK for the last 4 years in a row (since 2021), with 65 million dosages dispensed in 23/24 year.
- And, cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of deaths in the UK. So, something doesn’t add up!
Do statins come with dangerous side effects?
- Yes, they possibly do!
- They include: Muscle Weakness, Pain and Breakdown (with dark urine) – Liver Injury – Worsening of Glucose Metabolism – Allergy Type Reactions – Memory and Confusion – Bloating, Nausea & other Digestive Issues – Sleep Disturbance – More
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