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 signaling 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!
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-bound- cholesterol” bad?
- No!! Full stop!!
- It is vital for life! Your body must produce it daily as a molecule that transports good fat 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 (diabetes-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 problem was caused by a lack of statins, then the answer would be yes!
- However, as your cholesterol 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?!
- Also relevant to know is that there are studies that show no correlations at all between high LDL and the occurrence of CVDs or high HDL and less incidence of CVDs. Moreover other studies show that people with normal LDL levels still develop CVDs.
- 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 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
What should a serious and professional clinician test you for, to understand if you are really at risk of developing CVDs?
- ApoB – measuring number of atherogenic particle, responsible for plaque formation
- Lipoprotein(a) – strong marker for CVDs
- Remnant cholesterol – inflammatory molecules
- CRP – marker for chronic inflammation
- HbA1c and blood glucose – to see if glycation can be a problem
- ALT & AST – for liver function
- Homocysteine – blood vessels damage
Please bear in mind that disease is not caused by a lack of medications, but by what you eat, what you do and what you think. So, your solution is to invest in taking care of your body.
So, if you are ready for your transformation, you will find it within my latest Programme! It will take you from your default settings to your hero state and permanently transform your health from the inside out. No more GP visits.
If your health and medical profile is complex though, please get in touch, as you may need a one-to-one, tailored and more comprehensive support.
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