Cholesterol is a topic in the health world (not dissimilar to sunlight exposure & salt intake) that’s largely misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many have villainized cholesterol, urging the masses to avoid dietary saturated fats at all costs, and pay close attention to cholesterol levels on blood tests.
In this post, we’ll examine some common myths about cholesterol (with the accompanying truths), and help you better understand the vital molecule for health: cholesterol.
Myth #1: Cholesterol is Bad & Clogs Your Arteries
We’ve heard the notion that “diets high in cholesterol clog your arteries.” But, is this true? It turns out, this is a myth that The Mara Labs scientists & founders talk about in this podcast with David Roberts & John Gildea.
They discuss in that episode how dietary cholesterol does very little to influence your cholesterol numbers, as well as how cholesterol is the most metabolically regulated compound in the body. In other words, your body is paying close attention to your levels & adjusting as needed.
Additionally, in this episode, they get into how many factors must lineup in order for plaques to develop in your arteries. Health components such as vitamin D status, lack of vitamin K2, inflammation, and calcium levels all come into play and are contributory to this potential.
Encouragingly, know that you can reverse plaque. Dr. Gildea explains that you can actually mobilize plaque from the site and decrease that coronary artery blockage with the correct pressure over time with regular exercise, decreasing systemic inflammation, and keeping a healthy body composition.
In summary, this first truth is that dietary cholesterol does very little to influence your cholesterol numbers, other factors are causal for plaque, and cholesterol is actually a vital molecule for the body for many reasons including internal membrane repair and hormone production. (1)
Take it straight from the literature: “The regulation of cholesterol metabolism in the human is an extremely complex process. Due to the dynamic balance between cholesterol synthesis, intake, efflux and storage, cholesterol metabolism generally remains secure.” (1)
Myth #2: Saturated Fat is Bad
Some examples of saturated fats include lipids found in animals products (beef, poultry, dairy, etc.) and plant sources such as from coconuts. These fats have inaccurately had a reputation of increasing disease risk.
However, it’s actually the fat composition of animals (such as cows) depends upon what the animals were fed. You’re essentially looking at omega-3, 6, 9 ratios. Grass fed cows have a much better 3/9, 6/9 ratio than a cow that's going to be CAFOed (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation).
These CAFOed animals are kept in large lots and also are fed corn, which is a plant they’re not used to processing. Meat from these sources is actually pro-inflammatory because of this process & method.
In addition, this 2019 paper (2) and this 2020 paper (3) debunk the myth that eliminating saturated fat from your diet is a good idea.
For instance, cows that are grass-fed and grass-finished have an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid profile of 2:1, whereas conventional, large lot raised, grain-fed beef has a ratio of 5:1. Too, grass-fed beef is high conjugated linoleic acid, a type of fat which is known to have many health benefits. (4) More recent findings in the literature show that ultra-processed, carbohydrate-rich, and sugary foods pose more health risks. (5)
To summarize the truth behind this myth, know that not all saturated fat is bad (depends on the source/processing), focusing on minimizing added processed sugars in your diet is more worthwhile, and getting sufficient micronutrients (outside of ingesting saturated fats) as a part of your diet is generally a good approach.
Myth #3: Doctors Typically Measure Cholesterol
In this podcast episode, Dr. John Gildea uncovers that when classically when doctors are “measuring cholesterol,” they are really measuring lipoprotein. He explains that it's the proteins that are carrying cholesterol.
For a foundational understanding, know that LDL refers to low density lipoprotein. And then, HDL refers to high density lipoprotein. However, there are many different lipoproteins in the body, all with varying sizes. These lipoproteins do the shuttling of cholesterol to and from the sites in your body that need cholesterol.
It was assumed for a long time that the amount of total cholesterol determined heart disease risk. That assumption has since been abandoned/dismissed. What has been adopted now is that the subfractionation matter most - the ratio, size, and density of lipoprotein are the components to look at.
Lifestyle Habits to Prioritize
The science tells us that adequate sunlight is crucial for overall health and vitamin D levels (implied in health heart).(6) People with high blood vitamin D levels are at reduced risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. (8).
Thinking you can supplement your way out of sunlight time? Think again. Sunlight lowers both the good HDL cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol, while Vitamin D pills raised total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL. (7)
Sunlight exposure has additionally been shown in a plethora of research to be preventative of heart-related issues, excess stress, and chronically elevated blood sugar - all of which are related to cholesterol metabolism and overall health state.. (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
So, instead of frantically limiting your saturated fat intake, look to spend more time outside to bring down your stress levels, lower blood sugar, and improve heart health/cholesterol levels to keep your body in balance.
Quercetin for Cholesterol Metabolic Health
Did you know? A polyphenol called quercetin has cardiovascular benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol levels, and improving endothelial function, making it a promising candidate for preventing and supporting cardiovascular health.
You can find quercetin in a functional, bioavailable dose in our product, QuercElite - click here to shop.
Additional Perspectives
In the health world online, we see many healthy living advocates and practitioners echoing these same sentiments. They are helping the masses to get rid of the intense fear around high cholesterol and better understand its role in the body. Here are a few:
-Dr. Paul Saladino discusses why his high cholesterol does not concern him
-Dr. Mark Hyman discusses the complexity of heart health and why we shouldn’t hyper-fixate on cholesterol
-Mark Sisson discusses how cholesterol isn’t the problem
-Craig Mccloskey presents the history on statins for cholesterol levels
-Craig Mccloskey discusses past research on diet for healthy cholesterol levels
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