What do you think of when you hear the word cholesterol? If you are like most people, you think of heart disease or maybe even a big fat ribeye steak. Would you be surprised to find out that cholesterol is actually a molecule that is required for us to sustain life? Without cholesterol we would die.⠀
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Cholesterol has been the boogeyman of heart disease for a long time. Unfortunately, because of its role in atherosclerosis, it has been blamed for heart disease. Inflammation is the true cause. Blaming cholesterol is like blaming the fire fighters who arrive to fight the fire for causing the fire. It just isn’t the case.⠀
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Cholesterol is a simple molecule that is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It does not like ⠀
water, so it must travel through the body with lipo-proteins known as LDL or HDL cholesterol. Most of the cholesterol we have in our body is produced by the liver; however, it is found in all animal foods ⠀
because, like us, they cannot live without it. Most of the cholesterol we eat is not absorbed but is ⠀
actually passed through our system. Studies have shown that increases in cholesterol are more closely tied to sugar and carbohydrate intake than to ingestion of cholesterol in our food. ⠀
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Why, then, do we need cholesterol? Cholesterol is needed for healthy hormone production. ⠀
Testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol all require cholesterol for their production. Our brain health is dependent on cholesterol. There are some studies that show that the lower the level of ⠀
cholesterol, the higher the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. One of the most important reasons is that every cell in our body requires cholesterol to build a healthy cell membrane. A healthy cell membrane is critical for the health of the cell. Without a healthy cell membrane, the cell cannot keep the bad stuff out and the important stuff inside.⠀
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So, my conclusion is that cholesterol is our friend!
Cholesterol, Friend or Foe?
