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"Cholesterol
is evil," one of our misinformed
clients recently reported. It's obvious the general public does not
have a clear understanding of what cholesterol is and how it works in
the body. Best-selling diet gurus, from Atkins to Weil, McDougall to
Ornish have widely differing opinions of cholesterol. Commercial food
manufacturers with cholesterol-free products to sell have frightened
the public about the primary association of cardiovascular disease
and the consumption of cholesterol-rich foods. Before condemning
cholesterol completely, let's dispel some myths.
Where
Does
Cholesterol
Come From?
Did
you
know
that most blood cholesterol is made in your body? It
is made in the liver from saturated fats. Only 3% of the cholesterol
in your blood comes directly from the cholesterol in the foods you
eat. The majority is manufactured in your liver from foods rich in
saturated fats, such as butter, hard cheese and fatty meats like
pork, lamb and beef--or from transaturated and oxidized fats
such as margarine and cooked vegetable oils.
The
Body
Needs
Cholesterol
Cells
throughout
the
body use cholesterol to make a number of
hormones necessary for growth and reproduction. Cholesterol is a
precursor molecule for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. The
adrenal hormones that combat stress and relieve inflammation are
cholesterol dependent. When there is damage to the walls of the
arteries or veins, the liver sends cholesterol through the blood to
protect the tissue from hemorrhaging. Cholesterol is a component of
all cell walls. They are vital to proper brain and nerve function.
Low levels of cholesterol have been associated with depression,
anxiety and mood disorder. Cholesterol is also an essential
ingredient of bile salts produced in the liver, used to emulsify fats
and excrete fat-soluble toxins.
What
Causes
High
Cholesterol Levels?
Genetic
characteristics,
fitness
levels, stress, age and the
ingestion of alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, refined carbohydrates, food
additives and exposure to environmental chemicals affect both the
quantity and quality of cholesterol in the body. A total level of
blood cholesterol between 145 and 220 can be healthful for an
adult--with a ratio of 3.5 to 1 of LDL, low-density cholesterol
to HDL, high-density cholesterol (the good kind).
Good
Fats
and
Bad Fats
Udo
Erasmus
states
in his book, Fats That Heal - Fats That Kill, that
"cholesterol consumption has remained about constant for the last 100
years, and therefore cannot be the primary cause of increases in
cardiovascular disease, up 300% in that time period." Other factors
must be considered such as diet, lifestyle and environment.
The
Real
Culprit
Although
cholesterol
has
taken much of the blame in heart disease,
the real culprit may be altered and damaged fats, not saturated fats
and cholesterol. High cholesterol is more likely to stem from
factors such as stress and rancid fats than from eating whole foods
containing cholesterol in a natural context. Balance again is key. In
his book, Smart Fats, Michael A. Schmidt states three basic critical
points:
1)
Too
much
fat in whatever form can lead to disease.
2)
Too
little
fat in whatever form can lead to disease.
3)
The
kind
of fat and the balance of various fats are the critical
features that determine how fat contributes to disease.
Nasty
(Ugly)
Fats
Rancid
and
damaged
fats fall into three categories:
1)
Trans-fatty
acids
occur when oils are processed out of their
natural state. When you eat trans-fatty acids, you end up with debris
that clogs your cells, contributing to accelerated metabolic
aging.
2)
Oxidized
fats
are free radicals, damaged through exposure to air.
Oxidation can be seen visually as rancid fats, such as when butter
turns dark yellow or oils go brown. These rancid fats should never be
eaten. Oxidized cholesterol is the harmful LDL form that adheres to
arterial walls. (Healthful HDL cholesterol is an antioxidant that
removes plaques from cell walls.)
3)
Hydrogenated
fats
are fats that have been chemically altered.
Margarine and shortening are two of the most damaging fatty
substances you can eat! They are found in crackers, cookies, pies and
candy. A sugar-fat confection is an unhealthy LDL cholesterol
booster.
Change
Your
Oil,
Now!
The
key
to
avoiding damaged fats is to consume fresh, unspoiled fats
from quality animal sources and certain uncooked plant oils, with
their native antioxidants and nutrients intact. These fats are
healthful.
Some
guidelines
for
avoiding damaged fats are:
Whenever
possible,
eat
fats and oils without cooking them.
Avoid
man-made
and
damaged fats.
Use
monounsaturated
fats
for cooking.
Polyunsaturated
fats
found
in their natural state are healthy.
Never
deep-fry
foods.
Keep
fats
refrigerated
to prevent rancidity.
Avoid
all
hydrogenated
and partially hydrogenated oils.
The
Egg
and
I
Eggs
were
once
viewed as a major culprit in high cholesterol and we
were advised to strictly limit our consumption. However, the egg's
cholesterol content was taken out of context. Let's look at the
nutritional value of an egg. Nutritional authorities agree that eggs
are one of the best protein sources available. The egg protein (which
is about 50% of its makeup), contains all the essential amino acids
to be readily used by our system. Most of the rest of the egg is
fat--about two-thirds of it unsaturated, occurring in the yolk
with lecithin, a fat emulsifying agent. Two large eggs contain as
much as 500 mg. of cholesterol. Research shows that the regular use
of eggs alone does not raise the serum cholesterol (Wood, R., "Tumor
Lipids: Biochemistry and Metabolism."
"American
Oil
Chemists
Society. 1973: 75-88). The total nutrient
density of a food, such as the egg, as well as the way it is grown,
raised and prepared is what will determine its health benefit or
detriment.
The
Beef
with
Chicken
A
well-known
local
nutrition doctor claims that there is as much
cholesterol in chicken as there is in beef and therefore, he advises
the public to avoid both of them. The truth of the matter is that
chicken is a high protein food that is fairly low in fat, especially
the white meat. Chicken contains on average 11% fat (unless it is
deep-fried), whereas beef contains typically 30-40 % fat. The fat in
chicken is two thirds polyunsaturated, with most of it found in the
skin. Chicken eaten without the skin is only 5% fat. The amount of
cholesterol and saturated fat in both chicken and beef will depend
largely on the way the animals were fed and grazed. Free-range
animals that eat grass have much less fat in general, more healthful
essential fatty acids and as such pose little risk for elevating
cholesterol. Feeding animals organic food is an important way to
restore the health of all.
Achieving
a
Healthy
Cholesterol Balance
Eating
balanced,
nutrient-rich
meals is the key to lowering LDL
(unfavorable) cholesterol and raising HDL (favorable) cholesterol.
Meals that are 20-25% lean protein, 10-25% fats and 50-70% complex
carbohydrates, with lots of B vitamins and fiber (both soluble and
insoluble) will balance cholesterol. Strictly avoid fried foods and
snack foods with any cooked oils, white flour, white sugar and
chemical additives. There are numerous herbs and dietary supplements
that have been shown to lower LDL. Chinese red yeast extract is a
very reliable remedy to lower high cholesterol. Foods that nourish
the liver, balance hormones and heal the vascular system relieve the
body from having to make excess cholesterol. To live long and stay
heart healthy: eat lemon, flax seeds, artichokes, avocados and
olives, dandelion, green apples, soy, green tea, garlic, oysters,
mussels, cold water fish, nutritional yeast, antioxidants, fresh and
frozen berries and magnesium and potassium rich green vegetables and
herbs.
(Famous)
Last
Words
And...don't
forget
to
move your body. Walk, dance, stretch, pump
some iron, be a sport and breathe! Stress less, play more, make your
life a game, not a chore.
Ed
Bauman,
Ph.D.
is the director of the IET Nutrition and Culinary
Arts Programs in Cotati and is a nutrition consultant at Partners in
Health. Marsha McLaughlin, NC is the outreach coordinator for IET
(Institute for Educational Therapy). For more information call (800)
987-7530 or visit www.iet.org
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