SCIENCE! Cholesterol
Before we start, please, PLEASE watch a video. We had nothing to do with it, but rather we, as is true of so many good things in life, were given it. Simply internet search for 'time travel nutritionist' and select the approximately 4 minute length video.
Okay, now that you are back from watching the video, you can read some words here which essentially summarize that video but in a much less entertaining manner. In this SCIENCE! we look at cholesterol and health.
This article, more than any so far, warrants one of our two mottos: Life is complicated.
Some may remember the poster of a steak dripping with fatty grease side-by-side with an artery completely blocked with identical appearing fatty grease. The suggestion was, 'you eat it, it clogs your arteries.' And then you have a heart attack.
Guess what. It doesn't work that way. Did you ever eat a giant bowl of spinach and end up with green stuff in your arteries? No. Us either. I mean, we ate the bowl of spinach, but the artery thing didn't happen. Not with spinach, not with fatty grease.
The fat and cholesterol that go in our mouths has very little to do with what our cholesterol blood test shows. Remember hearing that egg yolks are bad because they have too much cholesterol? Now, even the federal government has eliminated any recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol (an unfortunately under-advertised fact).
And saturated fat? DREADED SATURATED FAT! Looks like something similar to cholesterol. It seems that it is not beneficial as far as life expectancy, weight, and heart attacks, but it does't look very detrimental either.
The hip theory nowadays is inflammation. Heart attacks are caused by inflammation. Strokes are caused by inflammation. Dementia, depression, liver disease, and arthritis are caused by inflammation. And a major contributor to inflammation is carbohydrate, the toast from the video.
To make matters more complicated, going on the Atkins diet may not fix things. Sure, you get rid of carbohydrates and you eat plenty of fat and cholesterol which we just said were mostly health-neutral. Well, studies show that processed meats are detrimental. We bet you had a few pieces of bacon on that Atkins diet. And what flavor beef jerky? Teriyaki? Mmmmm...
In summary, for the majority of people, dietary carbohydrate intake is the driving factor for inflammation and poor cholesterol (and many other health and wellness problems). On the contrary, dietary cholesterol such as egg yolks and dairy seems weight and heart-health neutral.
Of course, life is complicated, especially in this arena. If you would appreciate some assistance negotiating this complexity, maybe developing a personalized nutrition or wellness plan, contact us at contact@refinewellnessconsulting.com or on the CONTACT page.