Updated May 15, 2021. Medical review by Albert J. Hart, MD
Cholesterol Information is a frequent topic of concern for people starting a ketogenic diet, because we have been repeatedly told that cholesterol in our foods and in our bodies is a bad thing. This is not true.
Fact: Half of all heart related deaths occur in people who have normal cholesterol levels.
Many people still believe that consuming saturated fat and having elevated cholesterol are synonymous with death from heart disease. This oft-repeated story is called the Diet-Heart Hypothesis.
Problem is it's not true. It's a failed hypothesis based on flawed studies. New unbiased research shows that saturated fat and cholesterol levels in the blood aren't strongly associated with heart disease. Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, the Diet Heart lie still finds it way to the public via the mainstream media's medical ignorance and compromised health organizations and physicians who default to drug companies instead of the latest scientific literature and cholesterol Information.
Considering the fact stated above, and the studies which suggest that higher cholesterol levels are associated with lower rates of mortality from any cause, we should consider the idea that cholesterol may be a substance we want to encourage, not reduce.
In fact, cholesterol is essential to life, and it provides many substantial benefits to our body's state of health. Below is some cholesterol information of which you may be unaware:
- Cholesterol is required to maintain cellular membrane integrity. Every cell in your body has a membrane which keeps the cell together and maintains the insides from the outside environment. This cell membrane is key to our ability to live and thrive, and cholesterol literally keeps your cell membranes from being destroyed when you get hot or cold. Your body cannot make new cells without cholesterol, and the body uses it to repair cellular damage.
- Cholesterol is the building material from which your body makes bile for the digestion of fatty acids. Without bile, you could not digest the fats you eat and your body would not have the materials it needs to build your cells. Since a large part of your brain is composed of fat (60% by weight), a lack of cholesterol would have a tremendous effect on your well being.
- Cholesterol is the parent substance from which aldosterone and cortisol are made. Without these two hormones, you would die in a matter of days, because these hormones keep the amount of salt and sugar in your blood at the right levels.
- Cholesterol is also the parent for another hormone called calcitrol. Calcitrol is the active form of vitamin D within the body, and it is involved in more than 300 cellular processes. One of the most important is the regulation of calcium levels in our bones. Without calcitrol, calcium would pass right through the body, and our bones and teeth would dissolve. In addition, nerve transmissions would fail, as they depend on calcium. The result would be total paralysis as muscle groups would be unable to respond to nerve impulses. Your heart, which is a muscle, would be unable to contract.
- Cholesterol helps the body fight infections and indeed this may be its most important benefit.
Current research has suggested that heart disease and atherosclerosis may be caused by infectious organisms and the resulting inflammation they cause. Higher levels of cholesterol protect the body from these inflammatory microorganisms.
- Cholesterol acts as a protective substance against stroke and cancer.
- Low cholesterol contributes to mood disorders, such as aggression, violence and depression. A team at the Yale University School of Medicine has theorized that cholesterol somehow regulates and influences brain neurochemistry.
- Your brain, which is the seat of your memories, your personality, your "you-ness" relies heavily on cholesterol. The brain uses about 20% of your total body cholesterol. If the brain doesn't have enough cholesterol, cognitive problems happen. Indeed, some people have reported experiencing loss of memory