The myths about cholesterol a fatty substance that liver makes continue to confuse and mislead both doctors and the common people alike. The cholesterol is, in fact, one of the most powerful healing foods and molecules the human body can ingest and produce.
Cholesterol, for example, play a vital role in the health of our bones for calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50% of the dietary fats should be saturated.
In 2013, The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology couldn’t find any scientific evidence that limiting dietary cholesterol had an effect on ‘bad’ cholesterol in the arteries.
In fact, a study in 2020 by The British Medical Journal found that people who ate about one egg per day were no more likely to develop coronary artery disease or stroke than people who didn’t eat eggs.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans even lifted its cholesterol recommendation of 300 milligrams per day, saying it didn’t have enough information to set a limit. The quantities of total cholesterol level in adults are 200 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL) are considered desirable for adults. Adults are needed to check their cholesterol levels in every 4 to 6 years. Although, children are only need to have their levels checked once or twice before the age of 18.
Our body needs some cholesterol to do function properly. It helps to make hormones and vitamin D, which help us to digest food in our body. Having too much quantity of bad cholesterol in your body is causing at risk like heart attack and stroke.
Cholesterol can be measured in these three categories:—
Total cholesterol— In adults desired for total cholesterol level are less than 200 (mg/dL),
Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol— LDL cholesterol clog arteries and blood flow which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol— it remove cholesterol from the blood to the liver, moves harmful bad cholesterol from where it doesn’t belong. HDL levels reduce the risk of heart attack and heart disease.
The origin of Heart Disease
In the 20th century Heart Disease was considered a very rare disease. By the 1950’s, it was considered a major health threat. Today, despite trillions of dollars research and the best medical equipment available, the American Heart Association says that 48 % Americans today have a chance of getting this deadly disease. As food processing began to take off so did the occurrence of heart disease. In the recent time Cholesterol has been vilified as the major cause of heart disease. We can vary cholesterol by different age, weight and gender. The claim that it clogs our arteries is known world-wide, despite no scientific evidence to validate the idea.
The benefits of saturated fat (cholesterol)
Role of cholesterol in our bodies and the intake of these compounds in our diet:
Cell membrane health— cholesterol gives our cells necessary stiffness and integrity. It constitutes at least 50 % of the cell membranes.
Bone health— they play a vital role in the health of our bones for calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50% of the dietary fats should be saturated.
Lower Lipoprotein— Lp(a), is a particle in our body which carries cholesterol, fat and protein. A substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease. They protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins, such as Tylenol/paracetamol.
Enhance immunity— they enhance the immune system and act as an anti-depressant by enhancing serotonin receptor function. Low cholesterol is highly associated with violent and aggressive behaviour, depression and suicidal tendencies.
Proper use of essential fats— they are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids. Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet is rich in saturated fats.
Anti-Microbial properties— short and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract. Cholesterol plays a vital role in the repair and maintenance of the intestinal wall, preventing leaky gut syndrome, ulcerative colitis and a host of other intestinal disorder.
Anti-Oxidant protection— cholesterol is now understood to be a vital anti-oxidant that protects us from free radical damage and helps to heal any arterial damage that may have occurred. Higher levels of free radical damage from oxidative stress.
Bile production— cholesterol produces bile salts that help us metabolize fats in our diet.
Brain and Nervous system development— cholesterol is important for children and babies as they develop their brain and nervous system.
letters@tehelka.com
