Is cholesterol a problem?

Cholesterol - The smoking gun of the last two decades.

      Cholesterol and the fear that yours was too high were rarely talked about in the mid 1980s.

      It's been responsible for demonizing entire categories of foods (like eggs and saturated fats) and blamed for just about every case of heart disease in the last 20 years.

      Somewhere along the line cholesterol became a household word -- something that you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences.

      You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray cholesterol and fat as one of the worst foods you can eat. You need to understand that these myths are actually harming your health.

      Not only is cholesterol most likely not going to destroy your health (as you have been led to believe), but it is also not the cause of heart disease.

And for those of you taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, the information that follows could not have been given to you fast enough. But before I go deep into this life-changing information, let's take a look at some basics first.

What is Cholesterol, and Why Do You Need It?

       Yes, you do need cholesterol.

This soft, waxy substance is found not only in your bloodstream, but also in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce hormones , cell membranes, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the formation of your memories and is vital for neurological function.

Your liver makes about 75 percent of your body's cholesterol and according to conventional medicine, there are two types:

1.     High-density lipoprotein, or HDL: This is the "good" cholesterol that helps to keep cholesterol away from your arteries and remove any excess from arterial plaque, which may help to prevent heart disease.

2.     Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL: This "bad" cholesterol circulates in your blood and, according to conventional thinking, may build up in your arteries, forming plaque that makes your arteries narrow and less flexible (a condition called atherosclerosis). If a clot forms in one of these narrowed arteries leading to your heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke may result.

Also making up your total cholesterol count are:

·         Triglycerides: Elevated levels of this dangerous fat have been linked to heart disease and diabetes. Triglyceride levels are known to rise from eating too many grains and sugars, being physically inactive, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol excessively and being overweight or obese.

·         Lipoprotein is a substance that is made up of the LDL "bad cholesterol" part plus a protein at high levels are a very strong risk factor for heart disease. This has been well established, yet very few physicians check for it in their patients.

           I just had to include some video concerning the fallacy on cholesterol.