Cholesterol

The Internet is ablaze with a scathing “news” story again about how coconut oil is bad for you. Again. This is the same old misinformed story we hear about the “dangers” of saturated fat. This is why we disagree.

Think about the myriad of images that pop into your head whenever you hear the simple yet overused phrase “heart-healthy.” We see this wording plastered across the packaging of so many products these days that it seems consumers appreciate that they are being marketed foods and other products that will ostensibly help keep their cardiovascular health in tip-top shape. The 5 top products/foods being marketed as 'heart-healthy" where there is proof that they actually are not.

So if it’s not total cholesterol and LDL-C that matter the most on your cholesterol panel, then what does matter? Jimmy Moore explains the 5 key health markers everyone who is concerned about their heart health should pay attention to - these matter more than total cholesterol and LDL-C.

Interview with Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman about Cholesterol Clarity. Dana Carpender asks the authors why they wrote the book and where all the misinformation came from that led us to this state.

It was not until the mid 20th century that Americans started to fear saturated fat and cholesterol. This fat and cholesterol phobia has contributed to a national obesity rate of 35% where one third of all deaths are blamed on heart disease. Caitlin Weeks examines the 10 Reasons You Need Cholesterol.

Right now, half of you are saying, "Well, of course, duh." My guess is you know the rest of what I'm going to say, so you could go look at LOLCats instead. (Oh, hai!) The rest of you are saying "Ancel Keys? Who the heck is Ancel Keys?" You're the ones who need to read on, because Ancel Keys has profoundly influenced your life, and the lives of everyone you love - or hate, or are indifferent to - and not for the better. Ancel Keys was the teller of one of the most damaging lies in the history of human kind. Ancel Keys is the man who convinced the world that saturated fat is dangerous.

Fat Is One Kind Of Lipid, But There Are Others. Dr. Beth Gruber talks about the various lipids and how they really impact your health. Fats and oils are members of a category of substances known as lipids. Other lipids include the compounds known as waxes, phospholipids, and steroids. Additionally, I have some more things to say about cholesterol, since cholesterol is one of these other lipids. Article 24 of the Science of Low-Carb & Keto Diets series.

Ketone production results from the breakdown of body fats. The excretion of the excess ketones in the urine is important because the presence of large amounts of ketone bodies in the blood threatens to upset the acid-alkaline balance of the blood, and thereby, the balance in the tissues. Article 22 of the Science of Low-Carb & Keto Diets series.

In the past several articles, we have been talking about how it is that fats and cholesterol became the enemies of the table. But after going through the entire story, we can see that the science of dietary fat is much more complicated than it has been presented by The Official Opinion. Article 18 of the Science of Low-Carb & Keto Diets series.

The incidence of heart disease has not declined, despite a decrease in fat intake. The most recent studies indicate that total dietary fat has no relation to heart disease risk, that monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) actually lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and that man-made trans-fatty acids (the type of fats in margarine) are the fats that are unhealthful. Article 17 of the Science of Low-Carb & Keto Diets series.

Dietary dogma about Dietary Fats came about despite the fact that there was very little evidence connecting diet to heart disease, and despite the concern of some scientists that eating too little fat could also have harmful effects. The media being what it is, it pushed all the scientific criticisms aside, and stood behind the simple, easy-to-understand but incorrect idea that less fat equals longer life. The government publishes the US Department of Agriculture's booklet on dietary guidelines every 5 years, and so far the well-known Food Pyramid still recommends that fats and oils be eaten "sparingly." Article 15 of the Science of Low-Carb & Keto Diets series.