The general public has internalized the message that "cholesterol is bad" and "fat in food increases cholesterol levels" without questioning it - this dogma continues to be spread and promoted in advertisements, by doctors, in magazines and even in Hollywood films: if you eat too much steak, butter and fatty foods, you may suffer a heart attack or stroke - red meat and fatty foods should therefore be taboo for anyone who suffers from heart and vascular diseases or does not want to get them. Many doctors continue to claim that if you eat too much cholesterol, i.e. fatty foods, then the risk of heart attack and stroke increases.
It is therefore all the more astonishing that these statements are not only scientifically questionable, but have already been refuted several times. The statement that cholesterol in food increases our risk of developing arteriosclerosis is not based on scientific consensus and is outdated. This is because numerous scientific studies have failed to link cholesterol in high-fat foods and cholesterol in the blood. In addition, the statement that foods containing cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease and stroke is based on outdated and now refuted statements by a doctor who successfully spread this myth after the Second World War.
In this article, we would like to clarify what the scientific knowledge on cholesterol and nutrition really looks like, the two types of cholesterol that need to be distinguished between and whether it is better to avoid animal fats.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is an unsaturated and tasteless alcohol that is split off from a steroid skeleton. The name is derived from the Greek word “chole”, which means “fat”.
Cholesterol (when produced by our body, it is called cholesterol) is the most important steroid in zoology. We find cholesterol in almost all animal fats and sometimes even in plant materials - but only in small amounts. Cholesterol was first isolated in 1788 from gallstones, where it is particularly concentrated. Since the sterol ring of cholesterol cannot be broken down, it is transported to the liver, where it is converted into bile acid and finally excreted into our intestines via the bile.
We also find cholesterol in our brain mass, where it makes up to 10% of the “dry mass.” Cholesterol also makes up a large part of the mass in egg yolks, our skin, the adrenal glands, and in the wool fat of sheep (called “lanolin”).
If cholesterol is so abundant in our bodies and is a component of important organs such as the skin and brain, then it probably has a useful function, right?
What is cholesterol for?
Cholesterol is an essential component of our body. It is an important building block for our cell membrane and makes up a large part of the fat layer in our skin.
Cholesterol is often a starting product for the formation of other steroids, such as some hormones, which are also called steroid hormones. It is also involved in the formation of steroid alkaloids, vitamin D and bile acid.
We humans either absorb cholesterol into our bodies through food or it is produced by the cells in our bodies themselves. Cholesterol is so important for our survival that our bodies can produce it themselves. An adult human produces around 800 mg of cholesterol in a day. Basically, those cells that need cholesterol to produce hormones or other substances can usually produce it themselves. This is the case, for example, for cells that produce sex hormones or cortisone and need cholesterol for this.
As always in biology and biochemistry, however, it is not quite that simple, because not all cholesterol is the same. And this is precisely where we find the important distinction that calls the statement that cholesterol is harmful into question.
As already mentioned, cholesterol can be absorbed by our body through food or produced by the body itself. Cholesterol is either synthesized or transported into the blood by lipoproteins. It is precisely those lipoproteins that transport cholesterol into the blood that are the real "culprits" that have unfairly given cholesterol its bad reputation.
But how can we differentiate cholesterol in this regard?
The distinction between cholesterol and its density is particularly important:
We differentiate between LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), a lipoprotein particle with low density, and HDL cholesterol, a lipoprotein particle with high density.
Depending on which lipoprotein is used to transport cholesterol, the transport systems can be divided into this subgroup. Doctors determine cholesterol in the blood as a total value, which in turn can be categorized into two subvalues, HDL and LDL.
HDL – the “good” cholesterol
HDL, a high-density lipoprotein particle, serves as a transport system for cholesterol. It is colloquially known as “good” cholesterol because it has been proven not to cause arteriosclerosis and is even able to remove excess cholesterol that has been deposited in the vessel walls.
HDL transports the blood fat to the liver, where it is broken down. HDL is therefore seen by doctors and scientists merely as a marker for a potential vascular disease - it does not cause cardiovascular disease itself.
LDL – the “bad” cholesterol
LDL, a low-density lipoprotein, has long been criticized: low-density transport proteins are said to cause cardiovascular disease and clog arteries.
People with high LDL levels have been warned by their doctors to strictly restrict their diet and avoid animal fats. If the LDL level in the blood is really too high, then the risk of cardiovascular disease also increases. However, it has not yet been clearly proven whether this increase in LDL levels is caused by cholesterol in food. The increase in LDL levels has also been observed in people who consume very little animal fat.
From a purely scientific point of view, the common distinction between “good” and “bad” makes little sense, since the lipoproteins are qualitatively equivalent.
But why is LDL “bad”?
Scientific knowledge on cholesterol in food
Scientific studies have shown the following: People who have high LDL or low HDL have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Lowering LDL cholesterol can reduce the risk of heart attack. Raising HDL cholesterol, however, does not reduce the risk.
For this reason, HDL is considered a marker for cardiovascular disease.
LDL should not be considered as “bad” cholesterol, but can be seen as a causal factor for cardiovascular diseases.
But can an unhealthy diet or a disproportionately fatty diet be ruled out as a coronary risk factor?
The violation of fundamental laws of nature & economic interests
An unhealthy diet has a negative impact on our health - that is a scientific fact. Fast food, eating excessive amounts of red meat and consuming a lack of fiber and vitamins will make people sick in the long run - that is also a fact. Animal proteins, on the other hand, have always served humans as a nutrient-rich and healthy source of food. We have been consuming animal proteins since the dawn of humanity and our bodies have evolved to optimally utilize these proteins.
It is also interesting that in the 1970s the margarine industry invested several million in “reducing” the cholesterol in butter, even though we now know that butter is the only fat that our body can use immediately and optimally.
As early as the 1950s, the American nutritionist Ancel Keys confirmed:
" There is no connection whatsoever between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in blood. And we knew it all along. Cholesterol in food is of no interest unless you are a chicken or a rabbit. "
The idea that cholesterol and fat are fundamentally unhealthy and lead to cardiovascular disease is scientifically incorrect. It is also not scientifically sound that animal fats lead to arteriosclerosis or make us sick.
This myth was spread by an American doctor after World War II, who tried to explain the high mortality rate of men from heart attacks in the USA. The only explanation he could give for the fact that fewer European men died from cardiovascular disease in post-war Europe was the fatty diet in the USA, and he spread this assumption at the annual medical congress - the myth took its course without sufficient and proven scientific support.
It has long been proven that the cholesterol level in our blood is not determined by what we eat.
Breast milk already contains high amounts of cholesterol and is proven to be one of the healthiest foods there is. However, heavily processed foods, such as wheat flour, are strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and cholesterol levels in the blood.
The human violation of the basic laws of nature and the strong alteration of a natural food through technical and chemical processes has been linked in numerous studies to cardiovascular diseases, cholesterol levels in the blood and malignant tumors.
If a person eats a healthy diet, including red meat, butter and whole milk, then from a scientific and nutritional point of view this is not a reason why that person will suffer from cardiovascular disease. Nor does it increase the cholesterol level in the blood.
Numerous studies have shown that a disturbed metabolism, isolated carbohydrates from processed foods and inherited diseases are the main factors for an increased LDL cholesterol level and promote the development of arteriosclerosis, but not cholesterol.
The conclusion – cholesterol in our food has no influence on heart and vascular diseases
The conclusion is: The cholesterol in our food has no influence on heart and vascular diseases.
Cholesterol is an essential substance for our body and is produced by the body itself. Cholesterol is also important so that our body can produce certain hormones and vitamins. The cholesterol in our food does not affect the cholesterol level in our blood, but rather isolated carbohydrates and metabolic disorders (lipid metabolism disorders).
If we eat consciously, in a balanced and healthy way, then animal fats that contain cholesterol do not pose a threat to our health, but can even promote it.
Hereditary diseases and metabolic disorders are often a factor in which cholesterol levels should be monitored.
It is also important that we consume animal proteins from high-quality sources: for example, a steak from the organic market instead of chicken nuggets. Or whole milk from pasture-fed cows instead of a milkshake from a fast-food restaurant. High saturated fatty acids can also reduce the risk of stroke by 20%.
This is because processed foods and the isolated carbohydrates they contain pose a risk for cardiovascular diseases and can promote the development of arteriosclerosis.
Sources:
https://www. Spektrum.de/news/ernaehrung-wie-schaedlich-ist-cholesterin-real/1970140