Cholesterol gets such a bad rap! The medical profession is SO behind the actual science and since the creation of statins, the AMA has been lowering the healthy cholesterol level every decade which means more people fall into the category of “high” cholesterol and their answer for that means taking a statin for life. Lab values for “healthy cholesterol” are now under 200 where in 1960 healthy values were 260. In my opinion from a Functional Medicine perspective, the current levels are way too low. You need cholesterol! AND you need healthy, unsaturated fats (avocado, olive oil, grass fed butter, coconut oil, raw nuts and organic egg yolks) in order to make cholesterol. Cholesterol is THE precursor to your sex hormones- estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Without enough healhy fat to make healthy cholesterol, you absolutely cannot have hormone balance.
Deficiencies in cholesterol are DANGEROUS!
Levels <180 are associated with:
- 200% increase in cerebrovascular accidents
- 300% increase in liver cancer
- 200% increase in lung disease
- 200% increase in depression and suicides
- 200% increase in addictive behavior
Other super important actions include:
- Essential for serotonin production (happy hormone for brain)
- Needed for brain health
- Important for nerve conduction
- Protects against heart disease and cancer
- Crucial for infant brain development
- Maintains health of intestinal wall
- Helps prevent leaky gut and dysbiosis
- Contributes to longevity
- Supports healthy emotional responses
- Decreases suicide risk
There are many reasons why cholesterol levels can go askew and I’m going to tell you that taking a statin for the rest of your life is not going to help your health. In fact, statin drugs are highly associated with Alzheimers disease. Also, cholesterol DOES NOT cause heart disease. Cholesterol acts as a patch when the arterial walls become compromised and leaky. The remedy would be to strenghten the arterial walls with the nutrients they are missing. Cyruta Plus from Standard Process is your #1 supplement for that because of the ruin in the buckwheat. There are many other contributing factors to high cholesterol and your “normal” blood panel may very well hold hidden answers when read from a functional medicine perspective. To learn more about how to read your own “normal” blood panels, be sure to catch one of my upcoming webinars!