As a Naturopathic Doctor & Integrative Medical Specialist, I am trained to look for the root cause of an illness. There are many controversies that exist in medicine today regarding cholesterol. These include:
What is the magic number?
What’s the best way to lower it?
What foods should be avoided in connection with it?
I’m going to step out of box even more than a toe, and suggest that maybe cholesterol isn’t the enemy. Maybe it’s just an innocent bystander that’s trying to help save you from the REAL bad guy. Is it getting all the blame because it’s doing such a good job at covering up the real issue?
A recent article about Red Rice Yeast and Cholesterol by Dr. Mercola was recently posted. In this article, Dr. Mercola explained all the functions of cholesterol how it serves vital roles in the body.I encourage you to read it.
Cholesterol is a healing agent, it is the structural component of all cell membranes. It therefore serves to promote the fluidity and receptor function of all cells. It is also the precursor to all sex hormones and fat soluble vitamins. (Hmmm….Vitamin D issues everywhere today with statins on the rise??!). Cholesterol is the main component of your brain and eyes (in the form of DHA), and it is linked to thyroid function. In fact, according to Kerry Bone, PhD, the second leading cause of high cholesterol is low thyroid function. This includes sub clinical hypothyroid, meaning you have all the symptoms of low thyroid without the winning test numbers!
Therefore, do you really want to lower this vital substance, or do you want to allow your body to use it? What if that theory that heart disease and clogged arteries are related to insulin and inflammation is true? This means that cholesterol is transported to the site of damage for repair, not to clog you up your arteries and cause blockage. What if the side effects of lowering something that your body makes and needs for so many vital functions can cause serious side effects??
I think high cholesterol is more a symptom than a disease. I do recommend it be used as a measure. I’ve had the joy of watching “high” cholesterol in my clients lower when we began treating the underlying pathology of their chief issue, which may not necessarily be the heart, by the way.
Read Dr. Mercola’s article. Think about it from a biochemical standpoint? Make an educated decision from both sides of the equation. A few might call me crazy, but can you argue with consistent results in practice?? I suppose so, a lot of people do.. 😉
In health,
Dr. Sarah
dr-lobisco.com (search cholesterol for more information)
