hmm, i rather beleive heart churgeons like docter hartenbach and several other, he made a book called the cholesterol lie

+ why does eating lots of saturated fats lower your LDL if its "fat in the bloodstream"

i dont care what you learned, i only know you wasted time

Taken from-- The Skinny on Fats

By Mary Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon
http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyou...kinny.html#chol

Along with saturated fats, cholesterol in the cell membrane gives our cells necessary stiffness and stability. When the diet contains an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids, these replace saturated fatty acids in the cell membrane, so that the cell walls actually become flabby. When this happens, cholesterol from the blood is "driven" into the tissues to give them structural integrity. This is why serum cholesterol levels may go down temporarily when we replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated oils in the diet.46

Cholesterol acts as a precursor to vital corticosteroids, hormones that help us deal with stress and protect the body against heart disease and cancer; and to the sex hormones like androgen, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone.

Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D, a very important fat-soluble vitamin needed for healthy bones and nervous system, proper growth, mineral metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production, reproduction and immune system function.

The bile salts are made from cholesterol. Bile is vital for digestion and assimilation of fats in the diet.

Recent research shows that cholesterol acts as an antioxidant.47 This is the likely explanation for the fact that cholesterol levels go up with age. As an antioxidant, cholesterol protects us against free radical damage that leads to heart disease and cancer.

Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain.48 Serotonin is the body's natural "feel-good" chemical. Low cholesterol levels have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior, depression and suicidal tendencies.

Mother's milk is especially rich in cholesterol and contains a special enzyme that helps the baby utilize this nutrient. Babies and children need cholesterol-rich foods throughout their growing years to ensure proper development of the brain and nervous system.

Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall.49 This is why low-cholesterol vegetarian diets can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal disorders.

Referenced articles:
46 Jones, P J, Am J Clin Nutr, Aug 1997, 66(2):438-46; Julias, A D, et al, J Nutr, Dec 1982, 112(12):2240-9
47 Cranton, E M, MD, and J P Frackelton, MD, Journal of Holistic Medicine, Spring/Summer 1984, 6-37
48 Engelberg, Hyman, Lancet, Mar 21, 1992, 339:727-728; Wood, W G, et al, Lipids, Mar 1999, 34(3):225-234
49 Alfin-Slater, R B, and L Aftergood, "Lipids," Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 6th ed, R S Goodhart and M E Shils, eds, Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia 1980, 134

And another interesting piece about "artery clogs" (also from the above mentioned article)--

The scientific evidence, honestly evaluated, does not support the assertion that "artery-clogging" saturated fats cause heart disease.44 Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated.45

44 Ravnskov, U, J Clin Epidemiol, Jun 1998, 516):443-460. See also http://home2.swipnet.se/~w-25775/
45 Felton, C V, et al, Lancet, 1994, 344:1195

Framingham and MFIT studies indicated that pre-50 people with
lower cholesterol live longer than people with higher
cholesterol.There was an interesting quirk in the data that
shower that, for people past 50 yeaars old,this trend reverses.
There is some speculation that the past 50 people with low cholesterol who died may have had terminal problems that caused their bodies not to generate enough cholesterol.
We all should do our homework and choose our own paths.
It isn't always easy or obvious

The quirk in the data is that the pre 50s had a benefit from statins. Deaths occur more frequently in those over 50. What the study showed was that most people were better off without satins.

"The quirk in the data is that the pre 50s had a benefit from statins. Deaths occur more frequently in those over 50. What the study showed was that most people were better off without satins."
There is no mention of statins in the Framingham data.
Given the fact that statins have only been around for a little more than 20 years and they have only become popular in the last 10 years,they seem to have no relevance to Framingham.
Whether statins are good or bad is not clear.

I am still studying the issue, myself. :-)

From my reading, I've learned that statins seem to show benefit to males 50 and below. But the benefit has little to do with cholesterol, and everything to do with statin's anti-inflammatory properties.

Even more interesting is that there is no proof perceived benefit for the female population in taking statins, yet my doctor is insisting that I take statins to lower my cholesterol/LDL levels.

I'm stocking up an arsenal of information for my next doctor visit. <<evil grin>>

OHGal,

What is the breakdown of your lipid levels?

interesting

another thing i'm bothered with, is why eating lots of saturated fats even lowers LDL in most cases

this has been mentioned a few times, i do beleive saturated fats are healthy, but if it lowers LDL, is the ldl a bad thing?

i think this is one of the whorst understood items about human health

A large number of LoCarb/HiFat folks have elevated LDL but
great HDL and Triglycerides.A low fat diet will generally lead
to low LDL but low HDL as well.Triglycerides seem to be mainly
increased by sugar,

It's also been my experience that high TG levels can also be caused by a concentration of overly-processed ("franken") foods, such as LC bars and shakes.

However, some people do fine with them. YMMV.

It's not that saturated fat lowers cholesterol at all. It's other factors involved in altering the synthesis of cholesterol by the liver.

Anthony Colpo of theomnivore.com has just self-published a book on the cholesterol myth. People familiar with his writings will know that he is very thorough with his research and his references should be pretty exhaustive.

I haven't read Anthony's book, but have read Uffe Ravnskov's The Cholesterol Myths and highly recomend it.