Think of the arterial wall as a tennis net.
The net prevents a tennis ball and larger items from passing through. But if the net tears, bigger items slip through. So it is with arteries. Healthy walls prevent cholesterol from getting in. But inflammation damages the walls, allowing the oxidized – and sticky – cholesterol to pass through. Furthermore, there are two types of LDL
– large buoyant, and small dense. The large buoyant LDLs are basically harmless. It’s the small dense ones that wreak havoc. They’re smaller than the holes in the ‘tennis net’ and pass through the arterial walls more easily. Inflammation increases the amount of the small dense LDL. So what causes the inflammation?
Dietarily, quite simply, it’s carbohydrates, es- pecially refined, high starch, and high sugar carbs. Carbs cause a spike in insulin, the hormone secreted by the pancreas to lower blood sugar. At normal levels, insulin is both essential and harmless. But persistent high levels cause a multitude of health problems, mostly related to the insulin-induced inflam- mation.
Misguided Medicine, or Conspiracy? If the evidence is so overwhelming
against cholesterol causing heart disease, why the push to lower cholesterol? Several factors seem to be involved. Large credit goes to American scientist
Ancel Keys. Keys hypothesized that a diet high in animal fats led to heart disease. To prove this, in the 1950s, he collected data both on deaths from CAD and on fat con- sumption from 22 countries. Despite the fact that 22 countries provided statistics, Keys cherry-picked the data from the 7 countries that supported his theory. Later known as the “Seven Countries Study,” the results ap- peared to show that serum cholesterol was strongly related to CAD mortality. As a result, in 1956 the American Heart Association began telling people that a diet rich in butter, lard, eggs and beef would lead to coronary heart disease. The U.S. govern- ment piled on, recommending adoption of a low-fat diet to prevent heart disease. Sadly, this idea still prevails despite the fact that there is not a shred of scientific evidence to prove it. (And yes, the Food Pyramid is upside down!) Secondly, the Food and Drug Adminis-
tration currently is on the payroll of the drug industry. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to pay fees to the FDA for speedy approval of their drugs. Thus a large amount of FDA funding comes directly from Big Pharma.
Currently, 70 percent of all new drug
research is funded by the pharmaceuti- cal industry and 30 percent is government funded. Control of funding means control over data outcome. Moreover, study conclu- sions are often written by physicians hired by drug companies and published in medical journals that accept millions in drug adver- tising funds.
As noted at the beginning, 3 of the top 10 prescription drugs sold in 2010 were for cholesterol. Follow the money.
So What to Do? There are two keys points: First, dietary
cholesterol by itself does not cause heart disease; Second, eating fat does not make you fat. Sugar is the culprit. Begin by limiting your daily carb intake
to 100 grams or less. If you happen to have a higher carb day, balance it by going ultra- low carb the next day. Choose carbs that are complex, high-fiber, and unrefined. Eat whole fruit; avoid fruit juice. Avoid ALL high fructose corn syrup.
Increase daily protein intake to at least
0.5 gram per pound of lean body weight, spread out among breakfast, lunch and din- ner. Consume fats from good saturated or monosaturated sources, such as eggs, lean meats, olives, nuts, cheese, butter, plain yogurt, and olive oil. Avoid unsaturated and trans fats, including corn oil and margarine. • Increase Omega-3 fish oil intake to
6000 mg/day or higher. This is a great natural anti-inflammatory and also is the best way to reduce your triglycerides. • Add anti-oxidants to keep oxidation from damaging cholesterol and fish oil. These include: Coenzyme Q10; Vitamins A, C & E; Alpha Lipoic Acid. • Raise HDL via exercise, niacin (use sustained-release to avoid flushing), and vitamin D.
As Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.”
Submitted by Paul D. Tortland, DO of Valley Sports Physicians and Orthopedic Medicine in Avon, CT. For more information, call 860- 675-0357 or visit
www.jockdoctors.com. See ad on page 3.
14 Natural Nutmeg February 2012
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