Heart Disease Truth or Myth
Heart Disease: Understand the Difference between Truth and Myth.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 by: Dr. David Jockers, citizen journalist.
(NaturalNews) Heart Disease was considered a very rare disease in the early 20th century.
The lipid hypothesis theory that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease changed
the shape of the nation in the 1950s. Society began to run away from saturated fat and
cholesterol and turned to man-made processed fats as a replacement. As corporate food
processing machines began to become more popular so did the occurrence of heart
disease. Today, the lipid hypothesis can be considered one of the greatest scientific myths
to date.
The lipid hypothesis was developed by Ancel Keys in the 1950s. This theory states that
there is a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet
and the incidence of coronary heart disease. With questionable evidence, Keys went about
writing articles and promoting this hypothesis throughout the medical world. Meanwhile,
hundreds of subsequent studies testing this hypothesis have found differing conclusions.
Despite the lack of evidence this notion took off throughout the healthcare world and was
fueled by the vegetable oil and food processing industries that sought to benefit from this key
finding.
Close to 90% of all well-planned, properly documented studies investigating the lipid
hypothesis do not support the claim that "artery-clogging" saturated fats and dietary
cholesterol cause heart disease. Scientists examining a clogged artery will only find that
about 26% of the fat in the plaque is saturated. More than half of the fat is polyunsaturated.
According to Dr. Mary Enig, PhD saturated fats & cholesterol are necessary for the following
reasons:
1.Saturated fatty acids and cholesterol constitute at least 50% of the cell membranes. They
give our cells necessary stiffness and integrity.
2.They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For calcium to be effectively incorporated
into the bone at least 50% of the dietary fats should be saturated.
3. Cholesterol is the precursor to Vitamin D & major hormones that regulate stress, energy &
sex hormone (estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, etc) function.
4.They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease. They
protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins such as Tylenol.
5.They enhance the immune system and act as an anti-depressant by enhancing serotonin
receptor function. Low cholesterol is highly associated with violent and aggressive behavior,
depression, and suicidal tendencies
6.They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids. Elongated omega-3 fatty
acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet is rich in saturated fats.
7.Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the preferred foods for
the heart, which is why the fat around the heart muscle is highly saturated. The heart draws
on this reserve of fat in times of stress.
8.Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties.
They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract. Cholesterol plays a
vital role in the repair and maintenance of the intestinal wall, preventing leaky gut syndrome,
ulcerative colitis, and a host of other intestinal disorders.
9.Cholesterol is now understood to be a vital anti-oxidant that protects us from free radical
damage and helps to heal any arterial damage that may have occurred.
10.Cholesterol is extraordinarily important for babies & children as they develop their brain
and nervous system. Over half of the brain is composed of saturated fats and cholesterol.
One of the richest sources of cholesterol is mother's milk which also contains a special
enzyme that helps the baby metabolize and use this nutrient.
It is known today that cholesterol itself does not cause heart disease. Free radicals that
interact with cholesterol molecules cause them to oxidize. It is oxidized cholesterol that
causes major problems within the vasculature of the body.
When inflammatory pathways are elevated it decreases the anti-oxidant protection around
the cholesterol molecules. Without this protective wall of anti-oxidants the cholesterol
molecules are easily oxidized and blood vessels are damaged.
Increasing evidence has revealed that the concentration and size of the LDL particles more
powerfully relates to the degree of atherosclerosis progression than the concentration of
cholesterol contained within all the LDL particles. One may have very high levels of LDL
particles yet still have a low risk of atherosclerosis. This is due to the anti-oxidant protection
around the LDL particles.
Pattern A lipid profile consists of larger and more buoyant LDL particles. These larger
particles carry a high volume of the antioxidant Vitamin E which helps to fend off free
radicals. They pose only a very small chance of being oxidized while traveling through the
circulatory system. Due to the anti-oxidant protection this is a very healthy blood lipid panel.
Typical Pattern A lab findings: LDL: Anywhere from low-normal-high
HDL: Normal
Triglycerides: Normal (should be under 70)
Pattern B lipid profile consists of small LDL particles. The particles carry less fat-soluble
antioxidants such as Vitamin E. This increases the likelihood of oxidation by free radicals.
Due to their lesser size they also pose a major threat of slipping into the endothelial wall.
Once they slip into the endothelial wall there is high probability they will become oxidized
and damage the vessel. Regardless of the total number of LDL particles this is a very
dangerous blood lipid panel.
Typical Pattern B lab findings: LDL: Anywhere from low-normal-high
HDL: Low
Triglycerides: High
Pattern B lipid profile is strongly linked to poor diet and blood sugar control. A diet high in
refined fats and sugars and low in anti-oxidants and good fats is the typical culprit.
Trans-fats and high omega 6 fats (vegetable oils and grain-fed meat) cause a rampant
increase in prostaglandin E2 and other inflammatory mediators. A diet high in these anti-
nutrients causes massive amounts of free radicals to be produced and significant tissue
damage to occur.
Healthy fats like the saturated fats common to coconut oil & grass-fed animal products have
been shown to increase HDL and enhance Pattern A lipoprotein function. Additionally, good
fats such as EPA/DHA within fish/krill oil and Omega 9 fats common to olive oil, avocados,
and almonds play a significant role in lipoprotein function.
Sugar consumption causes a very quick increase in blood sugar. When blood sugar rises
quickly the pancreas pumps out massive amounts of insulin to clear the sugar out of the
bloodstream. High circulating insulin increases the inflammatory pathways. High insulin also
triggers triglyceride and cholesterol formation while draining the system of its anti-oxidant
protection.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) immediately stimulates lipogenesis (fat generation) by
turning into activated glycerol (G-3-P). This provides the very backbone for triglyceride
formation. The fatty acids created during fructose metabolism accumulate as fat droplets in
your liver and skeletal muscle tissues. Over time this causing insulin resistance and non-
alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products, toxins, and
free radicals. These free radicals steal anti-oxidants from our system and damage tissues in
a process called glycation. Glycation accelerates the aging process and dramatically
decreases our overall health and well-being.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...
http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.co...
http://www.medicinenet.com/your_cho...
http://www.health-report.co.uk/satu...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_...
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...
About the author
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is
a chiropractor, exercise physiologist and natural health specialist. His expertise is in
weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care.
For more information go to www.exodushc.com