What if everything you thought you knew about cholesterol was wrong? Dr. Annette Bosworth, MD (Dr. Boz), has spent years helping patients understand the truth about cholesterol. She’s seen firsthand how common myths can sabotage your health. This post will debunk three of the most persistent cholesterol myths, setting the record straight and helping you focus on what truly matters for your well-being.
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Myth #1: Cholesterol is Unhealthy
Think cholesterol is the enemy? Think again.
The Myth: Cholesterol in the body is unhealthy.
The Truth: Cholesterol is absolutely essential for life. It’s not some evil substance waiting to clog your arteries. Your body can’t even live without it. Here’s why cholesterol is so important:
- Cell Structure: Cholesterol is a key building block in the cell lining of every cell in your body. It strengthens the cell membrane and protects it from temperature changes. Without cholesterol, cells would melt if they got too hot or crystallize if they got too cold.
- Digestion: Cholesterol is the main ingredient in bile. Bile helps you absorb fats and also helps your body get rid of toxins.
- Nerve Function: Cholesterol is a major component of the myelin sheath, the protective layer of fat around every nerve.
- Hormone Production: Cholesterol is needed to create sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen.
- Vitamin D: Your body needs cholesterol to make vitamin D.
These fat-based molecules simply couldn’t exist without cholesterol. It’s that vital.
Myth #2: Eating Cholesterol Raises Your Cholesterol
Have you been avoiding eggs and other cholesterol-rich foods? It might be time to reconsider.
The Myth: Eating cholesterol will raise your blood cholesterol, leading to clogged arteries.
The Origin of the Myth: An old article unfairly demonized cholesterol, and that fear has stuck around for decades.
The Truth: Dietary cholesterol has very little impact on your blood cholesterol levels. How little? Less than 1%.
Your body tightly regulates cholesterol levels. Your liver and brain make most of the cholesterol you need. But every single cell in your body has the DNA to make cholesterol if needed. It’s that important.
Myth #3: High Blood Cholesterol Causes Heart Disease
Is your doctor overly focused on your cholesterol numbers? Here’s a different way to think about heart health.
The Myth: High blood cholesterol causes heart disease.
The Flaw in the Dogma: This idea is based on a 50-year-old belief that needs a serious update.
The Real Culprit: Inflammation: Plaques do build up in your arteries, but they’re filled with cholesterol that got there because of chronic inflammation. Inflammation prevents your body from processing cholesterol efficiently.
Instead of focusing solely on the amount of cholesterol in your blood, we should look at how long it stays there. Dr. Boz calls this “residency time.”
Here’s how it works:
- Cholesterol leaves the liver.
- It travels through your body.
- It gets recycled back into the liver.
The shorter the residency time, the healthier you are. Cholesterol needs to leave the liver for us to survive. But when cholesterol is delivered slowly and struggles to get recycled back into the liver, problems arise.
The longer a cholesterol droplet stays in your bloodstream, the more likely it is to become oxidized and dangerous.
What increases the residency time of cholesterol? High blood sugar.
Instead of fixating on cholesterol numbers, Dr. Boz recommends focusing on blood sugar. Learn how to fix your blood sugar levels in this video.
Cholesterol: Rethinking What You Know
It’s time to look beyond just the “high cholesterol” number. Cholesterol is essential for cell structure, digestion, nerve health, hormone production, and vitamin D synthesis. Eating cholesterol has very little impact on blood cholesterol levels. And high blood cholesterol doesn’t automatically cause heart disease; inflammation and cholesterol residency time are more important factors.
Are you ready to rethink what you know about cholesterol?
Disclaimer
This content is strictly the opinion of Annette Bosworth, MD. Our content informs and educates viewers. Medical advice is not given on this channel. Your personal physician gives the medical advice and treatment specific to your situation. Dr. Boz channel only educates. Consult your doctor or qualified health professional regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Bosworth nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person(s) receiving this educational content. Ask your health advisors before beginning any nutritional supplement or lifestyle program.
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