Cholesterol, The Truth
If You had been cheated by American Drug companies, please read the real Biochemistry!
Your body makes saturated fats, and your body makes Cholesterol – about 2000 mg per day. In general, cholesterol
that the average American absorbs from food amounts to
about 100 mg per day.
So, in theory, even reducing animal
foods to zero will result in a mere 5% decrease in the total
amount of cholesterol available to the blood and tissues.
In practice, such a diet is likely to deprive the body of the
substrates it needs to manufacture enough of this vital
substance; for cholesterol, like saturated fats, stands unfairly
accused.
It 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; it is a precursor to
vitamin D, a vital fat-soluble vitamin needed for healthy bones
and nervous system, proper growth, mineral metabolism,
muscle tone, insulin production, reproduction and immune
system function; it is the precursor to bile salts, which are vital
for digestion and assimilation of fats in the diet.
Recent research shows that cholesterol acts as an antioxidant. 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 the body's repair substance, manufactured in
large amounts when the arteries are irritated or weak.
Blaming
heart disease on high serum cholesterol levels is like blaming
firemen who have come to put out a fire for starting the blaze.
Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors
in the brain.
Serotonin is the body's natural "feel-good"
chemical. This explains why 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.
