The body produces cholesterol on an 'as-needed-basis'. It is noteworthy that 85 per cent of cholesterol is produced by the body, while only 15 per cent is derived from food. And recent studies have evidenced that cholesterol derived from food has no effect on the level of blood cholesterol in the body
A growing catalogue of research suggests that the cholesterol-heart disease premise is more than questionable. In other words, the idea that high cholesterol, as being the only culprit, or risk factor, for heart disease, may be more than 'orchestrated' hardsell.
The contention - there's no 'watertight' proof that high cholesterol alone plays a starry role in heart disease, forget about the long narrative of the 'cholesterol hazard' hypothesis.
The fact is - saturated fats and cholesterol are crucial for good health and preserving robust immune defence.
However, while it is established that a persistently high level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or 'bad' cholesterol in the blood - along with 'excess' homocysteine and triglycerides -is indicative of as now balling health concern, what needs to be underlined is that one should always deal effectively with the cause of any given, or not given, illness instead of keeping one's blood cholesterol levels awfully low.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance produced in the liver and the intestinal wall; it is synthesised in every cell, except the nerve tis-sue. The body produces cholesterol on an 'as-needed-basis'.
It is noteworthy that 85 per cent of cholesterol is produced by the body, while only 15 per cent is derived from food.
And recent studies have evidenced that cholesterol derived from food has no effect on the level of blood cholesterol in the body.
Our body is a smart apparatus - it knows its physiology, or functional capabilities, better than state-of-the-art drugs, or technology. In other words, our body has an extremely efficient mechanism in place, which directs, produces and regulates cholesterol levels. When we eat excess cholesterol foods, for instance, the body produces less; when we eat less cholesterol, the body produces 'more,' accordingly.
In other words, it compensates for any deficit, or surfeit.
It was 70 years ago that Ancel Keys, PhD, a champion of what is today 'baptised' as the lipid hypothesis, 'established' that excess cholesterol triggered heart disease. He catapulted the credo that dietary fat propelled cholesterol levels 'skyward', albeit he slowly began to believe that saturated fat was the true cholesterol-hiking baddie.
Yes, the villain in saturated fat is so deeply entrenchedin our minds that it lingers to be the groundwork for the lipid hypothesis, although it has never been substantiated.
To cut a long story short, cholesterol isn't as bad as it is being made out to be - it is fundamental for regulating many essential functions.
It is vital for the production of hormones - right from testosterone andprogesterone to aldosterone.
Hormones play a key role in metabolism, muscle, bone, sexual function, emotional responses and also behaviour. Cholesterol also regulates the exchange of nutrients and waste products. It helps in the development of the brain and the nervous system; it acts as a 'conduit' for nerve impulses.
Cholesterol promotes the digestion of foods.
Without it, complex fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) cannot be absorbed.
Cholesterol also plays an essential role in the manufacture of the adrenal and pituitary hormones.
It is a key substance in the skin that gets converted to vitamin D, by sunlight.
This is not all. Choles-terol creates a barrier, preventing water and other fluids from entering the body through the skin.
Cholesterol levels in the blood are not constant; it is dynamic, or subject to fluctuation, like your blood pressure and other bodily functions. One tends to have higher levels of cholesterol in winter than in summer. Cholesterol alsorises after surgical and dental procedures. It, of course, shoots up during stress.
What triggers high cholesterol levels is job stress, or workplace pressures, lack of exercise, depression, anxiety, suppressed angst, chronic pain, inflammation, acidic stomach, sleeplessness, relationships problems, among a host of other factors.
Cholesterol is a healing 'substance'. When the body has some repair job to be done, it produces cholesterol and dispatches it to the location where it is needed. On the other hand, low cholesterol levels compromise our immune defence - when this happens, one is vulnerable to infections. Research suggests that a diet rich in cholesterol enhances our ability to recover from infections more quickly. However, one needs to be discreet - not go overboard. May be, our grandma was right. She always emphasised on moderation in everything we do - including moderation. Modern medicine acquiesces to the tenet, no less.
We are all exposed to pollutants, chemicals, viruses, bacteria and free radicals on a daily basis. When these dangerous elements reach our bloodstream, the liver receives a short 'text' message to dispatch 'bad' cholesterol to the location of harm. Your body, likewise, uses cholesterol to repair damaged artery walls.
This may not be as simple as it appears to be, because if 'that' particular cholesterol is oxidised, your body still believes the artery wall is damaged - as a result, it rushes more cholesterol to 'fix' the glitch. The inflammatory process that 'jumpstarts' to refurbish artery damage merely hastens the vulnerability of the wall, contributing to the sequential response of cholesterol build-up and additional oxidation.
On the other hand, when healing takes place, the 'bad' cholesterol returns to the liver in the form of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), or 'good' cholesterol.
Nevertheless, it needs to be emphasised that, in chronic disease, or illness, our blood cholesterol tends to remain persistently high.
It is also evidenced that when people consume far too much of cholesterol-rich foods, their body may not be able to cope well with the elimination process. This can, of course, occur when our liver is not functioning at its optimal level, or is not healthy. Such a premise is an exception, not a rule.
Nidamboor is a wellness physician, independent researcher and author
A version of this article appears in the print on May 04, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
