(24-09-12) Debunking the cholesterol myth and cultivating true heart health

by Carolanne Wright

(NaturalNews) Cholesterol has received plenty of negative media over the last
decade as the reason behind heart attack and arterial disease. Several pivotal
studies have shown that cholesterol is not the cause behind problems of the
heart as once thought. With a strange twisting of information, the
pharmaceutical companies who manufacture cholesterol-lowering drugs have
protected their $34 billion a year industry.

One of the most damaging myths in medical history
Cholesterol has been blamed for heart disease, but inflammation is actually
the true culprit. When the body experiences an inflammatory response due to an
injury, the system responds by constricting blood vessels, thickening the
blood, and triggering cells to multiply in order to repair the damage.
Cholesterol is produced because cells need it to form. Vascular plaque is
created when a damaged artery needs to be repaired. When an individual is in a
chronic state of inflammation, the risk of high blood pressure and heart attack
greatly increases.

The Great Cholesterol Myth authors Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. and cardiologist
Stephen Sinatra state:

"We believe that a weird combination of misinformation, questionable studies,
corporate greed, and deceptive marketing has conspired to create one of the
most damaging myths in medical history: that cholesterol causes heart disease."

Through reviewing the data of numerous studies, Bowden and Sinatra found that
cholesterol levels are not a good predictor of heart attacks; half of the
people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol; half of the people with
high cholesterol have healthy hearts; keeping cholesterol levels low has few
benefits. The Framingham Heart Study, which began in 1948 and continues to this
day, distinctly shows that those who lived the longest were inclined to be in
the highest cholesterol category.

The Lyon diet-heart study
Another study presents startling evidence regarding the role diet plays in
heart health. Researchers in France during the 1990s decided to observe the
effect different diets have on heart disease. Two groups of high-risk men
participated. All had survived heart attacks. Everyone had high cholesterol and
stressful lifestyles. They also smoked and did not exercise.

One group was asked to eat the American Heart Association diet which is low in
fat and cholesterol. The second group ate a Mediterranean diet, rich in fish,
omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, and olive oil.

The study ended early because the results of the Mediterranean diet were so
striking. Those in this group had a 70 percent reduction in fatal heart
attacks, yet their high cholesterol levels remained the same throughout the
study. They simply stopped dying.

As observed by Bowen in Better Nutrition magazine:

"The tragedy is that by putting all our attention on cholesterol, we've
ignored the real causes of heart disease: inflammation, oxidation, stress, and
sugar. Things we can actually control with foods, supplements and lifestyle
changes - none of which have the costs or side effects of pharmaceutical
drugs."

Sources for this article include:

"The cholesterol myth? Why lowering cholesterol isn't nearly as important as
you think" by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, Better Nutrition, July 2012

"The Cholesterol Myth That Could Be Harming Your Health" Dr. Joseph Mercola,
Huffpost Healthy Living, August 12, 2012. Retrieved on July 18, 2012 from: http:
//www.huffingtonpost.com

"Ending the Cholesterol-Heart Disease Myth" Andreas Moritz, Natural News,
April 8, 2010. Retrieved on July 18, 2012 from: http://www.naturalnews.
com/022960_medical_myths_cholesterol.html

About the author:
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we
need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness
coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of
organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through
her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other
like-minded people from around the world who share a similar vision.

Read her other articles on Natural News here:

http://www.naturalnews.com/Author1183.html

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