Cholesterol and Saturated Fats - Truth or Consequence?

Cholesterol is vital to our body's production of hormones, as well as brain health. It breaks my heart to witness such an increase in mental health in our elderly popuation. Many are on cholesterol medication, which depletes the CoQ10 necessary for brain health and function.  People on medication should be on a CoQ10 supplement, according to neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock. Unfortunately, it is not a common recommendation by doctors. Trying to explain this to someone very dear to me when her doctor has not told her the same is an uphill battle.  At the same time, the realization that you are forgetting more frequently is frightening.

Besides the detrimental effects of statin drugs on the brain and memory loss, with Lipitor being one of the biggest money making drugs of all time, statins contribute to heart disease, as is evidenced by a study in Japan. How ironic is this? We are prescribed cholesterol meds supposedly to ward off heart attack, is this not so? I encourage you to read this article by Dr. Stephen Sinatra.

What about saturated fats?
We need GOOD FATS. Not only are good fats necessary in order to lose weight, but more importantly, good fats are REQUIRED for brain health! Our population is hard-wired with anti-fat proclamations, with ads for low fat this and low fat that...but guess what - the majority of these products are not good for you! Besides the fact that the brain needs good fats (check out this article by Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Stop Alzheimer's Now), low fat processed foods are made to taste good with artificial sweeteners, which also reek havoc on your brain.

For my family, we eat very limited amounts of red meat and dairy, and instead lean towards free-range organic chicken, pun intended, when it comes to our animal food choices. Chicken is simply more affordable and preferred taste, and I am also on "guard" for excessive iron intake, which is linked to breast cancer. The iron in red meats can store up in the body and is not excreted as plant based. If you would like to learn more about this, you are welcome to contact me for a copy of the original articles on this topic from the Blaylock Wellness Report - two newsletters focused on iron toxicity and relation to cancer. Bottom line...eat your red meat, but eat a whole lot more GREEN and brightly colored fresh foods. That being said, I would never turn down a steak from a free-range steer.

On the topic of CoQ10 - beef and chicken contain more of this powerful antioxidant than plant foods such as broccoli and kale. If you are eating meat...know what the animal is being fed. I guess this means know your farmer. Avoid meat from animals raised on genetically modified corn - which presents a host of additional health problems - hormones in your food, excess hormones not necessarily excreting after consumption. Grass fed and free range are key words when purchasing meats for dinner. Our favorite Arbonne vegan protein powder also delivers CoQ10 as a part of its Iner G-Plex, which also contains the health benefits of alfalfa, kelp and ginseng.

Coconut oil is a staple in both our cooking and raw eating plan - it is a healthy living essential. Coconut oil is, in fact, being used to reverse Alzheimer's - I have read about several, including Dr.Mary Newport, who are implementing coconut oil and  finding positive results with their own spouse, suffering from the disease. Newport, in fact, began searching for alternatives when medicines prescribed for Alzheimer's, did not help her husband, who was only 53 at the time. Excerpted from the article: "Dr. Newport's research yielded an interesting discovery: a patent for a drug whose main ingredient was medium chain triglycerides (MCT), the same ingredient found in large quantities in coconut oil. A small pilot study found that the drug helped slow and even reverse the effects of Alzheimer's in a significant percentage of those tested."  Because the drug was not available, Newport began incorporating coconut oil as a staple in their dietary plan.

I also put avocado right up there with coconut oil as one of the healthiest fats one can incorporate into their diet.  Avocado contains a punch of anti oxidants, contains 25 essential nutrients, helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. These two healthy fats make it into our meal plan several times a week, but another essential, which has made a great difference in lowering my husband's cholesterol numbers to where the doctors are happy (and he no longer needs meds) is the Arbonne VEGAN Omega 3 with DHA. Because it is non-fish form there are no after-burps or fishy taste, and because the sea algae used (origin of DHA) is grown in environmentally controlled labs - the assurance of the high Arbonne purity standard is maintained. We simply trust this brand with its 35 year mission of providing pure, safe and beneficial products to the consumer.

If you or a loved one is on a cholesterol med, I highly recommend talking to your MD about a CoQ10 supplement. Don't be surprised if they are not aware of the importance, as the drug companies are not in the business of telling doctors how to improve their patients health so that they may no longer need their pill, right?  You may wish to seek out a naturopathic doctor, functional medicine or nutritionist practitioner for a 2nd, and more knowledgeable opinion, when it comes to nutraceutical care. There may be underlying metabolic reasons, as well, for elevated cholesterol.  Be empowered, check out the links above, and be your own best health advocate!


My wish for you is to feel great, look great, and live great!
Rita S.

Add-On: The point of the above thread is Rx is a bandaid with side effects - it does not address the dietary contributors to high cholesterol as a whole. Here is an article on just one piece of the dietary puzzle - the link between artificial sweeteners and Alzheimers.