Last week I went to library to browse some books out of some of my free time. I saw this interesting non-fiction book ‘Cholesterol Is Not The Culprit’ and it attracted my attention. A quick look into the table of contents caught my attention further and I decided to borrow it.
The book elaborates about the misconception of the role of cholesterol and correcting the public view of it. Fred Kummerow (with Jean Kummerow), the authors, emphasizes on the view that cholesterol is not something bad for the body, it is crucial essence of our existence. The presence of cholesterol in our body (and our food) is not something to be feared about because we (our cells) cannot live without it.
Cholesterol is life-sustaining. It is essential for making of the 50,000 trillion cells in our body. Says Fred. It is either made in our body or comes as part of food. And not surprisingly it is needed daily. We need it daily.
According to the author, cholesterol is not linked to heart diseases. He concludes that studies have not been able to prove the link. On the other hand, attempts to lower cholesterol using prescribed drugs are causing more harm to the body than benefiting it. By reducing foods high in cholesterol, good nutrition is harder to achieve. Drugs reduces the capacity of the body to make new cells. The book also explains how LDL and HDL works in the body.
Protein carries cholesterol and fatty acid through blood stream in the body. Eating the right amount of protein and fat is important for maintaining health balance. Having too much of either one is causing imbalance. Either not enough protein to carry the fat or too much protein that causes our kidneys to process it too hard.
Fred suggests that animal fat as food source is much more a complete nutrients set which contains all the necessary fatty acid needed essentially by our body. Vegetarian source should combine different sources to match the right set. There are 8-9 fatty acids essentially needed by the body.
The same goes to protein. Eating moderate amount of meat, milk, and eggs provides sufficient intake of protein for us. Plant proteins has less complete amount of needed proteins thus combining various sources of plants is required.
Eating enough carbohydrates is recommended so that the body does not turn into using protein as the energy source. When body is using protein for energy source, our kidneys are working hard to process it. On the other hand, having too much carbohydrates will cause the body to store them as fat.
“Atherosclerosis is a condition in the coronary arteries that leads to heart disease. It involves the gradual change in composition of the arteries eventually leading to blockage of the coronary artery so that no blood gets to the heart. “Debris” made up of calcium accumulates in the intimal wall of the coronary artery.”
Fred describes the role of fiber, vitamins and minerals in the book. One particular vitamin that catch my attention is vitamin D. Which is emphasized by the author in length. Our food has too much of vitamin D and yet our body can create it from the sun light.
Oh yeah, vitamin D is considered not pure vitamin since it can be synthesized by the body.
The main role of vitamin D is to transport calcium. With too much vitamin D the body will take calcium from our bones! This is bad and can lead to osteoporosis. Also, too much calcium with deficient vitamin D will cause it to be imbalance and stored in artery walls leading to atherosclerosis. Modern process food has too much of vitamin D. Reduce them.
Conclusion: eat balanced food with 30% fat. Proteins and carbohydrates in moderation. Meat, milk, eggs are good source of proteins. Eat various fruits and vegetables as they contains vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Multivitamin supplements are not necessary. Reduce intake of food with vitamin D, we have enough. Avoid trans fat at all cost.
~Poh