Reconsidering HDL cholesterol

I had to laugh when I saw the following headline in the New York Times: “Doubt Cast on the ‘Good’ in ‘Good Cholesterol.'”

Of course, the reigning theory had been that the more HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood, the lower your risk for heart disease. So, bringing your levels up should be a good thing. Except that a new study found that theory doesn’t hold true. The researchers found that people who have naturally higher HDL levels have no less heart disease than those with lower levels.

Once again, the entire cholesterol dogma that Big Pharma has built an industry on is turning out to be just plain wrong. So now, after spending billions of dollars on developing drugs to raise HDL, they’ll simply go back to the drawing board.

Which is absolutely maddening, considering that the public policy set on this incomplete information has already cost us decades. Because that’s how long it takes to really find out the answers to many of these questions.

In the meantime, here’s what we absolutely do know about blood lipids…

Your body makes cholesterol naturally. Very little of what’s found in your bloodstream is from what you eat. And if the body makes it, it must have an important role to play. I believe cholesterol is there to protect our arteries from the inflammatory damage that ice cream sundae, donut, or bowl of spaghetti has caused. Inflammation is the real culprit in heart disease. Don’t blame cholesterol. It’s only doing its job.

Triglycerides play a much more important role in letting you know if you are “heart healthy” than cholesterol. Yet they’re still overlooked. (Probably because the drugs we have for lowering them are fairly old. Which means there’s little profit in them for the drug companies.)

But there’s one incredibly easy–dare I say fun–solution for keeping ALL your blood lipids within normal, healthy ranges. Simply follow my New Hamptons Health Miracle. Indulge your natural cravings for juicy burgers, gooey cheese-smothered vegetables, and creamy desserts. And your triglycerides (and your cholesterol) will fall in line effortlessly.

It really can be that simple. And delicious. Learn more about my New Hamptons Health Miracle.

Sources:
“Doubt Cast on the ‘Good’ in ‘Good Cholesterol,'” The New York Times (www.nytimes.com), 5/16/12