The Story of Cholesterol: The Good and Bad About "Clinical Studies"

We all have heard at one time or another some announcer on television or radio say "clinical studies have shown..." and what follows is thought or assumed to be credible information. Rightfully so when it is considered that all clinical studies follow the scientific method, right? For the most part yes but there is more to the story and studies involving cholesterol aren't always what they seem to be.

The Bad

Scientist pride themselves on the scientific method and why not. Surely if you want to propose that a thing or an outcome is "true" you have to observe it over and over again and let the data tell you what is real and what is not. The problem, from time to time, is that scientist are human and are subject to the frailties associated with being such. Pride, arrogance, and greed, especially greed, has steered many doctors and scientist astray while conducting clinical studies. We, the non-clinical study conducting types, have our part to play as well by allowing people with profit driven agendas to run these drug studies without demanding a neutral third party either run a concurrent study or run the entire study outright. After all its only our health at stake. At this point I would like to be clear about one thing: I do not mind people making a profit. I just don't like it when it is at the expense of others as opposed to the benefit of others (and this is where I digress).

Cholesterol studies have long been plagued by biased research. One of the largest and most damaging of these studies was the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). The FHS began in 1948 in Framingham, Massachusetts involving 5,000 residents of the town. Follow up was conducted with the residents for 16 years. In the end it was claimed that a direct link between cholesterol and heart disease had been firmly established. This study has been heavily cited in order to defend the "cholesterol-causes-heart disease" hypothesis and helped form a $30 billion per year cholesterol drug industry. There are several key points to consider with this study that some would find alarming and the main ones are these:

• During the study it was found that cardiovascular disease struck people with both high and low cholesterol (some levels as low as 150 mg/dl)
• Thirty years after the study it was found that people with higher cholesterol levels lived just as long or longer, on average, as those with low cholesterol

According to this study cholesterol levels seemed to imply adverse cardiovascular health only for white men who had a heart attack before the age of 48. There was very little, if any, information garnered by this study that had any broad cholesterol "doom and gloom" appeal for the general population. In fact, the study director, Dr. William Castelli acknowledged in an article written in 1992 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine that those people who participated in the study who consumed the most saturated fat, calories and cholesterol tended to have lower blood serum cholesterol levels, were the most active and weighed the least all while not experiencing any statistically significant increase in poor cardiovascular health outcomes.

The Good

One of the longest and most comprehensive studies ever undertaken was called the Nurses' Health Study conducted by Harvard University. The goal was to determine the risk factors for cancer and heart disease. Researchers conducted an extensive analysis of over 84,000 women and made a startling discovery. They determined that there were five essential contributing factors regarding cancer and heart disease in 82 percent of the women and they are as follows:

• Smoking
• Sedentary lifestyle (little to no daily exercise)
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Poor weight maintenance
• Diet that did not consist of whole foods, whole grains (fiber intake) and was high in sugar.

Did you notice cholesterol didn't make the list? You can believe the drug companies did not want to hear any part of this because this study definitely had the potential to interfere with profits! In the end, however,  it is a lot easier for patients and lucrative for the drug pushers to take a pill than it is to lead a healthy lifestyle so the study fell mostly on deaf ears and those who did hear and believe were ridiculed or ostracized by "scientist" backed by big money from pharmaceutical companies. 

In the next installment we will discuss the true villain when it comes to heart disease: inflammation!

If you would like to read about more studies and the cholesterol myth (in case you just can't wait for the next article) I recommend reading "The Great Cholesterol Myth" written by Dr. Jonny Bowden and Dr. Stephen Sinatra.

Slow and Steady Wins the Weight Race!

Generally I do not write articles about myself. Generally. However, I do have a story to tell that I hope will be of inspiration to someone and that is why I’m making an exception. I don’t merely right articles or have an interest in health arbitrarily. There are many reasons for why I write, like a sincere desire to help others, with my own personal struggles not being the least of them. Weight gain, inflammation and severe sinus issues plagued me. If nothing else it proves that I am not immune to the pitfalls of life and more specifically a western diet and lifestyle. If you find yourself in a struggle don’t despair but take comfort in the fact that with knowledge, time and effort most any issue can be mastered and overcome.

How I gained the weight

I can sit on my butt with the best of them. Oh how easy it is to plop down on the couch and watch another mind numbing episode of (fill in the blank here). This is an insidious trap because inactivity feeds off of and breeds more inactivity. The more I sat the heavier I got and the more I didn't want to become active.

I was already about 20 lbs. heavier than normal when I returned to my hometown and then it happened. A combination of home cooking, fast food and the weekly stop at the “soul food” restaurant packed on an additional 20+ lbs. I gradually gained 42 lbs over a 16 year period of time. Sounds familiar? In addition, unbeknownst to me, I was suffering from severe allergic reactions to the inflammatory foods I was consuming. The result was a sinus issue so extreme that I was popping Sudafed twice a day. I blamed the usual suspects like dust, pollen and pet dander even though these never bothered me growing up and I didn’t have a pet to be exposed to pet dander so I don’t know why I considered that one. Grasping at straws I suppose. Add frequent nosebleeds and headaches to the mix and I was miserable and resigned to taking over-the-counter medications.

Stress is often a common denominator when it comes to weight gain among most people and I was no exception. My work in law enforcement was demanding and working many hours off duty left me fatigued which always compounds stress related issues. When you throw in the demands of family and everyday life chronic stress was a constant companion. An annoying, relentless, and pound producing companion! In short, the more cortisol, the more hunger increases and we know what happens next.

How I lost the weight

Although I don’t remember the exact date it happened I do remember the day I woke up startled, expecting to see someone in the room because I could hear them snoring. As I looked around frantically I slowly began to realize I was the only one in the room and it was me I heard snoring. I actually woke myself up and it was then I knew something had to change. At that time I realized I was approximately 40 lbs overweight and slowly falling apart at 32 years of age. Something had to go and I decided it was the weight instead of me. Intuitively I knew I was eating horribly. I confess an extreme weakness for Krystal burgers, soul food and Oreo cookies. Don’t even think about asking me to share! The amount inflammation in my body must have been astounding. Unfortunately, at that time in my life I had just began my journey to better health and sharing with others health related information and was not knowledgeable enough to really help myself. I did know enough to stop the fast food and slow down on the cookies but my food consumption evolution had only just begun. Thankfully I continued, little by little, and discovered the way I should go. Slow and steady does win the race. And when it comes to weight loss slow and steady is wonderful because it provides the stability you need to keep the weight off for good.

As I neared the end of my weight-loss journey I encountered an eating plan geared towards diabetics and those with pre-diabetes. After a few tweaks I reformulated the plan and began to use it and experienced great success. Most of us know how difficult it is to lose those last 5-10 lbs. and I wasn’t excluded. With the anti-inflammation food plan I eliminated or limited significantly sugar, dairy and non-healthy fats intake. Combined with moderate exercise my metabolism skyrocketed and I exceeded my weight goal by two pounds. Before anyone gets the wrong impression please realize that my consistent habits over a three to four year period lead me to my goal. There is no magic formula, no silver bullet. You must be consistent over the long term for sustained success.

Having spent many years in the military I knew exactly what I needed to do to get the weight off from an exercise point of view. Admittedly I hate running. I find it torturous, beneficial, but torturous nonetheless. As you can imagine the weight didn’t come off easily because I found it difficult to commit enough to running but I did it anyway. I have two points to make here. The first is that sometimes you have to do things that you really don’t want to do to achieve your goals. Just make sure they lead to positive results. The second point I want to make is that one should definitely look for activities that excite and connect with you. For me I have found cycling to be a great workout and it has done wonders. Search for what gets you moving and do it. Track your progress, keep raising goals and hold yourself accountable (or find a buddy to help hold you accountable).

I definitely  believe in supplementation. Any supplement that is truly natural and provides non-toxic nourishment for the body I’m all for. Be diligent about what you buy and understand that it is nourishment the body needs not gimmicks. If you’re supplements are chemically based and filled with synthetic materials and synthetic vitamins beware. These things tend to create inflammation and encourages weight gain over the long term.

My primary goal for sharing my story is to let people know that with forethought, perseverance, and consistent change you can begin to lay the groundwork for long term and sustained weight loss. Establishing a sound eating plan and consistent activity will lay a proper foundation in case other issues need to be addressed (e.g. poor thyroid function, adrenal fatigue, the need for cleansing, chronic stress, etc.). I cannot stress enough how important it is to avoid gimmicky diet plans and supplements that could cover up or even exacerbate the issues given as an example above. Gimmicks can mask the true nature of why you are gaining weight or are unable to lose it. If you are interested I will be more than happy to provide my phase one and phase two eating plan food charts. Just email me at thoughtfulhealth@gmail.com and I will forward them to you. Go in good health!

Good Fats and How They Help You Control Your Weight

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For most of us we know the old nutritional mantras like "eat healthy", "exercise", "stay away from fat". These mantras are true and should be followed but some extra thought should be given to the one about fat. In our craze to lose weight many doctors, nutritionist, dietitians and the like unfortunately began lumping all fats into the same category. It is vitally important to point out that not all fats are made the same and knowing which fats to consume in their proper quantities and which fats to stay away from in their totality is one significant key to overall health and weight loss.

Fats, Weight Gain, and the Brain

In the 1960's total calories derived from fat in the average American diet was about 45%. Americans managed to decrease their fat consumption to 38% in the 80's and down to 35% in the 90's. Remarkable, right? However, despite a steady decline in overall fat consumption in the U.S. we are still heavier. Much heavier.

Fats have become a modern day dietary boogie man sacrificed for the pursuit of good health. Interestingly, our brain is approximately 60% fat in the form of cholesterol. The fats are necessary for proper brain health. Speaking of our brain health and cholesterol, the FDA issued stronger warnings in July 2012 about how cholesterol lowering drugs could lead to cognitive dysfunction such as memory loss, confusion and fuzzy thinking. We need our fats!

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Good Fats vs. Bad Fats

Being properly informed about which fats to consume and which to stay away from is important as a matter of course so lets take a look at which fats to stay away from first.

• Trans Fats - These highly toxic fats had long been a cornerstone of the American diet for years.They are man-made fats that create inflammation, raise cholesterol levels and lead to adverse cardiovascular conditions such as arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. Trans fats is also a leading contributor to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. These poisonous fats can be found in fast foods, processed foods like crackers, cookies, pies, cereals and bread (just about anything that comes in a box), margarine, shortening and deep-fried foods. 
• Hydrogenated Fats - These are the "new" trans fats since many people are starting to catch on to the fact that trans fats are terrible for you. Make no mistake, however, hydrogenated fats and oils are notoriously harmful to our bodies and a detriment to our health. All the things highlighted above that trans fats do to our bodies just keep that in mind here. In 2007 the FDA nearly banned Crisco because of trans fat issues but the not-so-happy compromise ended up being hydrogenated fats. Be watchful because the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" will appear on ingredient lists of both products in grocery stores and on restaurant nutrition information guides.
• Refined Polyunsaturated Fats - These are fats that were heated during the manufacturing process to a temperature that rendered them rancid and therefore toxic. These fats help contribute to weight gain since they tend to increase insulin resistance in the body. Most salad dressings and vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, cottonseed, safflower and soybean oil contain these fats. For your health and safety insure the salad dressings and cooking oils you use are not refined. Search for cold pressed or expeller oils to use.
• Deep Fried Foods - These foods are are cooked in super heated oils that become rancid because of the high heat. The oils are absorbed by the food that it is frying because oil displaces water in high heat situations. These rancid oils are consumed and are extremely detrimental to the body causing significant inflammation and has been known to be a carcinogen.
• Saturated Fats - This is partially a spin-off from deep fried foods but they also include fats from other familiar sources such as milk, cheese, processed meats, pork, red meat, butter and the skins of poultry. While all deep fried foods should be avoided some of the other items may be perfectly fine unless you consume them in excessive amounts. Saturated fats, excessively consumed, can lead to inflammation increasing cholesterol and setting you up for systemic and chronic cardiovascular issues.  

Now we will discuss the good fats. These are the fats that help build and maintain our brain, cardiovascular systems, endocrine systems and help reduce inflammation. Without these fats it would be difficult to produce certain hormones, cholesterol (for inflammation control) and reduce free radicals in the blood and tissues. Good fats are also great sources of fuel second only to carbohydrates. A word of caution, however. There is a such thing as too much of a good thing. While we do need to incorporate these fats into our diets we do not need to over do it. In a bit we will discuss how much and how often to consume these beneficial fats but first things, first. Let us identify these valuable fats and what they do for us:

• Omega 3 - An essential fatty acid that is well known for reducing inflammation, lowering triglyceride levels, supporting immune function, prevent or reverse insulin resistance, prevention and treatment of heart disease and helps the body release stored fat. Sources of omega 3's are cold water fish and fatty fish (cod, salmon, herring, sardines) and flax seed and flax seed oil. There are three forms of omega 3 with two forms found in fish (EPA and DHA) and one form found in flax seed and flax seed oil (ALA) it is a good idea to get a healthy mix of both sources or take a high quality supplement. It is estimated that approximately 99% of Americans are deficient in omega 3's. 
• Omega 6 - This fatty acid Americans tend to get readily usually from grain sources and meat sources (because they tend to be grain fed). This necessary fat helps the body produce the type of prostaglandins that allows for inflammation which is a necessary bodily function when repairs are required to take place. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be around 4 to 1. Most Americans consume way too much omega-6 in the form of processed foods which distorts the ratio to 20 to 1. Healthy, unrefined sources of omega-6 (the kind you should focus on) include expeller or cold pressed oils, most seeds and nuts, and grass fed chicken or beef. Avoid omega-6 from grain fed poultry or beef, refined oils (corn, soy, safflower and cottonseed), processed foods, fast food and restaurant food.
• Omega 9 (including Monounsaturated Fats) -  These fats can actually be produced by the body from converting other fats and therefore are not considered to be essential. They are often left out of the conversation concerning fats but are very beneficial nonetheless. They have anti-inflammatory properties and have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol which is a major benefit for almost everyone consuming a Western style diet. Foods high in these fats include olives, olive oil, avocados, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds to name a few things.
• Certain Saturated Fats - This may seem counter-intuitive but hold on just a second. The saturated fats found in, around and on the flesh of animals should be avoided whenever possible. This is not healthy. However, short-chain varieties of saturated fats are an excellent source of fuel for the body and are easily digestible which makes them healthier and less likely to increase cholesterol. The good version of saturated fat can be found in unrefined coconut oil and palm kernel oil.

Conclusion

It is far too simple a matter to completely dismiss fats from our eating regimes. The good types of fat are vitally important to our health whether it applies to weight maintenance, cardiovascular issues, hormone support and proper brain function. To figure out how much of the good fats to consume calculate your average caloric intake for a given day. Your healthy fat intake should be 20-35% of your total calories. Incorporate the good fats, eliminate or sharply curtail the bad ones and live a healthy, balanced, and productive life!

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