Despite what is thought, cholesterol is not the cause of the cholesterol plaques (atheromas) in our arteries but the symptom, that is, our body synthesizes cholesterol from our liver to the blood (LDL) when it perceives a problem, the problem itself, which causes us to synthesize more cholesterol is Arterial Inflammation.
If the inflammation persists, our body will send more and more cholesterol to alleviate this damage, so that excess cholesterol can form plaques in our arteries (atheromas), especially if it is easily oxidized.
As we see the problem is arterial inflammation. And what causes that inflammation? Well, this happens when there are high levels of glucose in the blood and therefore high levels of insulin. Eating high amounts of sugars, especially simple ones, cause this inflammation.
Also, not all LDL cholesterol is dangerous. There is a special type of LDL cholesterol, one that is denser and smaller than it should be, which is the one that actually ends up depositing on the walls of the arteries and forming plaque. Current conventional blood tests do not distinguish this type of cholesterol, and that is why it used to be believed until now that all LDL cholesterol is bad, or that having high total cholesterol is bad. You can have relatively high values of total cholesterol or relatively high values of LDL cholesterol, but if the bad LDL is low there will be no problem.
So what do I do to lower my cholesterol?
As we have already said, the fats that we ingest in the diet are not the direct culprits of the increase in LDL cholesterol (except for the trans ones) and neither are anti-cholesterol drugs (statins) the most recommended for this.
The best to alleviate the problem of cholesterol is with: EXERCISE, HEALTHY HABITS, AND EATING GUIDELINES. However, as we see, these dietary recommendations are not always adequate, they can even be counterproductive since apart from affecting the root problem, which is inflammation, they can even lower good cholesterol (HDL).
We know that the problem with cholesterol is LDL, especially when it is oxidized, so a great measure is to ingest optimal amounts of antioxidants, especially vegetables. Triglycerides increase with carbohydrate-rich diets, especially without simple sugars.
Another measure would be to reduce the omega-6 that cause inflammation and increase the omega-3 that are anti-inflammatory. The omega 6 is mainly in cereals and as we see in the image they ARE ALLOWED.
On the other hand, a decrease in the consumption of egg yolks, saturated fats from meat, and coconut oil are recommended. Not only does this not work but it can have the opposite effect. The egg (yolk included) helps increase HDL (good cholesterol) and reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) like coconut oil, which is composed of medium-chain saturated fats (MCT) that not only do not make you fat but also improve the lipid profile. The body metabolizes MCTs differently from other fats since they are not stored in fat cells but pass directly to the liver, which instantly transforms them into energy. (see studies referenced below)
As you can see, there are many misconceptions regarding fats and cholesterol. Fats have always been considered the culprits of disease and obesity when it is not entirely so.
