Cholesterol Myths?

[chuck]

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm (author's web site)

"The Cholesterol Myths : Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart
Disease" by Uffe Ravnskov was first published January 1997.

Quotes:
1) The only effective way to lower cholesterol (blood levels, just the numbers) is with drugs.

2) The “prudent” diet cannot lower cholesterol more than on average a few per cent. Your body
produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat.

3) Cholesterol-lowering drugs, the statins, do prevent cardio-vascular disease, but this is due to
other mechanisms than cholesterol-lowering.

4) Cholesterol is not a deadly poison

5) A high cholesterol is not dangerous by itself, but may reflect an unhealthy condition

6) There are dangers associated with an consumption of polyunsaturated oils.
==========

 

[Brad Sheppard]

Chuck,

Yes, cholesteral may be overated as a risk factor. First of all, the indicator docs prefer is not
total chol, but the ratio of total chol to HDL. Still, even that ratio is apparently not as
predictive as the new test, C Reactive Proten (indicator of inflamation). You're right, diet is
usually not very effective in lowing chol. However, proper diet (and exercise) can be VERY important
in preventing heart disease. For the best info on that, try the Harvard web site:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids.html

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm (author's web site)
>
> "The Cholesterol Myths : Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart
> Disease" by Uffe Ravnskov was first published January 1997.
>
> Quotes:
> 1) The only effective way to lower cholesterol (blood levels, just the numbers) is with drugs.
>
> 2) The "prudent" diet cannot lower cholesterol more than on average a few per cent. Your body
> produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat.
>
> 3) Cholesterol-lowering drugs, the statins, do prevent cardio-vascular disease, but this is due to
> other mechanisms than cholesterol-lowering.
>
> 4) Cholesterol is not a deadly poison
>
> 5) A high cholesterol is not dangerous by itself, but may reflect an unhealthy condition
>
> 6) There are dangers associated with an consumption of polyunsaturated oils.
> ==========