Understanding Cholesterol, Part I
Say the word cholesterol and see a look of fear come across someone’s face because of the preconceived notions that pharmaceutical companies have fostered. The majority of my clients have what Western medicine considers to be high cholesterol. Western medicine doctors, the internet, and TV ads bombard us with misinformation about cholesterol and the myriad of ways (all prescription, all making someone a pretty penny) we can lower it.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a small molecule made by all mammals that contains three different atoms: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are the building blocks of life.
Cholesterol is hydrophobic, meaning it does not like water but rather prefers the company of fat. Because of its structure, it travels around the body with LDL and HDL. A large percentage of cholesterol production actually occurs in the liver. The liver is also responsible for detoxification, manufacturing fats and proteins, storage and breakdown of sugars, digestion of food, and making cholesterol. Your body makes about 1000mg of cholesterol daily. Interesting tidbit: Very low cholesterol is a sign the liver is not functioning optimally.
Side note: Your liver is very important to your health and well-being. Do your best to keep it healthy!
Cholesterol is found in all animal sources of food. Most of the cholesterol you consume from food is not absorbed, but passed in the stool. Your gut prefers to absorb the cholesterol made by the liver and then passed into the bile to assist with digestion. Pharmaceuticals prevent reabsorption thus lowering cholesterol numbers.
What does cholesterol do and why does my body make it?
If you’ve seen the aggressive advertising done by pharmaceutical companies, you might believe that your body is trying to give itself a heart attack or stroke. Definitely not true.
Has your doctor ever told you that cholesterol is the backbone of your sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, and testosterone)? Probably not. Know someone that went on a statin for their high cholesterol and then a few months later were suffering with low testosterone and ED? It happens all the time.
Without enough cholesterol, testosterone production suffers. Testosterone matters. It helps build muscle mass and leads to better bone density and strength (these are important as we age). Low testosterone is linked to Alzheimer’s and coronary heart disease.
Estrogen and progesterone come from cholesterol too. Progesterone is produced in the adrenal glands and in the ovaries. As women slide into menopause, their bodies naturally produce less progesterone (the feel good hormone) so it makes sense that putting a peri-menopausal or menopausal woman on a cholesterol lowering prescription further decreases hormone production and is responsible for menopause-related symptoms.
DHEA is the most prevalent sex hormone circulating in your body. Think of DHEA as the master molecule which gets converted into estrogen and testosterone. DHEA is made from cholesterol in the adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes. There are hundreds of studies showing that low DHEA levels are associated with an increased risk of heart attack, diabetes, and stroke.
Cholesterol also plays a role in the production of cortisol which is your main energy hormone. Cortisol is needed to increase blood sugar in times of stress, balance the immune system, and aid in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Many of the clients I see have a diminished cortisol production due to a poor diet, a body burdened by chemicals, lack of sleep, and living in a state of chronic stress. By decreasing cholesterol, we are also limiting the production of cortisol.
Aldosterone, another important hormone produced by cholesterol, is responsible for the kidneys ability to retain salt. Despite what your doctor may tell you, salt is not bad. In fact, salt (sodium) is responsible for maintaining blood pressure.
T3 and T4, thyroid hormones, are responsible for cell metabolism and energy, as well as maintaining body temperature. While T3 and T4 are not made from cholesterol, the follicular cells in the thyroid that are responsible for hormone production contain cholesterol.
Your brain is responsible for hearing, memories, movement, sensation, sight, and thought. Your brain is also loaded with fat and cholesterol. A recent study found that people with higher cholesterol levels have the best memory while another report concluded that those with low cholesterol have higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts.
Digestion is another critical function of that uses cholesterol. Cholesterol is secreted by the liver into the bile ducts to help digest food. The gall bladder stores bile salts which it uses to breakdown fats. Without cholesterol and bile salts, digestion will be poor and nutrients won’t be absorbed.
The human body is made up of trillions cells, each held in place by a thin layer called a cell membrane. Cholesterol helps keep the cell membrane strong yet fluid allowing cells to communicate with each other, keep important contents in, and unwanted particles out. Hormones, minerals, vitamins, and many other tiny molecules enter/exit cells based upon the health of the cell membrane. Communication between cells is one of the keys to life and this communication is dependent upon cholesterol.
While this is a big picture look at what cholesterol is and its many roles in your body, I hope that you’ve come to see cholesterol as a life-giving molecule rather than something to fear. For further information, read Understanding Cholesterol, Part II.