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For decades now, we\u2019ve been convinced over and over, that high cholesterol is one of the main culprits of cardiovascular diseases. <\/p>\nFor decades now, we\u2019ve been convinced over and over, that high cholesterol is one of the main culprits of cardiovascular diseases. <\/p>\n
Read any article or feature in the health or medical field and we always hear about two main types of cholesterol: the \u2018evil\u2019 one – LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein<\/strong> and the \u2018good\u2019 one – HDL or High Density Lipoprotein<\/strong>.<\/p>\n However, a study published in the medical journal, the Lancet, revealed some conflicting findings about cholesterol. According to these findings, increased cholesterol might not cause heart diseases after all! This extraordinary announcement fueled lengthy discussion between doctors and patients. <\/p>\n More research from the Cardiovascular Education division at the Foundation for Health Improvement and Technology (FHIT) adds to the growing body of evidence that increased levels of cholesterol in blood DOES NOT necessarily increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. <\/p>\n The measurement of HDL and LDL levels in blood is still one of the only tests used for measuring cardiovascular diseases. But did we ever think if that really means anything? Well, that is where FHIT research team decided to finally debunk this cholesterol myth.<\/p>\n According to their research, more than 55 percent of people admitted to the hospitals for cardiovascular diseases have normal cholesterol levels. Only 17 percent had what can be considered as \u2018super high\u2019 levels. <\/p>\n Another study based in UK points out that since people started following the advice to eliminate saturated fats from their diet \u2013 instead of decreasing, heart diseases, in fact, has started increasing rapidly. <\/p>\n The biggest issue with this cholesterol obsession is that it leads to millions of people getting unnecessarily overmedicated with dangerous statin drugs in an attempt to reduce its level. <\/p>\n Researchers reveal another interesting fact about cholesterol. They explain, that cholesterol molecule exists only in one form. So these frequently used terms of \u2018good\u2019 HDL and \u2018bad\u2019 LDL cholesterol are highly inconsistent. These terms were introduced years ago to help explain why low HDL is often linked to increased cardiovascular risk.<\/p>\n Another prevailing dangerous trend is the increased consumption of sugar. When the fat is removed from food, it doesn\u2019t taste that good. So to compensate for the taste, the food industry has replaced saturated fat with more sugar. And as we know, increased sugar leads to many health problems like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.<\/p>\n I believe the verdict is still out there about the danger of cholesterol. But what we would like to emphasize is that, the main thing is to focus on how clogged your arteries are and not the level of cholesterol in your blood.<\/p>\n