3 reasons we need cholesterol to stay young, healthy and vibrant!

There’s something about being in America that always re-sparks my interest in the truth about cholesterol. Maybe it’s the fact that my dad’s doctor insists he be on statins due to an extremely vague lipid profile. It also has to do with the frustration that many insurance policies determine your eligibility for coverage based on a test of simple your HDL/LDL cholesterol numbers, which says nothing about your health. That’s been the experience of my mom this week.Anyway. I’ve shared my story about cholesterol, my mood and physical physique here, but I wanted to also share some of the reasons our body needs cholesterol and why its imperative that we don’t aim to lower our numbers:

• Reasons #1 Cholesterol gives us energy- Cholesterol is the precursor to our corticosteroids, hormones from the adrenal cortex that give us energy throughout the day.

More specifically, without cholesterol we could not make glucocorticoids which regulate glucose (sugar/carbs) metabolism, produce adequate amounts of cortisol and support the immune system by lowering inflammation. Could this explain the link between decades of low cholesterol hype and a significant increase in diabetes? Most definitely.Mineralocorticoids are another category of corticosteroids which regulate, minerals which helps us maintain a steady blood pressure.

• Reason #2- Cholesterol is the precursor to every sex hormone in our bodies- Progesterone, testosterone and oestrogen all depend on cholesterol for manufacturing. Without adequate amounts of these sex hormones, you face symptoms like loss of sex drive, infertility, weight-gain, hair loss, irritability and more. For those of you who have experienced hormonal imbalance you know that often you can’t explain it but you just feel… off.

• Reason #3 -Cholesterol protects us from sun damage and increases our levels of Vitamin D- Cholesterol is in every cell in our bodies, often making up the majority of each cell. It gives the membrane structure allowing it to protect the nucleus and communicate with other cells efficiently. It is also the precursor to Vitamin D, meaning without cholesterol the body cannot manufacture this important hormone from sunlight.

High levels of naturally occurring Vitamin D protect the skin from sunburn which is simply UV-inflicted inflammation of the skin. Increasing cholesterol in the diet and avoiding the frantic scares of high cholesterol numbers play a large role in protecting your body from skin cancer.So while rubbing butter on your legs prior to stepping in the sun may be a bad idea (at least in Queensland!) adding some good ol' cholesterol in the diet will have the opposite effect.*Vitamin D is also necessary for calcium absorption which protects bones and teeth as well as creating melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep at night.Some good sources of dietary cholesterol are:

• Pastured butter- from cows living in the sun, and grazing on green grass. Should be a deep yellow colour.
• Organic pastured eggs- These should also have a deep yellow/ orange yolk ensuring they are high in vitamins and minerals.
• Grass-fed beef

Hopefully you’re starting to see why limiting cholesterol, and taking cholesterol-lowering medications is a dangerously bad idea. Without cholesterol, our body begins to slowly break down and some of the most common medical problems like diabetes, hormonal imbalance, adrenal fatigue, osteoporosis and sleep disorders take place.That being said, there is something to be noted about VERY low density lipoproteins (not general LDL) which signal high levels of oxidised cholesterol. These are the bad guys that are concerning. But even in this situation with some easy dietary adjustments like replacing vegetable oils and trans fats with butter or coconut oil, you can get yourself back into a healthy range where you feel vibrant and utterly undeprived!