Morning!
How’s your weekend been treating you? Hopefully, you’ve stayed warm through the recent winter storm making its rounds across the U.S. But hey, if you’re stuck inside, what better time to learn some cholesterol truths, right? Plus, in case you missed it, there’s still time to snag OceanHydrate Sports for $10 off! That’s right, a flat out $10 discount. Take a moment to check it out this morning, and if you’ve got any questions, just hit reply, we’re here and ready to help! It’s the perfect time to catch us!
In today’s edition, we’re tackling a hot topic: cholesterol. Nope, not the same as our Cholesterol Edition for those wondering. Here we fact-check the top cholesterol myths as opposed to explaining it and its function. Back to it, cholesterol is right up there with gluten and lactose as one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented nutrients in the diet world. Buckle up, because we’re about to debunk some of the most popular myths about it. So grab your favorite hydration drink (you know, OceanHydrate!) and let’s bust some myths.
MYTH BUSTS
Myth #1: “We need to eat cholesterol.”
What seems like something necessary from our diet is really just something that’s apparently in all the good stuff. But plot twist, our liver is more than capable of handling cholesterol production all on its own. That’s right, folks, no butter-slathered toast required. The liver uses carbs and fats to create Acetyl-CoA, then bundles up 30 of those molecules, removes 3 carbons, and—bam!—you’ve got your very own cholesterol. So yes, you could say you indirectly get it for the food you eat, but it’s really your liver doing the work here.
Myth Busted!
Myth #2: “You can feel high cholesterol.”
Here’s the problem with cholesterol: you won’t know it’s high until it’s really high. In fact, you could be rocking high cholesterol for years without even noticing. The only thing that may tip you off eventually is high blood pressure, your body's subtle way of saying, "Hey, all this plaque buildup is causing problems in your arteries." And when the arteries narrow from all that plaque, blood has to squeeze through small passages, increasing the risk of things like heart attacks and strokes. So, no, high cholesterol doesn’t come with a flashing neon sign saying, "Hey, I’m here!", though frankly, that would be nice.
Myth Busted!
Myth #3: “Eating a lot of cholesterol won’t raise my cholesterol levels.”
Now we’re getting into the murky waters. This one’s a bit more complicated. Ok, yes this seems like a no-brainer: if you eat cholesterol your cholesterol goes up. But… if we all recall a few months back, there was a headline that made international news when a medical student ate 720 eggs in a month with no effect on his blood cholesterol levels. While that was interesting (and, let’s be honest, a little gross), we need to take that with a grain of salt. The general idea is that eating some dietary cholesterol is not responsible for blood cholesterol levels increasing as well; but there is more than meets the eye here.
The cholesterol you eat doesn’t have as much of an impact on your blood cholesterol as we’ve been led to believe. It is however BFFs with saturated fats, and is very commonly seen alongside them. Saturated fats, unlike cholesterol, increase a lipoprotein called LDL. Ring a bell? This “bad cholesterol” is responsible for taking cholesterol from your liver to your cells for storage. In the process of doing so it increases the probability of forming plaque in your blood vessels due to an overflow of stored cholesterol. Ergo, cholesterol isn’t the problem, it's the saturated fats that come with it!
Myth half-busted!
Myth #4: “If you’re thin, you don’t need to worry about cholesterol.”
This one’s sneaky. We tend to think that if we’re thin, we’re automatically immune to things like high cholesterol. But hold up! This isn’t the case. While being overweight does increase the risk of high cholesterol, it’s not the only factor at play. Poor dietary choices and lifestyle habits can also contribute to high cholesterol. So unfortuntaely, you aren’t necessarily exempt just because your jeans fit.
Myth busted!
Myth #5: “If you take statins, you don’t need to change your lifestyle.”
Statins, for those unaware, can help lower cholesterol, but they aren’t a magic pill. Yes, they can lower your cholesterol, but without a change in diet and lifestyle, you're just kind of putting a band-aid on a problem that needs surgery. Statins don’t work well with a side of greasy burgers and late-night Netflix binges. You’ve got to play your part, too.
Myth busted!
Myth #6: “Margarine will always help reduce cholesterol.”
Margarine used to be the “good guy” for cholesterol, but it's not always the clear winner. Some types are loaded with trans fats (you guessed it, these guys are also terrible for your health) or saturated oils, making them not so much a health hero as a health sidekick. So, while margarine might be a slightly better choice than butter, don’t expect it to work miracles.
Myth busted!
ENDNOTE
Final Thoughts
We’ve busted some serious cholesterol myths today, so you’re now armed with the truth. Keep this info in your back pocket, and make sure you’re always making the best choices for your health. Stay healthy, stay hydrated, and if you like this myth-busting style of newsletter, keep the ideas coming and send us your ideas on what you want myth-busted.
Have a great Monday!
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