Cholesterol Hype

Well, we are all worried about cholesterol.  My readings have always been in the low to mid 200's.  I have been paranoid about this, just waiting for a major cardiovascular event to kill me. The medical field has recently been wanting everyone to go on a Statin- a medication like lipitor, zocor or the like.  I've been on two: one turned me green after 4 days and I immediately stopped it before it killed me; subsequently it has been pulled off the market for seriously injuring people.  The other one was also elevating my liver enzymes and making my muscles hurt.  To tell you the truth, I'm not so sure I like these Statin drugs.

   At the last Anti-Aging medicine conference I heard an interesting lecture about cholesterol. It made sense to me. Let me review it with you.

   Cholesterol is the precursor (beginning molecule) for all of the sex hormones.  As we age our sex hormones decline. One smart researcher decided to check levels of sex hormones in people with high levels of cholesterol. To his amazement, he discovered low hormone levels of various substances in each of his patients. He theorized that the body was producing more cholesterol (yes the body does make cholesterol - a lot of it) to hopefully increase the dwindling supplies of sex hormones downstream (yes the body always tries to compensate for deficiencies of various needed biochemicals).

The sex hormones he checks for are:

1. Pregnenolone (the precursor of progesterone),
2. DHEA (the precursor of testosterone and estrogen),
3. Testosterone,
4. Estradiol (one of the 3 estrogens the gonads make and yes even men have this hormone) and
5. Progesterone.
   
      He finds the deficient hormone and supplements it as a cream/gel in the case of estradiol, testosterone and progesterone, or as a pill if DHEA or pregnenolone is deficient.  Then guess what he discovered.  Almost all his patients had a significant sustained drop in their cholesterol!
   
     I tried his strategies with my own patients and unfortunately couldn’t validate his results. However, I have my own strategies for lowering cholesterol. I haven't heard a good thing said in 4 years at Weight Loss Medical Conferences about low cholesterol/fat diets as working to lower one's cholesterol. The diet style that works is a low carbohydrate, no grain or starch diet. I recommend lean meat, above ground vegetables and minimal bananas or sugar beverages- i.e. juices - for my patients. I also take ProPantethine from Promedis twice daily (midday and before bedtime). By the way, all the food products we sell are low carbohydrate and thus helpful in lowering cholesterol/triglycerides.
   
      Therefore, check your sex hormones; and stop eating bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and all the junk that we never ate for humankinds first few million years. Think about it, cats never evolved eating lettuce and tomatoes and therefore we would kill them with a diet like that.  We didn't evolve eating grains or starchy stuff and, hence, are we killing ourselves with those substances?
   
      Doesn't this make sense?  Remember this is my opinion and always check with your doctors before changing anything medically you do.
   
   Bye,
   
   Dr. P.
   
   Board Certified Weight Doctor