Originally published March 18 2013
Chronic inflammation is making America obese, unhappy and stricken with the deadliest modern diseases
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) One of the claims constantly being made by mainstream health authorities and the media is that foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol are among the primary causes of modern illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. But scientific evidence increasingly points to saturated fat and cholesterol as the actual saviors of health, while everyday triggers of chronic inflammation are the true culprits that often lead to depression, disease and for some early death.
What exactly are these inflammatory triggers? A growing body of research suggests that relatively modern foods like grains, including whole grains, refined sugars and vegetable oils, all of which are commonly recommended as being "healthy" alternatives to foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, are directly responsible for triggering systemic inflammation. And if left unchecked, the constant barrage of C-reactive proteins, cytokines, and other inflammatory markers that result can lead to more serious illnesses.
According to Dr. Beverly Teter, a lipid biochemist at the University of Maryland (UM), as well as many other renowned experts in the field, having so-called "high cholesterol" is not the cause of chronic illness, but rather the symptom. The real problem, it turns out, is an underlying inflammatory condition that all-too-often leads an ailing body to generate high circulating levels of cholesterol, a nutrient that is actually being sent to help repair the damage caused by this inflammation.
"It's the inflammation in the vessels that starts the lesion," not the cholesterol, says Dr. Teter about this widespread misunderstanding, as quoted by CBN News. "The body then sends the cholesterol like a scab to cover over it to protect the blood system and the vessel wall from further damage."
Everything you've been told about the 'dangers' of saturated fat and cholesterol is a lie
The entire system of thought that pegs saturated fat and cholesterol as causes of chronic disease was birthed from errant observations that many years ago, first identified these two nutrients in conjunction with inflammation. At the time, researchers observed a correlation between high levels of circulating cholesterol and conditions like heart disease and obesity, and basically jumped to the false conclusion that cholesterol was the cause of these diseases.
Though this delinquent theory has since been debunked by the more progressive branches of modern science, the idea that avoiding foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol is healthy still pervades popular thought. And the resulting consequence of this mistaken view has been a continued rise in chronic illnesses of all sorts, including a sharp rise in deteriorating brain conditions like Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
"Saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet are not the cause of coronary heart disease," adds Dr. George V. Mann, M.D., a professor of medicine and biochemistry at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, about the issue. "That myth is the greatest scientific deception of this century, perhaps of any century."
Your brain needs cholesterol in order to function, which means it is vital to consume plenty of it in conjunction with a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in omega-6 fatty acids. Since the typical American consumes 15 times more omega-6s compared to omega-3s, it is crucial to intake more grass-fed meat and butter, coconut oil, wild fish, chia and hemp seeds, and other rich sources of omega-3s and healthy fats.
"I come from a family that has, my mother's side, had naturally high cholesterol," adds Dr. Teter. "Her cholesterol was between 380 and 420 when I started watching her medical records, and she died at 97. So I don't think that cholesterol was too bad for her."
Sources for this article include:
http://www.cbn.com
http://online.wsj.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
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