If you have high cholesterol you might want to consider diet, as well as genetics, as the root cause but not in the way you might think. For years, we were warned to limit foods that contained high levels of fat and cholesterol, like eggs. However, new studies are changing that perception.  There are basically two camps within the medical profession; those that believe high cholesterol is caused by overproduction within your own body (genetics), and the other group, who believe that inflammation is the cause of high cholesterol.  The newest research suggests that eggs and fat may not be the culprit contributing to our high cholesterol after all.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is attached to the fats in our bloodstream and is present in all of our cells.  Cholesterol comes from the food that we eat and is manufactured by the liver, and helps to regulate the formation of cells as well as hormones. There are two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL.  LDL is the harmful cholesterol that builds up on artery walls.  HDL is the good cholesterol that helps filter out the LDL cholesterol and transports fats out of the bloodstream to the liver for excretion.  Doctors now view the ratio of good to bad cholesterol as more significant than the overall number.

Until recently, the accepted therapy for people with high cholesterol was a non-fat or low-fat diet and statin drugs.  It was believed that diets high in fat or cholesterol in eggs contributed to high cholesterol in our bodies.  The newest research indicates that inflammation may be the root cause of high cholesterol!  Lifestyles that include a lot of stress, smoking, drinking, consumption of sugar, refined white flour, Omega 6 fats, processed food, poor nutrition, exposure to environmental toxins like pollution or pesticides, creates an environment where inflammation can occur.  Inflammation inside our bodies is similar to inflammation we see outside our bodies when we are injured.  That redness and irritation can occur within the walls of our blood vessels and cause a build up of plaque and constrict blood flow. This reduces blood circulation and causes stress and damage to the heart.  Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely though out the body.  The cholesterol in eggs, in this case, is not a primary source of inflammation.

Depending on which point of view you adopt, the good news is that we have the technology to lower cholesterol.   You can take prescription medication, or eat a diet rich in healthy fats and anti-oxidants from whole foods and whole food concentrates.  If you believe that lifestyle is the cause of high cholesterol, then a change in diet is one of the best ways to fight inflammation and free radical damage.  According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, you can alter your cholesterol ratio and increase your HDL levels by changing your diet! 

You can provide nutrition for your body with whole food formulas and by eating plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and lean protein sources. Eating healthy fats like Omega 3, olive oil and coconut oil will improve HDL cholesterol. Lean protein can be found in fish, buffalo, chicken, turkey, eggs, quinoa, legumes, nuts, etc. You must also reduce your intake of pre-prepared and processed food loaded with sugar, refined flour products and Omega 6 oils.  Besides building a healthy heart, you'll also lose weight, have more energy, and better digestion. The bottom line is unless your eating a carton of eggs a week, don't worry about the cholesterol in eggs.