Do you remember when cardiologists advised us to switch to margarine in order to protect our hearts? They sure got that one wrong. The hydrogenated trans fats actually promote heart disease.

We’ve received harmful advice more than a few times. Until a few months ago, health experts have been telling us to avoid cholesterol-rich foods like eggs, red meat, butter, and cheese because they said it would make the cholesterol in our blood go up and cause heart disease. And we were also advised to eat a low fat diet for heart health.

In reality, the intake of cholesterol-rich foods has very little impact on one’s cholesterol levels in the blood. Research scientists have acknowledged that the dietary recommendations for a low cholesterol diet were based on the findings of one flawed study done in the 1960s. Surveys in recent years have shown no correlation between blood cholesterol levels and eating animal fats.

Finally, after half a century, the misguided recommendations are being rectified. The advisory committee that determines the national dietary guidelines has acknowledged this year, in 2015, what science has shown, that cholesterol in foods does not influence blood cholesterol levels.

The majority of the cholesterol in the blood comes from what is produced by the liver. So what makes the liver put out high cholesterol? One of the most potent triggers for the liver to make cholesterol is high insulin levels. The insulin goes up when we eat sugars and other simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are foods that turn to sugar quickly like, for example, milled grains, including bread, pasta and chips. Fruit juice raises insulin levels because of the concentrated fructose, and alcohol, which is made from fermented sugar, causes the insulin levels to spike. The high insulin, in turn, causes the liver to put out more cholesterol. So, one of the best ways to reduce one’s cholesterol is by eliminating sugars, processed foods, and milled grains.

A second trigger for the liver to produce cholesterol occurs when there is not enough fat in the diet. The liver compensates for the low fat by releasing more cholesterol into the blood. The severely restricted low fat diets are contributing to our national health problems. The food industry has substituted sugar in place of the fats and, in the process, contributed to the massive epidemic of obesity, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and heart disease.

There is still some confusion over fats. We were told by health authorities that a high fat diet was one of the worst things we could do for our heart. But, no distinction was made between the good fats and bad fats. The bad fats are the hydrogenated fats, as in margarine and Crisco, and the partially hydrogenated as found in most processed foods. The bad fats also include fats that have been oxidized, as found in rancid oils and oils that have been heated to a high temperature for frying foods. The liver compensates for the bad fats by making more cholesterol. The bad fats play a significant role in causing heart disease.

The good fats, on the other hand, promote healthy hearts. The good fats include all the plant-based fats, including coconut oil and coconut butter, avocados, olives and olive oil, unroasted nuts and seeds, nut milks and nut butters. They are vitally important for good health, especially for the brain and nervous system, and they are also important for maintaining normal blood sugar levels throughout the day.

The saturated fats from animals, such as butter and cheese, are no longer viewed as harmful to the heart as long as the fat is not oxidized. But, if you fry an egg, the good fat turns into a less good fat due to the oxidation that occurs with high heat. For optimal health, it’s best to avoid fried food—especially deep fried foods. Instead, you can boil, steam, or bake your foods. Or eat them raw if appropriate. Ideally, it’s best to avoid vegetable oils for cooking. If you want to fry foods, use low heat and stick to coconut oil or butter. They are saturated fats and are less harmed by the heat by virtue of being saturated. In regards to olive oil, it’s best to avoid heating olive oil on the stove.

Next week in Part II of the Cholesterol Controversy, I’ll be writing about what the potential problems are with cholesterol, the importance of cholesterol and what happens when statins are used to lower cholesterol. Stay tuned.

View from my front door at The Commons