“Normal” cholesterol redefined.
New Target Cholesterol
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Of course the primary concern is not cholesterol in our gallbladder, but cholesterol in our coronary arteries, leading to our #1 cause of death: heart disease.
People come to me all the time and say, “I don’t have to worry about what I eat because my cholesterol’s normal.” Well, having a normal cholesterol in a society in which it’s normal to die from heart disease is not saying much.
Having an average cholesterol means dying an average death. This is from the Harvard Heart Letter. “Once upon a time, average was thought to be perfectly okay.” But, “average cholesterol no longer makes the grade—lower is better.” In fact, way below average is the new target.
How low can you go? Well, we’re born with a total cholesterol down around 50. But then it quickly bounds upward, elevated by milk and fatty foods, generally breaking into the 200s by middle age. More raw material for making artery-clogging plaque.
The target is an LDL—the bad cholesterol—under 70; which means a total cholesterol around under 150. How do you do that? How do you get a total cholesterol of 150? Well, you could move to the planet of the apes. Or, just eat a strictly plant-based diet.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Pradhan SB, Joshi MR, Vaidya A. Prevalence of different types of gallstone in the patients with cholelithiasis at Kathmandu Medical College, Nepal. Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2009 Jul-Sep;7(27):268-71.
- High marks for below-average cholesterol. For the best protection against clogged arteries and heart disease, average cholesterol no longer makes the grade--lower is better. Harv Heart Lett. 2006 Feb;16(6):4-5.
Image thanks to Pete via flickr
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Of course the primary concern is not cholesterol in our gallbladder, but cholesterol in our coronary arteries, leading to our #1 cause of death: heart disease.
People come to me all the time and say, “I don’t have to worry about what I eat because my cholesterol’s normal.” Well, having a normal cholesterol in a society in which it’s normal to die from heart disease is not saying much.
Having an average cholesterol means dying an average death. This is from the Harvard Heart Letter. “Once upon a time, average was thought to be perfectly okay.” But, “average cholesterol no longer makes the grade—lower is better.” In fact, way below average is the new target.
How low can you go? Well, we’re born with a total cholesterol down around 50. But then it quickly bounds upward, elevated by milk and fatty foods, generally breaking into the 200s by middle age. More raw material for making artery-clogging plaque.
The target is an LDL—the bad cholesterol—under 70; which means a total cholesterol around under 150. How do you do that? How do you get a total cholesterol of 150? Well, you could move to the planet of the apes. Or, just eat a strictly plant-based diet.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Pradhan SB, Joshi MR, Vaidya A. Prevalence of different types of gallstone in the patients with cholelithiasis at Kathmandu Medical College, Nepal. Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2009 Jul-Sep;7(27):268-71.
- High marks for below-average cholesterol. For the best protection against clogged arteries and heart disease, average cholesterol no longer makes the grade--lower is better. Harv Heart Lett. 2006 Feb;16(6):4-5.
Image thanks to Pete via flickr
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New Target Cholesterol
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
Check out these more recent videos on cholesterol:
Optimal Cholesterol Level
Switching from Beef to Chicken & Fish May Not Lower Cholesterol
The Problem with the Paleo Diet Argument
And check out my other videos on cholesterol.
For more context, see my associated blog post: Stool Size & Breast Cancer Risk.
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