Are you worried about cholesterol?
In a nutshell
Cholesterol is vital for human life and in my opinion does not represent a health risk
There is no such thing as good and bad cholesterol, just cholesterol
LDL and HDL are not cholesterol…they are carriers used to transport cholesterol in our blood
An update on what I’ve learned about heart disease since 2023
In 2023, I began a deep dive into the root causes of my heart disease (see links below). My goal was to challenge assumptions and question whether cholesterol was truly to blame. After months of research, I concluded that cholesterol was not the likely culprit. Instead, I found strong evidence pointing toward seed oils and a high-carbohydrate diet—particularly their role in driving chronically elevated insulin levels and oxidation—as the main contributors. Over time, I believe these factors damaged my arteries faster than my body could repair them.
Today, I’m linking to a new article by British scientist Zoe Harcombe. She describes it as a "signpost" for readers who want to explore the topic of cholesterol more deeply. It covers a range of important questions:
Some basics about cholesterol
Conversions between mmol/L and mg/dL
Cholesterol targets in the UK & US.
Do you have high cholesterol?
What if your cholesterol is above 10 mmol/L (387 mg/dL)?
Is the cholesterol test accurate?
Why cholesterol can’t cause heart disease (covering saturated fat and cholesterol, saturated fat and heart disease and cholesterol and heart disease)
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) calculators and cholesterol as a risk factor
If you’re even mildly curious about cholesterol and heart health, it’s well worth reading. Before you do, here are a few quotes from the article that really stood out to me:
Some basics about cholesterol
“It is virtually impossible to explain how vital cholesterol is to the human body. If you had no cholesterol in your body you would be dead. No cells, no bone structure, no muscles, no hormones, no sex, no reproductive system, no digestion, no brain function, no memory, no nerve endings, no movement, no human life – nothing without cholesterol. It is utterly vital and we die instantly without it”
“Cholesterol is so vital that our bodies make it. The body cannot risk leaving it to chance that we would get it from food or some other external factor – that’s how critical it is.”
“There is no such thing as good cholesterol and bad cholesterol…HDL is not even cholesterol, let alone good. LDL is not even cholesterol, let alone bad. HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein. LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein”
“…lipoproteins are carriers of cholesterol...LDL would more accurately be called the carrier of fresh cholesterol and HDL would more accurately be called the carrier of recycled cholesterol.”
Why cholesterol can’t cause heart disease
Dr. Harcombe describes many black swans disproving cholesterol as the cause of heart disease…read them for yourself.
“The black swan theory goes as follows. If your hypothesis is that all swans are white and you see one black swan, your hypothesis has failed. You need to develop another hypothesis because one anomaly has defeated it.
The diet-heart hypothesis has mutated over the years, but – at its essence – it claims that (saturated) fat raises cholesterol and cholesterol causes heart disease. Variously, it flits between total dietary fat and saturated fat and total cholesterol or LDL-Cholesterol or the ratio of one cholesterol to another. When something doesn’t work, it mutates. There are so many black swans in this hypothesis that it should have died long ago, but it prevails.”
Read the whole thing.
My personal discovery process
Part 1: What Caused My Heart Disease?
In April 2023, I published my first article challenging the Diet-Heart Hypothesis—the idea that dietary saturated fat raises cholesterol, which in turn causes heart disease. Despite following the recommended diet and medications for years, I still developed a serious heart condition. That disconnect led me to question everything. My key conclusion at the time:
“I don’t believe that the diet heart hypothesis explains the cause of my heart disease. I have two reasons for this position. Firstly, I followed the lifestyle and pharmaceutical drug guidelines designed to avoid heart disease with this hypothesis in mind and I developed a serious heart condition. Secondly, when I investigated the possible causes I quickly discovered that cholesterol isn’t harmful, and this is supported by evidence amassed over many decades. Cholesterol is vital to human health, and without it we would not exist.”
Part 2: Exploring the Thrombogenic Hypothesis
Later that month, I explored an alternative theory supported by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick [1,2]. This “Thrombogenic Hypothesis” suggests that heart disease is primarily driven by repeated blood clotting and impaired healing.
“After reviewing the two competing hypotheses for the formation and development of heart disease, I favor the blood clotting (thrombogenic) alternative. I reach this conclusion from two directions. Firstly, through a process of elimination in which the Diet Heart Hypothesis has been so thoroughly discredited that the Thrombogenic Hypothesis is the only one left standing. Secondly, after considering insulin resistance as the likely root cause, it seems that run away blood clotting and plaque formation is likely to ensue.
Arriving at this conclusion is important from a practical point of view because it provides a path for us to follow to avoid, arrest, and perhaps even reverse heart disease. Avoid ”foods” that lead to insulin resistance, and adopt a healthy, balanced lifestyle.”
Seed (Vegetable) Oils: A Hidden Threat
In August 2023, I reviewed research on seed oils. My findings (LA = linoleic acid, the main component in seed oils):
“Consuming too much LA likely damaged my artery lining, damaged the LDL particles transporting cholesterol in my blood, and altered the cholesterol contained within those LDL particles…”
High, Healthy Cholesterol Is Good for Me
In December 2023, I wrote my final piece in this series after listening to a compelling podcast on cholesterol. I summarized my conclusions this way:
“• There is no such thing as good and bad cholesterol, there is just cholesterol, and healthy cholesterol is good for me
• LDL and HDL are not cholesterol, they are lipoproteins used to transport cholesterol (and other fats) in our blood
• LDL can be damaged by high blood glucose to form small dense LDL (sdLDL)
• sdLDL is associated with ill health including heart disease and stroke”
If you’re grappling with your own cholesterol numbers or heart health concerns, I encourage you to explore both mainstream advice and alternative views. My experience taught me that it’s critical to question assumptions, examine evidence, and make decisions based on a holistic view of health—not just one number on a blood test.
References
Kendrick, M (2007) The great cholesterol con: the truth about what really causes heart disease and how to avoid it. London: John Blake Publishing
Kendrick, M. (2021) The clot thickens: The enduring mystery of heart disease. London: Columbus Publishing