A medical story for the forum:

[live love laugh]

64. The Magnesium Miracle supports the findings that cholesterol isn't "bad"

Author Carolyn Dean provides loads of research that counters artificial cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) vs. essential minerals (Magnesium) that do a better job interacting with the body to achieve necessary cholesterol levels.

She identifies the origins of the myth that cholesterol is bad as emanating from two Russian researchers in 1913 who fed large amounts of oxidized (rancid) crystallized cholesterol to a group of hungry rabbits. When they saw yellow gunk clogging the arteries they leapt to the conclusion that cholesterol was responsible for coronary disease. Later researchers found that the type of cholesterol in the study is not something the body even uses and that dietary cholesterol is harmful only if it is stale or rancid.

The book points towards the opinion that the cholesterol scare is just big business for doctors, labs and drug companies and a powerful marketing gimmick for vegetable oil and margarine manufacturers.

More importantly the importance of cholesterol is discussed in detail. Without it:
* We wouldn't be able to have sex or procreate and would become extinct because sex hormones and stress hormones are made from it
* It's necessary to create cell membranes and coats nerves with protective fatty insulation that make up about 60 to 80% of our brain tissue
* It’s essential for proper food digestion and fat absorption
* Your bones would turn to mush because you couldn't make vitamin D from sunlight and wouldn't be able to absorb calcium.

Artificial drugs may excessively remove cholesterol causing more harm than good. I live by the advice in this book.