Cholesterol and Vitamin D

Another piece of the puzzle?

Nov 14, 2023

I was today years old when I learnt that vitamin D is synthesised from cholesterol1. Who would have thought that a myopic, Big Pharma benefitting, focus on lowering cholesterol with statins might have had adverse consequences in other really important areas, in addition to not actually lowering your risk of heart disease?

From 2013…

The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease – And the Statin-Free Plan That Will

TL;DR

Heart disease is the #1 killer.
Cholesterol and saturated fat are not major causes of heart disease but inflammation, oxidation, sugar, and stress are - especially sugar (due to glycation), processed carbs, oh, and sugar.
Low-fat diets and statin drugs are contributing to a mammoth health crisis.
Research shows that sub-optimal vitamin D contributes to heart disease, cancer and poor immunological function.
Other good stuff for the heart includes CoQ10, magnesium, niacin, vitamin C, curcumin, resveratrol.
The low-fat diet is the result of political lobbying (by the sugar industry), not science.

Authors

Stephen Sinatra, MD, FACC, is an internationally known and sought-after cardiologist, educator, and author who created the Manchester, CT-based Heart MD Institute as an educational platform focused on prevention and proactive lifestyle changes to live a healthier life. For more information visit www.heartmdinstitute.com.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, a best-selling nutritionist with a master’s degree in psychology, is a nationally known expert on nutrition, weight loss, and health. He is the author of several bestselling titles. For more information visit www.jonnybowden.com.

DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!

Specifically, natural vitamin D is produced in the skin from a universally present form of cholesterol: 7-dehydrocholesterol. Sunlight is the key: its ultraviolet B (UVB) energy converts the precursor to vitamin D3, which is ultimately made in the kidney, after additional processing in the liver. I speculate that most people are aware of the importance of sunlight for vitamin D but, if they are like me, did not know that natural cholesterol is the other part of the process?

I wanted to add sunscreen to the list of “bad stuff” but it wasn’t in the referenced article and I didn’t have a decent, independent review in my locker. But then I discovered this from reader, Roman Shapoval -

The Power Couple by Roman Shapoval

How to Fight Skin Cancer with UV Light

“How did we get through the Neolithic Era without sunscreen? Actually, perfectly well. What’s counterintuitive is that dermatologists run around saying, ‘Don’t go outside, you might die.’ ” - Richard Weller, Professor & Personal Chair of Medical Dermatology at The University of Edinburgh…

2 years ago · 38 likes · 34 comments · Roman S Shapoval

Kev

About 35 years ago when I was in medical school statins were just beginning to be promoted. I remember a day where I learned in physiology class that cholesterol was mostly manufactured by the liver, with only a smaller amount absorbed through the diet. I also learned in other classes that cholesterol was the MAIN precursor molecule to nearly every hormone in the body AND the MAIN component of cell walls of every cell in the body. I remember saying to some peers and professors that maybe it's not a good idea to interfere with the metabolism of such an important molecule. If the liver is synthesizing it that means we need it. I got the usual response of the Framingham study showed high cholesterol is associated with heart disease. I would counter with the argument that maybe high cholesterol blood levels AND heart disease are symptoms of some deeper underlying problem. NOBODY except me was curious or skeptical at all. I even have a friend who is a cardiologist who to this day still takes his daily statin despite all the articles I've sent him showing increased all cause mortality of people on statins.

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