Publisher’s Thoughts:
The best-selling book on heart disease, updated with the latest research and clinical findings on high-fat/ketogenic diets, sugar, genetics, and other factors.
Heart disease is the #1 killer. However, traditional heart disease protocols—with their emphasis on lowering cholesterol—have it all wrong. Emerging science is showing that cholesterol levels are a poor predictor of heart disease and that standard prescriptions for lowering it, such as ineffective low-fat/high-carb diets and serious, side-effect-causing statin drugs, obscure the real causes of heart disease. Even doctors at leading institutions have been misled for years based on creative reporting of research results from pharmaceutical companies intent on supporting the $31-billion-a-year cholesterol-lowering drug industry.
“The Great Cholesterol Myth” reveals the real culprits of heart disease, including inflammation, fibrinogen, triglycerides, homocysteine, belly fat, triglyceride to HDL ratios, and high glycemic levels.
Best-selling health authors Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., and Stephen Sinatra, MD, give readers a four-part strategy based on the latest studies and clinical findings for effectively preventing, managing, and reversing heart disease, focusing on diet, exercise, supplements, and stress and anger management.
Myths vs. Facts
Myth: High cholesterol is the cause of heart disease. Fact: Cholesterol is only a minor player in the cascade of inflammation which is a cause of heart disease.
Myth: Saturated fat is dangerous. Fact: Saturated fats are not dangerous. The killer fats are the transfats from partially hydrogenated oils.
Myth: The higher the cholesterol, the shorter the lifespan. Fact: Higher cholesterol protects you from gastrointestinal disease, pulmonary disease, and hemorrhagic stroke.
Myth: High cholesterol is a predictor of a heart attack. Fact: There is no correlation between cholesterol and heart attacks.
Myth: Lowering cholesterol with statin drugs will prolong your life. Fact: There is no data to show that statins have a significant impact on longevity.
Myth: Statin drugs are safe. Fact: Statin drugs can be extremely toxic including causing death.
Myth: Statin drugs are useful in men, women, and the elderly. Fact: Statin drugs do the best job in middle-aged men with coronary disease.
Myth: Statin drugs are useful in middle-aged men with coronary artery disease because of its impact on cholesterol. Fact: Statin drugs reduce inflammation and improve blood viscosity (thinning blood). Statins are extremely helpful in men with low HDL and coronary artery disease.
Staff Thoughts:
According to the Centers for Disease and Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. By the time you finish reading this sentence, someone has had a heart attack and it will most likely be their first. A common misperception about heart attacks is that cholesterol itself causes them. Not so fast say two authors.
Enter The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease – And the Statin-Free Plan That Will. The book, written by cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra, and nutrition expert Jonny Bowden, is an unlikely hero in the fight against heart disease. The Great Cholesterol Myth is an easy-to-read guide to maneuver through the maze of medical and scientific diagnoses, terminology, and sometimes confusing controversies about the causes and treatment of heart disease.
The book, broken into three parts, covers a wide range of topics including myths about cholesterol, sugar, statin drugs, and even diets. Did you know, for example, that people taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs were more prone to accidents and suicides? The authors write this is likely because human brains are soaked in cholesterol; removing cholesterol from the brain may cause serious accidents and even death.
As you read through the chapters, you begin to form a picture that leads to the conclusion: heart disease is preventable. The final part of the book provides readers with information about what diets work best to prevent heart attacks and which nutritional supplements people can take for healthier, longer lives while lowering the risk of heart attacks and heart disease. Have you ever heard of CoQ10, a nutritional supplement people can take to help keep their hearts healthy?
“The Great Cholesterol Myth” is an easy-to-read guide toward understanding the causes, treatments, and prevention of heart disease.
I was introduced to this book the day after I came home from the hospital following a heart attack, my first and hopefully last. In reading the book, I learned a great deal about not just why I likely had my heart attack but also how I can prevent another one through a healthy diet focused on reducing and eliminating inflammation, the real danger that causes a wide variety of negative health issues and problems, including heart attacks and heart disease.
Like a rising segment of the population, I had no known risk factors for a heart attack except genetics. Once I came home from the hospital, I began reading the book and immediately set out to form a nutritional plan that included supplements for my heart. As one might be able to tell, I was so impressed with this book I recommend it to anyone and everyone who has had a heart attack, and who has not had a heart attack.
Take care of yourself and read the excellent “The Great Cholesterol Myth.” It might save your life.
