Good cholesterol: bad carbohydrates

The liver makes cholesterol which is shipped to various parts off the body.  How does it know how much to make? The liver monitors the cholesterol levels inside the body’s cells and the insulin levels in the blood. If the cholesterol level in the cells is low then more cholesterol is made. Makes sense. If the insulin level in the blood stream is high then more cholesterol is made.  Not so logical. Why does a high level of insulin lead to an increase in manufacture of cholesterol?

Insulin is a hormone with many functions.  It has a role in the growth and building of more new cells. In order to form new cells more cholesterol (cholesterol is a part of all cells) is needed. A high insulin level results in a high blood cholesterol level. A high insulin level is the bodies’ way of saying it is building new cells and needs some new cholesterol.
Unfortunately in today’s society with today’s diet a high insulin level indicates a person has eaten excessive refined carbohydrates. New cholesterol is not needed. But the body orders it and the liver manufactures it.

Statin drugs interfere with the manufacture of this new cholesterol. They stop the manufacture of new cholesterol but statins also interfere the manufacture of Vit A, Vit E, Vit K so they need to be treated cautiously.
Decreasing your intake of refined carbohydrates has the same effect as statins without any side effects. Take your choice.
If you have a high level of cholesterol you have a carbohydrate problem not a cholesterol problem.
When you get your cholesterol checked LDL is often called Bad Cholesterol and HDL is often called Good Cholesterol.

HDL particles often collect the body’s excess cholesterol and take it back to the liver where it is eliminated from the body via the gall bladder. This is good. We used to think that HDL was good because it acted like a garbage truck, clearing evil cholesterol out of our bodies,
LDL particles take excess cholesterol form the liver to the rest of the body. This is bad.  It is the very same cholesterol as carried by the HDL.  It is going in the opposite direction.  We used to think that LDL was bad because it burrowed its way into our coronary arteries, depositing evil cholesterol there—forming plaques and causing heart attacks.
Numerous studies have associated high LDL levels with cardiovascular disease and high HDL levels with lower risk of heart disease (a healthy heart).


High blood sugar and insulin levels turn big, fluffy, innocent LDL particles into small, dense, oxidized LDL particles, which are associated with increased risk for heart disease.
There are a variety of different types of LDLs.  Basically the small, dense, oxidized LDL is the bad one associated with heart disease.  Research says that a diet high in refined carbohydrates leads to an increase in bad LDL and a decrease in good LDL.


There is also growing evidence that heart disease begins as inflammation in the wall of the blood vessel. There is also evidence that refined carbohydrates cause inflammation. Or to summarize, refined carbohydrates cause the initial damage to the walls of blood vessels. When the wall is damaged cholesterol rushes to the wall as part of the repair process. Cholesterol is needed to build new cells.  Cholesterol is now present at the scene of the crime.
Other research says that diets high in refined carbohydrates and high GI carbohydrates increase inflammation throughout the body especially in blood vessels.