During my 25 years as a cardiac surgeon, along with other prominent physicians labeled “opinion makers,” we insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.   The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. 

Pharmaceutical giants reported $33 Billion dollars in cholesterol lowering drugs last year. As a nation, we reduced the fat content in our diets faithfully and yet with 25% of the population taking statin medications, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before and at a younger age. 

Don’t you think something is terribly wrong?

Let me say those traditional recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible; in fact, the consequences dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.

Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger people in greater numbers every year.

Low-fat diet recommendations with elimination of saturated fat are responsible for epidemics in inflammation, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.  Let’s look at why:

Hidden Omega-6 Oils 

Processed foods are manufactured with Omega-6 oils for longer shelf life; chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil.  Omega-6’s are essential as they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell but without a correct balance to Omega-3’s, more harm sets in.

If the balance shifts to excessive Omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation.  Today’s main stream diet has produced an imbalance from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of Omega-6. That’s a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation.  A ratio of 3:1 would be optimal and healthy.

Animal fats contain less than 20% Omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labeled polyunsaturated.  The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak.

Add Harm From Sugars and Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates and refined sugars cause the body to produce high levels of insulin from the pancreas.  Over time, cells will become sensitive and less resistant to excessive insulin creating Type 2 diabetes.  Then they become abnormally stiff from an overload of Omega-6 fatty acids.

When we consume more sugars than we use or need, a cycle of internal terror begins as our bodies are not designed to eliminate toxic substances.  Cells will become overloaded producing a substance called resistin that makes cells even less responsive to insulin. 

LDL is chemically changed from this cycle of internal terror becoming abnormal.  The LDL chemical changes are perceived by the body as an invader, an infection or foreign substance to be destroyed and the inflammatory process begins. 

The important point to remember is LDL would not become trapped in the artery wall and cause a plaque unless the LDL changed from oxidation or high blood sugar in the presence of inflammation.

Without inflammation being present, cholesterol would move freely throughout as nature intended.

What About Weight?

Excess weight creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. In time this vicious cycle creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and finally, Alzheimer’s disease, as the inflammatory process continues unabated.

Arterial Inflammation 

Inflammation is simply your body’s natural defense to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus.  The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from bacterial and viral invaders.  However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process, a condition results called chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.

I have seen inside thousands upon thousands of arteries.  Arterial inflammation (diseased artery) looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.

What’s the Answer to This Fire Raging in Our Bodies? 

It’s not as difficult as you might think.  Return to foods closer to their natural state.  If a food is packaged and processed or labeled “low-fat or no-fat diet” it is high in sugar or high in Omega-6 oil.  Check a few packages and you’ll see soybean oil as a major ingredient.

Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables.  Cut down on or eliminate inflammation-causing Omega-6 fats.  One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of Omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef.

You can reverse inflammation in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet by following my recommendations in The Great Cholesterol Lie.  You’ll learn essential vitamins and minerals to add, inflammatory foods to eliminate, how to eat safely in fast food chains and a list of recommended tests to measure your risk factor for heart disease.

This is neither complicated nor mysterious yet conflicting information abounds making it appear so.  Death happens only once but good health is a continuum. 

Editor’s Note: Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital, Mesa, AZ. He is the founder of Healthy Humans Foundation and Chief Medical Advisor for Asantae. In 2003, Dr. Lundell made the most difficult decision of his 25 year surgical career. As traditional medicine continued to chase the cholesterol theory of heart disease, Dr. Lundell closed his surgical practice. He then devoted the rest of his life to speaking the truth that inflammation causes heart disease. By lowering inflammation, heart disease has a cure.

Dr. Lundell is the author of the world-wide bestselling book, The Great Cholesterol Lie. This book is a revealing look at heart disease and the faulty theories of low-fat diets and cholesterol. He also reveals his clinically-tested recommendations for lowering inflammation that can prevent and reverse heart disease. Click here now to learn more.

 “This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul”