In this episode, Michelle settles the controversy of cholesterol, saturated fat, and omega-6/seed oils with J Gulinello, nutritional therapist and researcher. They get deep into the history of the cholesterol-heart myth and all players involved. You’ll learn why serum cholesterol (measured in bloodwork) is not necessarily correlated with disease, and which factors are a better indicator of risk. They discuss:

• History of the cholesterol-heart disease theory and why it’s perpetuated in the medical community
• Blood cholesterol levels: Why they may not be the key marker of disease risk (and what to look at instead) 
• Reasons we should not fear red meat and saturated fat from animal sources
• Mitochondrial dysfunction
• All about seed oils and omega-6 fats: What they are and why we should minimize them in the diet
• Tips for how to choose healthier fats in your diet 

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Links –

Picture: Omega 6 vs. Omega 3 Pathways

American Heart Journal 2009 (doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2008.08.010)

Graph: LDL levels and heart events 

CETP Inhibitors 2017 NEJM (doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1609581)

Blog: The Truth About Cholesterol

Blog: 5 Ways to Lower Cholesterol Naturally (when necessary)

J’s resources and more: 

perpetualhealth.co

Follow J on IG

Follow J on Substack (articles) 

Ancestral Wellness Retreat

Work with Michelle and her free resources: 

Quiet the Diet

Podcast Page

Episode Page (with transcript!) 

Work 1-on-1 with a functional Registered Dietitian at Michelle Shapiro Nutrition LLC

Learn more about the practice

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Timestamps:

(2:40) Intro & how J transitioned into nutrition after a music career 

(6:29) Background of cholesterol and why dietary intake is not the determining factor of serum levels 

(9:18) The cholesterol “soap opera”: A detailed timeline of the diet-heart myth 

(15:25) - Why serum cholesterol (blood work) is not necessarily correlated with heart disease