Cholesterol Is Not The Enemy!

Let's take a look at brain health and neurodegeneration - that is the loss of neurological function - affecting the brain and nervous system. It not only affects how our brain functions, but how our muscles and the rest of our body functions.

The brain itself is mostly fat and requires adequate intake of essential fatty acids and healthy fat to function optimally. We’ve all heard of myelin - the fatty sheath surrounding nerves that speeds up delivery of information. Myelin is critical for the proper function of the nervous system and one of the most complex cell–cell interactions of the body. Myelination allows for the rapid conduction of action potentials along axonal fibers and provides physical and trophic support to neurons. Myelin contains a high content of lipids and the formation of the myelin sheath requires high levels of fatty acid and lipid synthesis, together with uptake of extracellular fatty acids.

The brain itself is mostly water and fat and requires adequate intake of essential fatty acids (omega 6s and 3s) and healthy fat to function optimally. Brain cell membranes are roughly 70% fat - consisting of cholesterol, oleic acid and omega 3s - and 30% protein, minerals and carbohydrates. This is one reason why statin drugs are soo destructive to your brain. Your body makes roughly 1,000mg of cholesterol per day - and total body content is about 35,000mg. This demonstrates just how important cholesterol is. The way cholesterol is transported to tissues in the body is via lipoproteins (LDL, HDL) Your intelligent body doesn't make things to harm you - it is ALWAYS trying to save your life - LDL is VERY IMPORTANT! Two eggs contain about 186mg cholesterol. Does it make sense that eating dietary cholesterol would be harmful? It's not logical.

The pharmaceutical industry has pushed statin drugs and taught doctors that lowering LDL cholesterol is the key to prevent cardiovascular disease. IT HASN'T WORKED - it is still the leading cause of death. Cholesterol - a naturally produced substance that the body makes and is required in large quantities - is NOT THE PROBLEM! That would be like blaming the firetrucks and firefighters for the fire. Several cardiovascular surgeons have written books about the cholesterol myth we continue to be told.

Check these out! Dr. Malcolm Kendrick - The Great Cholesterol Con

Dr. Peter Dingle - The Great Cholesterol Deception

Dr. Johnny Boden - The Great Cholesterol Myth

Dr. Dwight Lundell - The Great Cholesterol Lie

Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride - Put Your Heart In Your Mouth

Dr. Sherry A. Rogers - The Great Cholesterol Hoax

The Healthy Brain Lipid Profile:

• ~60% Saturated Fat: Provides stability and structural integrity to brain cell membranes.

• ~20% MUFA (Oleic Acid): The main monounsaturated fat, found abundantly in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).

• ~15% PUFA (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids):

  • 90% of this PUFA portion is DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid, Omega-3).

  • DHA is critical for synapse formation, neuroplasticity, anti-inflammatory signaling, and memory.

🔹 Neuronic Acid:

• A long-chain fatty acid derived from Oleic Acid.

• Essential for building sphingomyelin — a key structural component of myelin sheaths (the fatty insulation around neurons).

• Without strong myelin, nerve signals slow down dramatically, leading to cognitive decline and muscle weakness.

The Problem with the Modern (SAD) Diet:

• Omega 6:3 Ratio:

  • Ancestrally Optimal: ~1:1 ratio.

  • Modern SAD Diet: ~20:1 (or even 25:1).

• This excess of omega-6s (from seed oils like soybean, corn, canola) creates a pro-inflammatory environment in the body.

• Chronic inflammation underlies Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, and cardiovascular disease.

What We See in Alzheimer's Brains:

• Lower levels of critical brain fats:

  • PUFAs — particularly DHA (22:6 n-3).

  • MUFAs — particularly Oleic Acid (18:1 n-9).

• This loss means weakened cell membranes, impaired communication between neurons, and increased vulnerability to oxidative stress.

What Happens When Myelin is Damaged?

• Myelin is a multilayered fatty sheath (~40 lipid bilayers!) that wraps around neurons.

• It is 70–85% fat, mainly:

  • Saturated VLCFAs (Very Long Chain Fatty Acids) for compactness and durability.

  • Oleic Acid (MUFA) — the major fatty acid in myelin (yes, EVOO to the rescue again!).

  • Cholesterol — critical for structure and function.

🛡️ The True Role of Cholesterol in Brain Health:

• 20% of the body’s total cholesterol is stored in the brain, most of it in myelin.

• Myelin cannot be made without cholesterol.

• Most brain cholesterol comes from de novo synthesis (your brain makes its own cholesterol).

• Blocking cholesterol synthesis with statins = catastrophic for brain health:

  • Oligodendrocytes cannot produce or repair myelin.

  • Neurons become vulnerable to damage.

  • Cognitive decline accelerates silently over years.

🔥 Neurological Degeneration: A Silent, Autoimmune, and Inflammatory Process

• Myelin damage doesn't cause immediate symptoms — it often takes 15–20 years before obvious signs appear.

• Disorders linked to chronic myelin and immune system dysfunction:

  • MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment)

  • AD (Alzheimer’s Disease)

  • Lewy Body Dementia

  • Frontotemporal Dementia

  • MS, ALS, RA, and others.

• New understanding:

  • Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is now seen as a brain-centered autoimmune/inflammatory disorder — not just a “plaque problem.”

  • Inflammation driven by the innate immune system plays a central role.

When the innate immune system is activated chronically in the brain, it creates ongoing inflammation that destroys myelin and neurons — slowly but surely.

💥 The Statin Catastrophe:

• Statins block the body's ability to make cholesterol.

• Statins deplete the brain’s cholesterol fuel tank, crippling myelin repair.

• Statins disrupt oligodendrocyte function, preventing the formation of healthy myelin sheaths.

• The result? Increased risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

🚨 The Big Takeaway:

Without sufficient cholesterol, saturated fat, and oleic acid, your brain cannot maintain or repair its most critical structure — the myelin sheath — leading inevitably to neurological degeneration.

Neurological Degeneration: A Deeper Look

1. Myelin Production in the CNS and PNS:

• CNS (brain/spinal cord):

  • Myelin made by oligodendrocytes.

  • Oligodendrocytes must synthesize their own cholesterol to build myelin — can't borrow it from neighboring astrocytes.

• PNS (peripheral nerves):

  • Myelin made by Schwann cells.

  • Each Schwann cell can myelinate only one neuron.

  • Schwann cells must synthesize their own cholesterol — if they can’t, they either fail to myelinate or make only thin, fragile myelin sheaths.

• Both oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells rely heavily on fatty acid synthesis and an adequate supply of fatty acid substrates.

2. Fatty Acids and the Gut Connection:

• Free fatty acids (FAs) can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and supply the brain.

• Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — produced by gut microbes (like butyrate) — are critical to healthy myelin maintenance.

• Altered microbiome (gut-brain axis dysfunction) is now recognized in MS pathology:

  • Loss of SCFA-producing bacteria.

  • Increased gut permeability ("leaky gut").

  • Worsened systemic and brain inflammation.

3. Alzheimer's, Dementia, and Microbial Invasion:

• Amyloid plaques are not just "junk" — they’re antimicrobial defense proteins.

• Autopsies reveal microbial biofilms underlying amyloid plaques:

  • Bacteria: P. gingivalis (oral), T. denticola (spirochete), T. pallidum (syphilis)

  • Viruses: Herpes simplex

  • Fungi: Candida albicans

  • Parasites and molds.

• Amyloid binds to:

  • Pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses).

  • Toxins (excess copper, iron).

4. How Pathogens Invade:

• Gums:

  • Bleeding gums = open blood vessels → pathogens enter bloodstream.

  • Low vitamin C levels worsen this (scurvy was historically known for this exact mechanism!).

• Gut:

  • Leaky gut from:

    • High-carb diets → ATP depletion in gut cells.

    • Gluten exposure → transient leaky gut.

    • Lack of fiber/polyphenols → starving beneficial microbes.

• Lungs/Olfactory System:

  • Inhaled pathogens travel through airways into the brain.

5. The Shocking Truth About Germ-Free Mice:

• Germ-free mice (no microbiome) do NOT develop amyloid plaques.

• Shows microbial involvement is central, not peripheral, in dementia.

🚨 THE BIG PICTURE:

Neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, MS, and even ALS are not isolated brain disorders — they are systemic, immune-driven conditions rooted in chronic infection, metabolic dysfunction, gut health collapse, and impaired myelin repair.

The Core Message:

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, MS, and dementia are not random.They are the long-term consequence of:

• Microbial dysbiosis and gut barrier dysfunction (leading to "bacterial translocation" and systemic inflammation)

• Environmental toxin overload (metals, chemicals, plastics)

• Metabolic damage (insulin resistance, blood sugar dysregulation)

• Pathogen invasion (biofilms in the brain, periodontal pathogens, gut pathogens)

• Mitochondrial dysfunction and energy failure in neurons

• Disruption of SCFA production, FA metabolism, and the epigenetic control of inflammation and repair

🧠 The Brain's Crisis:

• Amyloid plaques are not villains, but a protective immune response — binding pathogens, toxins, metals.

• Neurons starve when they can't access glucose due to insulin resistance ("Type 3 Diabetes of the Brain").

• Without ketones to provide an alternate fuel, the brain shrinks and degenerates.

🦠 Gut Health = Brain Health:

• Healthy microbiome →→ SCFA production (butyrate, propionate, acetate)→ Tight junction integrity→ Myelination support→ Epigenetic protection→ Balanced immune system

• Dysbiotic microbiome →→ Gut leakiness→ Systemic inflammation→ Brain invasion by pathogens→ Cognitive decline, MS, CVD

🛡️ Prevention and Reversal Focus:

1. Nourish the gut microbiome (fiber, polyphenols, prebiotics, postbiotics)

2. Restore metabolic flexibility (low carb/keto cycling, fasting, mitochondria support)

3. Detox daily (sweat, sauna, binders, clean personal care and home products)

4. Protect and feed your brain (SCFAs, omega-3s, ketones, antioxidants)

5. Prevent pathogen entry (oral hygiene, gut healing, nasal/respiratory care)

   
   

   Strategies to Prevent Neurodegeneration

   • Eat Healthy Fats

     • HP-EVOO (High Polyphenol Extra Virgin Olive Oil) with Oleic Acid

     • Avocado

     • Coconut oil and MCT oil

     • Nuts and seeds

     • Grass-fed butter and ghee

   • Increase Omega-3s

     • DHA, EPA from cod liver oil, salmon, sardines, anchovies, cod, seafood

     • Grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and eggs

     • Plant sources: spirulina, chlorella, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts

   • Feed Your Microbiome

     • Eat a rainbow of organic vegetables and fruits

     • Drizzle with HP-EVOO to boost absorption and polyphenol intake

     • Aim for 25–30 different plant sources weekly

     • Focus on colorful veggies like bell peppers, onions, cabbages, cauliflower

   • Boost B Vitamins

     • Essential for ATP production (especially thiamine)

   • Increase Magnesium Intake

     • Critical for vitamin and mineral absorption

     • Most people are deficient

   • Eat Fermented Foods (Alive and Raw)

     • Raw sauerkraut (don’t heat it!), kimchi, miso, natto, fermented pickles

     • Provides probiotics and postbiotics

     • 1 cup raw sauerkraut = full dose of Vitamin C

   • Eat Anchovies

     • High in Threonine (supports ALS, MS, neurological health)

     • Rich in Omega-3s

   • Support Mitochondrial Function

     • Increase B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc

     • Increase ketones (MCT oil, goat cheese, EVOO)

     • Use sauna, cold plunges

     • Practice intermittent fasting (24–72 hours)

   • Become Insulin-Sensitive

     • Remove sugar, grains, processed carbs

     • Reduces risk of neurodegeneration, hypertension, CVD, obesity, NAFLD, CKD, cancer

   • Get Adequate Protein

     • 0.7–1.0 grams per pound of ideal body weight

     • Supports liver detox enzymes

     • Optional: essential amino acids during fasting

   • Clean Your Air

     • Get HEPA filters for your home/office

     • Clean air ducts, especially if you use AC regularly

   • Filter Your Water

     • Reverse osmosis system or countertop filters (Zero Water, etc.)

   • Decrease Inflammation

     • Optimize Vitamin D3 to 70–80 ng/mL

     • Eat anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods

   • Lower Alcohol Consumption

     • Heavy alcohol = higher Alzheimer’s risk

     • Even moderate alcohol impairs glymphatic drainage (brain detox)

   • Get Hearing Checked

     • Hearing loss increases Alzheimer’s risk

     • Wearing hearing aids can help prevent cognitive decline

   • Exercise Regularly

     • Increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain

     • Activates antioxidant and healing pathways

   • Sweat

     • Exercise-induced sweating clears one set of toxins

     • Sauna sweating helps eliminate heavy metals and phthalates

     • Do both for maximal detoxification

   • Prioritize Sleep

     • Aim for 7–9 hours nightly

     • Sleep early (9 pm–3 am is critical for brain "washing" via the glymphatic system)

     • Make bedroom dark, cool, quiet; no eating late; no alcohol before bed

   • Address Sleep Apnea

     • Oxygen deprivation during sleep is linked to Alzheimer’s

     • 25–35% of Alzheimer's patients have sleep apnea

   • Practice Intermittent Fasting

     • 17–18 hour daily fasts or occasional 24–72 hour fasts

     • Fasting promotes autophagy, mitochondrial health, immune reset

     • 72 hours+ fasts can release stem cells!

   • Manage Stress

     • Chronic stress harms your gut and immune system

     • Practice gratitude, meditation, breathing exercises

   • Ground Yourself

     • Walk barefoot on natural grass (unsprayed)

     • Reduces inflammation, balances cell charge, improves blood flow

   • HP-EVOO Daily Habit

     • Drink or drizzle 2–4 tablespoons raw daily

     • Cook and drizzle generously for polyphenol and brain benefits

   🌱 Bonus Daily Lifestyle Tips:

   • Eat wild-caught seafood, grass-fed meats

   • Get sunshine (Vitamin D), supplement magnesium, zinc, D3 + K2

   • Use good sea salts (Celtic ~92 minerals; Himalayan ~85 minerals)

   • Eat foods rich in lutein

   • Drink your body weight (in oz) of clean water

   • Use quality pre/probiotics if needed

   • Consume both digestible and indigestible fibers

   • Add fermented foods for complete pre, pro, postbiotics

   • Use adaptogens (like medicinal mushrooms)

   • Support methylation (kale, beets, spinach, cruciferous veggies, lion’s mane)

   • Eat detoxifying herbs (rosemary, oregano, marjoram, parsley)

   • Exercise your body and mind daily

   • Practice mindful meditation to regulate stress

   • Enjoy hot Epsom salt baths followed by cold showers/ice plunges

   • Reduce EMF and blue light exposure

   • Use infrared light (incandescent, candlelight, or firelight)

   • Turn off the light for better sleep!