Contrary to what you’ve been taught, cheese is not the artery-clogging heart destroyer that it’s been set up to be, according to researchers at the University of Dublin, who studied 1,500 Irish who love their cheese. In fact, as reported by StudyFinds, researchers found that those who ate low-fat dairy products actually had higher cholesterol levels than those who didn’t.

If you’re confused about this study and cholesterol in general, it’s not your fault. Cholesterol has been a highly-publicized scapegoat for causing heart disease for decades, causing countless people not only to avoid healthy saturated fats, but to be talked into going on to cholesterol-lowering drugs — both of which are exactly opposite what you should be doing. The truth is, it’s a myth that cholesterol is bad for you.

Your body needs cholesterol. That’s why your liver makes it. In reality, cholesterol has many health benefits, including regulating protein pathways involved in cell signaling. It also plays an essential role in your brain, which contains about 25 percent of the cholesterol in your body. It is critical for synapse formation, i.e., the connections between your neurons, which allow you to think, learn new things and form memories.

If you’re looking for a non-drug way to boost your heart health, start by reducing or eliminating grains and sugars from your diet and learn to burn fat for fuel, instead. Make sure you’re getting plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil, which can improve your cholesterol levels.

Replace harmful vegetable oils and synthetic trans fats with healthy fats, such as olive oil, butter, avocado, pastured eggs and coconut oil. And, include fermented foods in your daily diet and optimize your vitamin D levels.

Source:http://blogs.mercola.com