Cholesterol Awareness Week runs from 24th to 30th November each year! This is promoted by various organisations who think they are helping people to reduce heart disease, but they are actually making peoples’ health much worse!
Ever since a ridiculous, biased and corrupt study on cholesterol and heart disease was published back in 1978 by Ancel Keys, we’ve been lied to about cholesterol, and doctors and alleged health organisations are still believing these lies and telling the public these same lies. Ancel Keys published a study called the “7 countries” study which allegedly showed that saturated fats and cholesterol caused heart disease. Many studies before then had proven otherwise, and many quality studies since then have also not proven his theory at all either.
The trouble was that Keys was an epidemiologist, a scientist who uses statistical data to come to some conclusion or theory. Epidemiological studies are very low down the list of the quality of scientific studies, because they are open to false information, bias, incorrect interpretation and poor results. Epidemiological studies also cannot ever prove that something causes anything. They can only suggest a “link” or “association” between two things. When you hear on the news or see in articles some new study suggesting a “link” or “association” of something causing some health issue, it’s based on an epidemiological study, and you really should ignore it! Such studies can conclude something like “eating vegemite regularly is linked to shark attacks”! Australians will eat a lot of vegemite, and as we are “girt by sea” we have a lot of beaches, swimming in the surf, and lots of sharks. So of course in a questionnaire-based “study”, it may be found that people who eat vegemite have a higher risk of shark attacks, but there’s no way ever that vegemite CAUSED the shark attack! This is an example of the ridiculousness of epidemiological studies, and why they should be ignored!
Also, Keys actually researched the health data of 22 countries, but he only used the data in his study from 7 countries as only those fit his pre-conceived and biased theory! When all the data from the 22 countries was examined, there was no link of cholesterol with heart disease at all!
Keys also had other problems with his study:
1. He didn’t differentiate saturated fat from trans-fat or margarine, as he thought they were the same, when they are not!
2. Many epidemiological or clinical trial studies since then have failed to validate his theory
3. He only studied middle-aged men. No women or children were studied at all, so this is not a good representation of the wider public.
Sadly 50 years later, most of the public and even many doctors and cardiologists still believe the lies and corruption from the Keys study. And heart organisations like Heart Support Australia, who are actively promoting “Cholesterol Awareness Week” say on their website that “Don’t let cholesterol be your silent killer”!
Some real facts on cholesterol:
1. Cholesterol is only found in animal-based foods – meat, fish, eggs and dairy. These are healthy foods!
2. We can only eat 20% of our daily cholesterol requirements, so our liver makes the rest. If you are vegan, you don’t consume any cholesterol, so your liver will (try) to make all the cholesterol you need
3. Our bodies make cholesterol because it’s essential for life!
4. We need a LOT of cholesterol for our health!
Cholesterol is needed for:
1. Energy production, especially for the heart and muscles
2. Making vitamin D
3. Making our male and female hormones
4. Making our neurotransmitters, brain function, and myelin sheath insulation/protection on our nerves
5. Immune system function
6. For making many new cells each day, and their cell walls
7. And much more.
As a result, if your cholesterol levels are low, from low intake, low liver function, low thyroid function, or taking statin medications or other medications to lower your cholesterol, you will have the opposite effect on your health to the above benefits, and increase your risk of all-cause mortality, increase your risk of heart disease, and cause reduced brain function and chronic neurological conditions of Alzheimer’s Disease, and Dementia.
Many published clinical studies show that the higher your cholesterol is, especially as you get older, is protective of heart health, and REDUCES your risk or heart disease and all-cause mortality.
In a way, the Heart Support Australia slogan of “Don’t let cholesterol be your silent killer” is sort of correct in a negative way, or should instead read as “Don’t let LOW cholesterol be your silent killer”!
When you get blood tests done, make sure to always get your cholesterol and blood lipids test done! Even for children and younger adults, as it’s not for older people to check their cholesterol levels. But more importantly, you need to get your blood test results analysed by an IIFP (Institute for Integrative and Functional Pathology) trained practitioner, which I am! Only an IIFP practitioner can properly interpret your blood test results in a more holistic and nutritional way, based on good evidence. And not based on historic lies and non-science that is the cholesterol myth.
Stay healthy!
References:
Heart Health Australia. (2025). Cholesterol Awareness Week. Retrieved 28th November 2025 from https://www.heartsupport.org.au/cholesterol-awareness-week/
Ever since a ridiculous, biased and corrupt study on cholesterol and heart disease was published back in 1978 by Ancel Keys, we’ve been lied to about cholesterol, and doctors and alleged health organisations are still believing these lies and telling the public these same lies. Ancel Keys published a study called the “7 countries” study which allegedly showed that saturated fats and cholesterol caused heart disease. Many studies before then had proven otherwise, and many quality studies since then have also not proven his theory at all either.
The trouble was that Keys was an epidemiologist, a scientist who uses statistical data to come to some conclusion or theory. Epidemiological studies are very low down the list of the quality of scientific studies, because they are open to false information, bias, incorrect interpretation and poor results. Epidemiological studies also cannot ever prove that something causes anything. They can only suggest a “link” or “association” between two things. When you hear on the news or see in articles some new study suggesting a “link” or “association” of something causing some health issue, it’s based on an epidemiological study, and you really should ignore it! Such studies can conclude something like “eating vegemite regularly is linked to shark attacks”! Australians will eat a lot of vegemite, and as we are “girt by sea” we have a lot of beaches, swimming in the surf, and lots of sharks. So of course in a questionnaire-based “study”, it may be found that people who eat vegemite have a higher risk of shark attacks, but there’s no way ever that vegemite CAUSED the shark attack! This is an example of the ridiculousness of epidemiological studies, and why they should be ignored!
Also, Keys actually researched the health data of 22 countries, but he only used the data in his study from 7 countries as only those fit his pre-conceived and biased theory! When all the data from the 22 countries was examined, there was no link of cholesterol with heart disease at all!
Keys also had other problems with his study:
1. He didn’t differentiate saturated fat from trans-fat or margarine, as he thought they were the same, when they are not!
2. Many epidemiological or clinical trial studies since then have failed to validate his theory
3. He only studied middle-aged men. No women or children were studied at all, so this is not a good representation of the wider public.
Sadly 50 years later, most of the public and even many doctors and cardiologists still believe the lies and corruption from the Keys study. And heart organisations like Heart Support Australia, who are actively promoting “Cholesterol Awareness Week” say on their website that “Don’t let cholesterol be your silent killer”!
Some real facts on cholesterol:
1. Cholesterol is only found in animal-based foods – meat, fish, eggs and dairy. These are healthy foods!
2. We can only eat 20% of our daily cholesterol requirements, so our liver makes the rest. If you are vegan, you don’t consume any cholesterol, so your liver will (try) to make all the cholesterol you need
3. Our bodies make cholesterol because it’s essential for life!
4. We need a LOT of cholesterol for our health!
Cholesterol is needed for:
1. Energy production, especially for the heart and muscles
2. Making vitamin D
3. Making our male and female hormones
4. Making our neurotransmitters, brain function, and myelin sheath insulation/protection on our nerves
5. Immune system function
6. For making many new cells each day, and their cell walls
7. And much more.
As a result, if your cholesterol levels are low, from low intake, low liver function, low thyroid function, or taking statin medications or other medications to lower your cholesterol, you will have the opposite effect on your health to the above benefits, and increase your risk of all-cause mortality, increase your risk of heart disease, and cause reduced brain function and chronic neurological conditions of Alzheimer’s Disease, and Dementia.
Many published clinical studies show that the higher your cholesterol is, especially as you get older, is protective of heart health, and REDUCES your risk or heart disease and all-cause mortality.
In a way, the Heart Support Australia slogan of “Don’t let cholesterol be your silent killer” is sort of correct in a negative way, or should instead read as “Don’t let LOW cholesterol be your silent killer”!
When you get blood tests done, make sure to always get your cholesterol and blood lipids test done! Even for children and younger adults, as it’s not for older people to check their cholesterol levels. But more importantly, you need to get your blood test results analysed by an IIFP (Institute for Integrative and Functional Pathology) trained practitioner, which I am! Only an IIFP practitioner can properly interpret your blood test results in a more holistic and nutritional way, based on good evidence. And not based on historic lies and non-science that is the cholesterol myth.
Stay healthy!
References:
Heart Health Australia. (2025). Cholesterol Awareness Week. Retrieved 28th November 2025 from https://www.heartsupport.org.au/cholesterol-awareness-week/
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