Just a quick summary of the primary points I've covered in various health forums this year:
o Statins do not work, and should be avoided because they give false hope, and have numerous side effects. Fish oil, vitamin D3, vitamin K2, and resveratrol are MUCH better for preventing cardiovascular events. (Diet helps, too!)
o LDL cholesterol is a near meaningless figure. LDL is composed on numerous types of small- and large-particle types. In particular, VLDL and Lp(a) are the two that should be measured by doctors, as these two ARE correlated with heart disease. BTW, statins do NOT affect these two types of LDL, which is perhaps why they are useless. (Statins DO lower the good type of LDL.)
o Saturated fat in NOT "artery clogging fat", as so often painted by nutritionists/doctors. In fact, it's among the healthiest fats, whether from animals or plant sources.
o HDL cholesterol, when low, is almost always a sign of low overall fat intake, and especially low saturated fat consumption. HDL below 70 should be corrected -- above 80 should be the goal.
o Vegetable oils are in fact the pro-heart-disease, inflammatory fats, like corn oil, peanut oil, soy oil, canola oil, sunflower oil -- all of these oils are used in packaged and frozen foods because they're cheap, and have been heat-processed to have a long shelf life. (Olive oil, avocado oil, palm oil, coconut oil, and macadamia nut oil are the exceptions, because they are all extremely low in polyunsaturated fatty acids.)
o Grains are an unnecessary, cheap-as-dirt, filler modern food for modern societies. They have the least healthy of all proteins (gluten), they have other harmful proteins like lectins and phytic acid, plus they have inflammatory oils. Eating grains promotes heart disease and cancer, whether the grains are processed or whole. Grains also raise insulin levels, and over time promote diabetes. In effect, grains = sugar. For kids, grains lead to numerous hyper-active conditions.
o Fructose is the least healthy of ALL sugar types, and promotes numerous metabolic diseases. The ONLY source of fructose that should be in anyone's diet is via whole fruits and berries, and only in moderation. Even fruit juices are horribly unhealthy -- basically, sugar bombs.
o Humans remain healthier by not eating/snacking all the time. Fasting occasionally, for 18-24 hours, is hugely beneficial to human health. (Fasting is easy to do on a paleo diet.)
o Vitamin D3 has emerged as one of the most critical of all supplements *everyone* should take, at no less than 8000 IU daily. Blood tests should include getting serum D measured, until you determine what daily dosage get you in the 70 ng/ml ballpark, which maximizes the anti-cancer and anti-coronary-calcium benefits. Approx 90% plus of all Americans are deficient, assuming 50 ng/ml is the goal, and that's too low a goal.
o Practically ALL cancers, brain disorders, and cardiovascular illnesses are self-caused, through an inflammatory diet, and/or a nutritionally lacking diet, and/or consumption of toxins (including food additives and smoking). Usually, all three to some degree.
o Although MOST cardiologist disagree (due to unforgivable ignorance), heart disease CAN be reversed in most cases, and dramatically so. But it takes diet and supplements, not drugs and stints. Many cardiologists ARE reversing heart disease.