The Truth About Dietary Cholesterol | Dr. Peter Attia & Dr. Andrew Huberman
Introduction to Cholesterol and Fat
In this section, the speaker introduces the difference between cholesterol and fat. They explain that cholesterol is a complicated molecule that is synthesized by every cell in the human body. It is important for making up the cell membrane of every cell in our body, as well as being the backbone of some of the most important hormones in our body.
Cholesterol vs Fat
- Cholesterol is a complicated molecule that makes up the cell membrane of every cell in our body.
- Without cholesterol, genetic conditions that impair cholesterol synthesis can be fatal in utero.
- Cholesterol is also important for making up some of the most important hormones in our body.
Can You Get Cholesterol from Your Diet?
In this section, the speaker explains whether or not you can get cholesterol from your diet. They discuss how dietary cholesterol works and how it differs from endogenous (produced by your own cells) cholesterol.
Dietary vs Endogenous Cholesterol
- You can eat foods that are rich in cholesterol.
- The American Heart Association acknowledged a few years ago that dietary cholesterol does not really make it into your body because it's esterified.
- Virtually all of the esterified dietary cholesterol we consume gets taken back to the liver where it's packaged into bile and secreted to aid digestion.
- Small amounts of dietary cholesterol do make their way into our circulation but represent only a small fraction of our total body's pool of cholesterol.
Regulation of Cholesterol
In this section, the speaker discusses how regulation of cholesterol works in the body. They explain how the Niemann-pick C1-like 1 transporter and ATP binding cassette G5/G8 work together to regulate cholesterol levels.
Regulation of Cholesterol
- The Niemann-pick C1-like 1 transporter brings in any sterol that fits through the door, but virtually all of it is the cholesterol we produce that gets taken back to the liver.
- If the body has enough cholesterol, it will let you poop out any excess dietary cholesterol.
- All of the cholesterol in our body is not esterified and doesn't have a big bulky side chain attached to it.
- Ancel Keys acknowledged in the 1960s that only a small fraction of our total body's pool of cholesterol comes from dietary sources.
The Difference Between Dietary Cholesterol and Saturated Fat
In this section, Peter explains the difference between dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. He clarifies that while dietary cholesterol has no bearing on our health, consuming foods high in saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol levels.
Saturated Fat vs. Cholesterol
- The American Heart Association acknowledges that dietary cholesterol has no bearing on our health.
- Consuming foods high in saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol levels.
- Saturated fat is a fatty acid molecule, while cholesterol is a complicated ring structure with multiple rings stuck together.
- There are three distinctions for fats: saturated, monounsaturated (one double bond), and polyunsaturated (two or more double bonds).