Forget Cholesterol! Get THIS Checked Instead
“Doc, what can I do to live longer?”
If I had a penny for every time a patient asked me that… I’d have a lot of pennies.
Most doctors would probably tell you to exercise more or to lower your cholesterol.
But I’m not most doctors.
If you want to know your risk for dying, forget cholesterol levels, and check this ONE important reading instead.
If it’s low, you’ll know to make the one KEY change that’s been proven to help you live longer.
I’m especially excited about this study published in Journal of Clinical Lipidology because it validates two of my soapbox topics: omega-3s and cholesterol.
First, the study found that having higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood reduced the risk of dying—or of developing heart disease and cancer.
Second, the study showed that measuring omega-3s was MORE EFFECTIVE than measuring cholesterol levels when it comes to predicting the risk of death.
I didn’t need this study to tell me those things, but adding more proof never hurt.
The study followed 2,500 people for seven years, tracking diet and lifestyle.
The researchers found that the people who ate the most omega-3s were 33% less likely to die, and were 39% less likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke.
Other studies have uncovered similar results.
What sets this study apart is that the researchers didn’t just compare high omega-3 intake to low intake. They compared the impact of having low omega-3 levels with high levels of cholesterol.
And do you know what they found? Having high cholesterol was NOT associated with dying early, OR of increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Imagine that! Another study validating what I’ve been saying about high cholesterol levels all along.
In other words, omega 3 levels were better at predicting overall good health than cholesterol levels. A simple blood test can tell you if your levels are high enough or not.
But in addition to skipping the cholesterol test, you can skip taking omega-3 supplements.
The best way to get your omega-3s is though food, and the best food sources include fish and shellfish. You should be able to get all the omega-3s you need by eating at least 3 servings of wild-caught fish every week.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.