Years ago, researchers discovered that a lot of heart disease was due to high levels of cholesterol. Millions of Americans began to have their blood tested to see if they had high levels of cholesterol and therefore susceptible to heart disease.

So, what is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a combination of ancient Greek words meaning bile (chole), solid (stereos) and alcohol (ol). In more common terms, it is a sterol or modified steroid and a type of lipid (fat). It is produced by cells in the body and plays an important role in producing other cells. That means that while everyone thinks cholesterol is a bad thing, it’s actually a good thing, but like many other good things, too much is no longer good.

About 30% of the membrane of every cell in your body is composed of cholesterol. Without the cholesterol, no cell walls and you die.

However, too much cholesterol and it causes plaque to build up in the arteries, thus raising blood pressure which leads to heart attacks, strokes and other health issues.

Further research led to the discovery that the cholesterol in our bodies is composed of more than one type. Although there are at least 3 types of cholesterol, the two main types are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is commonly referred to as bad cholesterol and HDL is known a good cholesterol.

So, what levels are considered healthy and what levels are not healthy?

For total cholesterol, it is recommended that your level (via a blood test) is lower than 200 mg/dl. A month ago, my total cholesterol level was only 126 mg/dl.

For LDL cholesterol, it is recommended that your level is lower than 100 mg./dl. Mine was 69 mg/dl.

For HDL cholesterol, it is recommended that your level is GREATER than 40 mg/dl. Mine was only 33 mg./dl, lower than recommended and lower than what my doctor would like. I’m working on trying to raise my HDL while still keeping my LDL at a healthy level.

For those with high levels of LDL, they are told to reduce the amount of high cholesterol foods like eggs and red meats. We are often told that chicken or other poultry (white meats) are much healthier and will help lower one’s LDL level.

According to a new study, that may not be true after all:

“Contrary to popular belief, consuming red meat and white meat such as poultry, have equal effects on blood cholesterol levels, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

“The study, led by scientists at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI)—the research arm of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland—surprised the researchers with the discovery that consuming high levels of red meat or white poultry resulted in higher blood cholesterol levels than consuming a comparable amount of plant proteins. Moreover, this effect was observed whether or not the diet contained high levels of saturated fat, which increased blood cholesterol to the same extent with all three protein sources…”

“Krauss, who is also a UCSF professor of medicine, noted that the meats studied did not include grass-fed beef or processed products such as bacon or sausage; nor did it include fish.”

“But the results were notable, as they indicated that restricting meat altogether, whether red or white, is more advisable for lowering blood cholesterol levels than previously thought. The study found that plant proteins are the healthiest for blood cholesterol.”

So, what does one do if they have high LDL? Don’t trade poultry for beef, but do trade both beef and chicken with fish. Also reduce the amount of beef, pork and chicken and try to avoid sausages, bacons and other processed meats, but do eat more good vegetables and fruit. After all, I’ve never heard of a rabbit with high LDL.