BH021: Moving Past the High Cholesterol Myth and On to Preventing Metabolic Disease with a Low-Carb Lifestyle With Dr. Jeffry Gerber

The Low Carb Cardiologist Podcast

This week I welcome Denver’s Diet Doctor, Jeffry Gerber, to discuss how we look at cardiovascular risk and health in general. It’s about going beyond traditional risk factors that have been perpetuated for decades and decades. And, it’s about looking at metabolic health through a different lens. As you will hear, it’s not all about LDL cholesterol, it’s more about insulin resistance — looking at your insulin levels and how your body responds to them. How higher insulin levels over time can be destructive for our bodies and our health — possibly more so than the “bad” cholesterol.

We also discuss the importance of daily nutrition, having an open mind, focusing on prevention, low-carb and/or keto diets, and how statins can backfire. The bottom line is that if you are focusing on whole foods, from the earth and from animals, and you are avoiding grains and sugars, you are well on your way to a healthy low-carb lifestyle.

Key Takeaways:

[4:01] The ‘bad’ cholesterol issue has been a distraction from researching the true metabolic markers of overall health.

[12:22] How to present a low-carb, high-fat diet to health care professionals.

[16:47] Dealing with controversy in the low carb community.

[21:55] Common themes of vegetarian diets and low carb diets.

[26:47] Is high LDL a good predictor of cardiovascular risk?

[31:51] Remembering Dr. Joe Kraft and his insulin assay.

[42:31] The LDL hypothesis and the use of statins.

[50:35] A human’s quest for protein.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Dr. Bret Scher

Dr. Scher on Twitter

Dr. Scher on Facebook

Your Best Health Ever! The Cardiologist’s Surprisingly Simple Guide to What Really Works, by Bret Scher, M.D., FACC

Denver’s Diet Doctor

Low Carb Breckenridge 2018 Conference

Eat Rich, Live Long, by Dr. Jeffry Gerber and Ivor Cummins

The Nutrition Coalition

The Public Health Collaboration