Jonny Bowden, PhD: Top cholesterol myths even your doctor may still believe

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS is a national weight loss and nutrition expert, also called the "Rogue Nutritionist."

Here is what he says about common cholesterol myths:

Myth- High cholesterol is the cause of heart disease.
--Cholesterol is a fairly insignificant player in heart disease.
--High cholesterol is a lousy predictor of heart attacks. Half the people admitted to hospitals with heart disease have normal cholesterol, and plenty of people with elevated cholesterol have perfectly healthy hearts.
--Fully half the people with heart disease have "normal" cholesterol and fully half the people with elevated cholesterol are healthy as a horse

Myth- Statin drugs are perfectly safe.
--Statin drugs have significant side effects, including loss of memory and libido, muscle pain and fatigue, and approximately 65% of doctors don't report those side effects.
--The only group in which statins have been shown to have even a modest effect is in middle-aged men who've already had a heart attack. If you're not in that group, you've got no business on a statin drug.

Myth- Saturated fats are dangerous.
--Saturated fat is mostly neutral and may even have some health benefits.
--Far more "dangerous" is sugar, high levels of omega-6 fat, and man-made trans fats.

The four real killers of your heart:
--Inflammation
--Oxidation
--Sugar
--Stress

You can find more information about The Rogue Nutritionist on his website, www.jonnybowden.com .