Dr Sten Ekberg gets fact-checked by MD PhD Doctor

Dr. Sten Ekberg´s video "Your doctor is wrong about cholesterol" analyzed and commented. Dr. Ekberg´s claims compared to the available scientific evidence. Do Dr. Sten Ekberg´s ideas stand up to scrutiny?
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original video:
• Your Doctor Is Wrong A...
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(SEE REFERENCES 51-89 IN PINNED COMMENT)
Disclaimer: Content for informational purposes only, not meant as medical advice. Never disregard medical advice.
#NutritionMadeSimple #GilCarvalho
0:00 Intro
1:19 Cholesterol
4:03 COIs
4:25 Statins
5:02 Statins & heart disease
6:56 Cholesterol & mortality
10:35 Why are statins prescribed
12:38 Funding
15:24 Relative & Absolute risk
19:10 Correlation vs causation
24:08 The basics of Heart Disease
28:07 Inflammation
29:00 Insulin Resistance
30:25 Oxidative Stress
36:48 HDL-C
37:54 Ratios
40:19 Cholesterol in blood vs whole body
42:16 oxLDL clearance
46:17 Artery damage & retention
52:28 LDL number & size
59:44 Statins & LDL
1:03:53 Statin side effects
1:04:48 Cardiomegaly
1:08:05 Statins & muscle
1:11:29 Liver
1:11:52 Brain
1:15:11 Statins & diabetes
1:17:35 Sugar & diet
1:19:11 Final remarks

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

REFERENCES (cont.): 51-onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jch.12758 52-www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780723670469500084 53-www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667722000551?via%3Dihub 54-pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24362356/ 55-onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joim.12614 56-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2924812/ 57-www.jlr.org/article/S0022-2275(20)30768-9/fulltext 58-journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpgi.00215.2010 59-pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15361785/ 60-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2924812/ 61-www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.31455762-jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/415074 63-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK305896/ 64-www.lipidjournal.com/article/S1933-2874(21)00248-8/fulltext 65-academic.oup.com/jcem/article/88/10/4525/2845681 66-link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11883-004-0050-5 67-www.ahajournals.org/doi/epdf/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.819359 68-link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-59745-533-6 69-jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2722770 70-www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021915006002590 71-www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.565135 72-www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.114.001730 73-link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1749-8090-4-61 74-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6652713/ 75-jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2190994 76-www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/ATV.0000000000000073 77-www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2021.07.022 78-www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2822%2901545-8 79-www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167527316324834 80-www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2215024 81-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6047411/pdf/ehy182.pdf 82-academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article/29/5/804/6454065 83-accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1592/phco.23.7.871.32720 84-www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002934300003533 accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1592/phco.23.7.871.32720 www.walshmedicalmedia.com/open-access/examination-of-the-fda-warning-for-statins-and-cognitive-dysfunction-2329-6887-2-141.pdf 85-www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/ATV.0000000000000164#d1e5823 86-www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(16)31357-5/fulltext 87-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3774022/ 88-www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/ATV.0000000000000073 89-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4593072/

[@genarodiaz699]

Does what he is saying here seem normal and logical to you? ......My primary doctor gave me statins because he had total cholesterol at 250. The first two nights I couldn't sleep, my shoulders hurt so much and I couldn't stand it. I stopped taking the statins and my pain ended: I play sports, I am 1.72 meters tall and weigh 72 kilos; I don't drink or smoke. I have been practicing underwater fishing for 63 years. Do you think I'm wrong? Do I need to take statins? ... there are two studies (not paid for by pharmaceutical companies) that gather data from several million people over 12 years, I think... the results: people with total cholesterol between 195 and 250 are the ones who will live the longest. ...can you explain it to me please? ...... I am uneducated from Spain, Europe

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

hi, muscle pains are the most commonly report side effect of statins (it's covered toward the end of this video). in some cases they can be circumvented with a different statin class or smaller dose. also there are several other non-statin alternatives available now. your doc should be able to work with you on this for the mortality question, see: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2TPeXukhK2sqJo kzbin.info/www/bejne/eam7ZmSkZ79jrMU gracias y suerte! :)

[@MemoryAmethyst]

Whenever I find a “doctor “ on KZbin, I google their name followed by the word scam. Some turn up as legit, some turn up a s scammy. I appreciate that you are showing both the good and the bad of what is being put out there as expert advice.

[@gerry8072]

Good measure. I also look for comments by other doctors.

[@pigxstix]

Most of these holistic nutritionally oriented "Doctors" are actually Chiropractors and not MDs, including Dr. Ekberg in this video.

[@josephmoore5949]

You also want to check to see if they are trying to sell any products. That is always a red flag. Also try to figure out what they are up to. Dr. Eckberg and Dr. Berg for example (both very popular) are both all into the Keto diet. Every nurtitional advice they provide centers around that. That is why for example, they try to argue against Keto causing high cholesterol. Because their main mission is to sell the Keto diet.

[@bwnco]

LMAO YOU TRUST GOOGLE.. OMG!

[@user-nb5cf9me5j]

I have never had high cholesterol. I went on Keto and i had an elevated cholesterol, my provider (nurse practitioner) insisted I go on them because I had slightly elevated levels.. I flat out refused. I just went off Keto. I continued my diet and reached my weight goal. I don't eat tons of fat.. I am watching my carbs.. I am 51 and have a lean physique.. no history of events. I will be finding a new provider.. thank you for this info, and for fact checking Dr. Sten Ekberg, as I have been watching his videos for the past couple of years.

[@regather59]

Amazing that you can find the time to do such a thorough fact-checking, while remaining encouraging. I also find Sten Ekberg's style pleasant, and he helped me focus on quitting sugar, so I'm grateful even if he makes basic mistakes.

[@GunaApandi]

Agrees!

[@tomscully7489]

They aren't just basic mistakes with no consequences though. People are making dangerous health care decisions based on his misinformation.

[@cycleoflife7331]

@@tomscully7489what dangerous advice are you talking about

[@tomscully7489]

@@cycleoflife7331 Did you watch the video? One example is Ekberg falsely claiming statins don't lower risk of death in those with high cholesterol. People who believe this misinformation and then don't take statins when they should, are putting themselves at greater risk of death.

[@rvb553]

@@cycleoflife7331 Some of his nutrition advice could benefit people, but stuff like this making bold claims without evidence and telling people to stop listening to actual medical doctors is concerning. Nobody spits out that many unfounded claims by ”mistake”.

[@Mimulus2717]

Not only comprehensively evidence based; but polite, respectful and engaging! Kudos.

[@evolutionthroughawareness2288]

👍

[@Long-legged]

I love stens channel

[@NightmareCrab]

polite and respectful is not something you usually expect?

[@arleenm7367]

Thank you. I have nothing against chiropractors but too many seem to make claims way beyond their areas of expertise.

[@Hanover-ek4jy]

They are all over tic tok pretending to be medical doctors!

[@MayankJairaj]

I actually have a grudge against chiropractors

[@RaveyDavey]

Their field of study is based on complete nonsense.

[@justmyself1000]

Agreed. Sten Eckberg, Eric Berg...both Chiropractors. They don't receive complete information in their schooling. There's a reason they can not do surgery. They can not prescribe medications and they can not do many medical procedures. If one notices...on these Chiropractor youtube videos; they do not state that they are Chiropractors and not a D.O. or M.D.

[@secretspy44]

You could be a very well informed janitor or a very poorly informed scientifically illiterate medical doctor. The problem specific to chiropractors is these guys using their "doctor" title to intentionally imply medical credentials they don't have, to back up claims they lack understanding or the evidence to support. But a medical doctor can do the same thing, lack understanding, evidence expertise, only sans the credential bait and switch.

[@clark3830]

As a physician of almost 40 years, I do not like any statin RX. vs diet change. Yes side effects of statins in my clinical work were obvious especially for muscular insult.

[@sco0tpa]

Thank you for information. I changed my diet to more plant based and whole food and ldl went from 154 to 94 in 4 months. I exercise a lot which may have helped.

[@francostacy7675]

@@sco0tpahow do you get enough protein?

[@user-hw5it7rf8y]

@@francostacy7675 I eat nuts in my salad and oatmeal breakfast. I also eat nut butter. I eat salmon 2-3 times per week and I eat meat 1-2 times per week. I also eat eggs about one time per week. My diet is closer to the Mediterranean than vegetarian. One of the main factors in lowering my LDL is replacing butter with Olive Oil. I like to cook and butter was easy to cook with. As an aside, I order organic pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans and other nuts from USA farms. I find them more enjoyable. I also get the olive oil direct from USA farms because there are a lot of issues with overseas olive oil according to a report on 60 Minutes.

[@glenyst5216]

I have very high cholesterol numbers for years. Told my Dr I didn't want statins or any drugs. He quietly suggested we take strong omega 3 fish oils. 2gm/day. A month later my levels dropped over 30%.

[@leopoldpoppenberger8692]

he knew this before but want to sell sell.

[@bush-b5330]

Omega3 fish oil doesn’t lower cholesterol btw! It actually raises cholesterol according to some studies

[@BerlinerDK]

@@bush-b5330 Please send these studies, thanks. Otherwise, you will be fact checked ;)

[@younutre]

Hi Gil, I'm Leonardo, Nutritionist, PhD, (I don't know how it is where you live, but in Brazil the only regulated profession to prescribe a diet is a Nutritionist, so your channel is simply an incredible source of knowledge). You're doing an amazing job on social media and it's refreshing to know that there is someone doing such great work in the midst of all the misinformation we see on the internet. Um abraço do Brasil!

[@mldouglasjr]

😂😂😂 I wish it were like that in the US. Ekberg is a chiropractor near where I live.

[@xiamengbaby]

In the US, you'd become a registered dietician. Almost anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but a registered dietitian has specific education and experience requirements in order to become licensed.

[@kitefan1]

@@xiamengbaby My Nutritionist is a registered dietician. Nutritionist is the title her employer gives her.

[@xiamengbaby]

@@kitefan1 As I have read, all registered dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. I was just emphasizing that that in the US, a person can obtain the title "nutritionist" quite easily while there are greater requirements and rigor to becoming a registered dietitian.

[@keithwilkinson5707]

@@mldouglasjr How did chiropractors get to be allowed to call themselves doctors? It isn't fair on the general public.

[@RobertaPeck]

Yes, in-depth fact checking the internet's leading health gurus is SO needed by us,the often confused health conscious public. You are serving a GREAT service to your fellow man!

[@richardolson170]

Really want him to do a video on hydration sometime in terms of the 8 glasses of water a day recommendation and how hydration affects health. Who agrees??

[@JamesBrown-fd1nv]

​@@richardolson170 that depends on water quality

[@drewdickinson6374]

I wish he would fact check Dr. Ken Berry or have a conversation with him. Dunking on a chiropractor feels like child's play for someone like Gil, I would like to see him take on actual medical doctors.

[@mldouglasjr]

@@drewdickinson6374 He'd do ma reverse 360 on Berry. Berry is a quack.

[@reallyanotheruser7290]

@@richardolson170 There you go i guess

[@Struwwel2]

In my last appointment with my PGP, I mentioned that ApoB would be a better marker of coronary risk. He readily agreed, but right now LDL is locked in as the metric.

[@neilnewinger3059]

I liked this video, because I learned a lot. Obviously the whole story about cholesterol is very complex and getting even more complex every time I watch a new video. When it comes to statins everybody has to decide for himself. I have already decided long time ago, that I will not take statins. One thing is that it is an artificial chemical compound nobody really knows what exactly it can cause on the top of alleged benefits and if the reason for high LDL is your lifestyle and diet, it is much better to change the real cause rather than taking magic pill. I had super high LDL and was recommended statins, but I declined and substituted the consumption of animal based saturated fats with olive and coconut oil. My LDL plummeted to normal levels, so why would I take statins before trying first the natural "remedy" tested for many thousands of years?

[@dianehall5345]

New to your channel. Excellent video. I had emergency gall bladder surgery last October. Tests revealed an inflamed liver from my statin. Further investigation revealed I was only borderline and should not have been prescribed the statin. I had argued at the time to go over my lifestyle and sit down with a dietitian. That did not happen. Now I finally get the hospital dietitian because I was so ill after gall bladder surgery. Acute pancreatitis thrown in. I am now on post gallbladder diet and feeling so much better. I am tuned in to improving my liver and pancreas health profile. Eating clean.

[@jimmymacnutrition6628]

Lots of doctors giving statins at low LDL levels. My doc tried putting me on statins even before recommending and diet or behavior changes. I said no and made changes myself.

[@secretspy44]

So many channels that do "fact checks" and "debunked" videos go so aggressively at commony tiny verbal slip ups or layman vs technical language, crowing about how wrong and dumb they are for something like "essential nutrient vs essential molecules". It gets the audience all worked up with how right you/we are. Its that heady addictive tribal outrage thing that the algorithms love. This is not that. Its nuanced and tempered and level headed instead of sensationalized. Its not just better for civil debate, its better for understanding and learning. Thank you for your calm and reasoned approach to fact checking.

[@888jucu]

I think I know exactly which obnoxious phuk-wit 👨‍🦲u r referring to who likes to carry on adnauseum over technical terms vs common parlance etc in his so called debunk videos 😂

[@LSDsuperfruit]

best answer so far in this comment section

[@Nicksonian]

I loved Ekberg…until I hated him. Thank you Dr. Carvalho for saving me. Several years ago I developed angina. Diagnosis: strong heart but I have arteriosclerosis. Two stents were inserted around my heart. Angina completely went away. I could even run again. My GP prescribed a statin. Felt like I got hit by a truck. Muscle pain, brain fog, myalgia. That’s when I started my big dive into statins, nutrition, and health. I was taken in by certain fringe MDs who attacked statins and people like Ekberg, Berg, Diet Doctors, etc., who constitute the Keto Kabul Conspiracy. Fortunately, I only practiced keto for three months when I started listening to influencers from the middle to the other side. First, I dropped keto and it’s dangerous high-fat prescription and adopted the Mediterranean diet. Next, Dr. Carvalho convinced me that statins aren’t evil. I went back to my doctor and he happily prescribed a lower dose of a different statin. I have had no noticeable side effects. In a few months I will be tested again to check my lipids.

[@drott150]

Congrats, sounds like you're on the right path.

[@Nicksonian]

Moral to my story, which Dr. Carvalho mentions, is that if you are experiencing significant statin side effects, don’t be your own doctor. Go back to your doctor and have him alter your prescription. I think his initial miscalculation was that he started me on 30 mg of one of the statins which is a high dose.

[@worldwarnews3370]

Use garlic

[@dossegundos7145]

Even Thomas Delauer, body builder Keto guru, showed his blood work after being in Keto Mediterranean diet for years and over 200 grams of protein per day, his total cholesterol was 185,HDL 78 and LDL was just under 100. I think the issue for others is eating processed foods and meats, oils and sugars added and extra chemicals. For the last 3 years I’ve had 5 to 7 eggs per day and moderate beef and other meets and I had similar numbers to Thomas not as good but I’m almost 60 and I blew his testosterone number by almost 300 points. Everybody reacts differently. Exercise resistance and some cardio can help significantly.

[@michealfriedman7084]

@@dossegundos7145 I eat maybe 3 eggs per day, with bacon, half avocado.. Lowered my LDL l, raised my HDL, A1C dropped 4%, triglycerides dropped by 40. I fast for 14-18 hours per day, just not hungry. The hunter/gatherer diet seems to work.

[@Mark4Jesus]

Love your quality content and appreciate your taking the time to share it. I think some of the people spreading disinformation don’t mean to, they’re just wandering a bit out of their domain.

[@michealfriedman7084]

My low carb/keto lowered my LDL over a year. It increased my HDL. Lowered my A1C from 5.9 to 5.5. Triglycerides from 94 to 54. All other blood work was normal. I lost 35 pounds. Blood pressure was 129/84. Now 116/67. I'm doing a keto-mediterranean now.

[@robertusga]

When you say "lowered", it went from how high to how low? It is perfectly possible to get good ApoB on low carb, just curious to see what you think are good enough numbers. HDL is irrelevant btw. It is not a goal for CVD treatment.

[@mikafoxx2717]

Yet an HDL gene mutation is what causes a 6x increase in Alzheimer's risk? Evidently it's pretty useful to have good HDL.

[@robertusga]

@@mikafoxx2717 needs citation

[@michealfriedman7084]

@@mikafoxx2717 Never heard of that. We do know the brain is something like 60% fat. So fat is good. Protein, some carbs, and water make up the rest.

[@tontoepstein6860]

@@robertusga Her citation is her bong smoke.

[@fitfrog65]

I've talked to a number of statin users who experience things like depression, muscle soreness and irritability. Isn't it just as effective to eat right and exercise, without those side effects?

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

depends on the person and baseline risk, see the explanation in the video, most can control it with lifestyle if starting early but some people have genetic constraints or already established disease

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Super stuff Gil. An absolute masterclass of good will, civil disagreement 👏 I would probably be less charitable with my assessment

[@waleedabbas4996]

Ayy, it's Rohinnnnnn! Surprised to see you here. Absolutely love both of your videos.

[@alfonso365]

Indeed!

[@akespt]

Not to mention he is a chiropractor masquerading as a physician.

[@kraken138]

@@akespt That's not an argument against against anything. That is the Appeal to Authority fallacy.

[@danielmeixner7125]

​@@kraken138 it isn't fallacious to conclude that talking about heart disease while calling yourself Dr is going to lead people to assume you are an MD. It is shady. Not a great strategy for building trust, especially in a context where there is plenty of medical misinformation.

[@jonass.2116]

Great video, I'm subscribed. Can't believe I wasn't more critical toward the analysed video when I initially watched it. Glad I did a further search and found yours, although it would be great if KZbin's algo could actually recommend this sort of quality content.

[@waynecoxdrums]

One of the absolute best KZbin channels out there. All facts no agenda.

[@joshleedy6127]

Amen. It’s awesome to see a researcher who is adept at educating the public and is willing to do so. Gil is the GOAT and is exactly what the online nutrition community needs. Scratch that, he’s exactly what the online community period needs. Skepticism and data for the win

[@coboarasus]

Omg, 1 hour and 22 minutes video with references 😮 Thank you for the effort! 🙇

[@brucejensen3081]

I did try a statin a few years back. Didn't like how it made feel. Now that I have perfect metabolic health, I feel I am so much better off not being on a statin

[@robertusga]

Cool, how's your ApoB, LDL-c and non HDL-C?

[@brucejensen3081]

@@robertusga these are in mmol/l Was now Total chol 6.2 4 Hdl 0.9 1.1 Ldl 3.8 2.2 Non-hdl 5.3 2.9 Triglyceride 8.2 1.5 Ldl/hdl ratio 4.2 2 Chol/hdl ratio 6.9 3.6 My doctor was like a broken record trying to get me on statins. Now he is like my cholesterol is better than his. Maybe he needs a statin. Lol

[@robertusga]

@Bruce Jensen wow, excellent 👏 Definitely no meds needed with those numbers.

[@victorycall]

What's your way of eating that contributed to those favorable numbers?

[@brucejensen3081]

@@victorycall I did have to drop my waist size, it was like 46 inches, I dropped it to 38 inches over a 11 month period. Was thinking that probably wasn't good for overall liver function. I didn't want to decrease volume of food, as I think being regular is important, so I replaced high energy carbohydrate with low energy carbohydrate. I think for a diet to be sustainable you don't want to lose muscle, so I started lifting weights every second day, which meant I was actually eating more volume. I still did eat starch, but as triglyceride, which was the worst, is fat/glycogen, I limited the amount I ate at any one sitting. This allowed me to replace the glucose I used in muscle building, I did gain some muscle, without getting my blood sugar high. I ate before I was hungry, which cut out the thoughts of eating crap or bingeing, and as your stomach starts to stretch if you eat more than a fist sized meal, I only ate meals that size. Stretching your stomach causes grelin to be produced later. I really was never hungry. I did eat more red meat and eggs, more so eggs. I mix 8 whites, 4 yolks, turmeric, curry, salt, flaxseed oil, macadamia oil (I now add cod liver oil) to make a high omega 3 curried eggs and eat that over 3 days. Flaxseed and cod liver oil taste awful, but you can't taste it much combined with egg, hardly at all with curry. I do bake fish with Flaxseed oil in foil, and as it tastes like fish oil, it's good, omega 3 shouldn't get too hot, so best to keep temperature low and cook a bit longer, but don't overcook. I find you do need some highly fibrous starch, as well as fruit/vegetable fibre. I try to hit even amounts of omega 3 6 9 and saturated fat, maybe exceed omega 3, cause Flaxseed isn't the most bioavailable form of omega 3. A 33 33 33 macro split for dieting seems to work, afterwards, when regaining muscle or building it, and you are consuming more energy protein percentage will drop.

[@anabolicamaranth7140]

We need this detailed, nuanced analysis in all realms, not just health related. I’m not optimistic.

[@AndersWelander]

Thank you so much for this very informational video. I'm one of the viewers that asked about this review. I was baffled when Sten Ekberg made his claims but didn't want to become a scientist in nutrition myself to figure out what's what. I'm a scientist in the field of fusion plasma physics and that's enough work. I'm surprised that Sten didn't reply because I expect him to be modest in the way we all need to be since we are just humans.

[@recuerdos2457]

Agreed! Healthy debates are beneficial always. Do you work at the National lab?

[@jellyd4889]

Yeah, get into contact with him and send him some nice lady to blackmail him into selling you his secrets.

[@user-fy2ij1xt7b]

Agreed, also. I looked but didnt see the video on his you- tube site- but not sure if he took it down or not.

[@rogerphelps9939]

He did not reply because you found him out.

[@cherylgabriel9551]

Liz

[@kongtaing5206]

Thank you very much for what you do. It is invaluable to have people like you servicing people, ...the world, ...enrich people who doesn't have the knowledge, time and expertise in the your field. Again - thank you.

[@nelsonhoffman5922]

Best, actually science based, no BS, no spin nutrition channel on youtube. Hands down. Thank you so, so much for delivering some sanity.

[@hollydeforge6624]

@critical thinking definitely science based!! Apply the action steps, built in proof. I am a nurse and this is the best I've ever done on a diet BECAUSE he made the science so clear, I know what to do and what not to do!! Down 17 pounds, great labs!

[@hollydeforge6624]

@@robertclary1718 what do you think is outdated?

[@fifthycharaktersforaqualit7468]

@@hollydeforge6624 we know allot more about nutrition today than like 20years ago and doctors are known to not be good with diet advise they can tell you shouldnt eat certain foods because of your health conditions but the diet advise given is often very basic at best but thats thanks to clever marketing of capitalists. Diet Advise I would have loved to hear as a 12year old or something At the end it boils down to eating enough vegetables protein fiber/s healthy fats and wait a lomg time in a kcal small 300-500kcal deficit depending on how likely you want to jojo diet an gain the weight back you can try to lose more but I would advise against it (maybe intermitted fasting or fasting a day or 2 but eating the same amount of kcal you normaly would just over 5-6 days dont lose weight with allot of exercise because that could potentionally induce hunger/cravings (adjust kcal if needed) if you do this and weigh yourself every day of the week and compare the median weight with the last one you can eat a tiny bit less and more filling things (higher volume of food containing protein water salt nutrients fiber). If you lack any nutrients your body needs or anything your body cant regulate/produce enough it can affect your metabolism but you can still lose weight its just harder and more anoying.

[@hollydeforge6624]

@fifthycharaktersforaqualit7468 yeah, great summary, I was asking literally what the other guy thought was outdated, I wasn't sure what he was referring to. Agree with everything you said. I listen to all of Dr Ekberg's videos... I am not sure why you felt compelled to summarize it to me specifically, lol, but I give your synopsis 5☆. 😉

[@arsenal4444]

@@hollydeforge6624 "want to jojo diet an gain" hell yeah I do 🎶AA YAAYAAYAAEEEE 👈🕺

[@PlantChompers]

You are the king of explaining heart disease risk. 👏

[@thinkinoutloud.1]

And you Chris are good at pointing out errors in a variety of diets promoted by bought journalists like Nina Teicholz

[@talyah23]

Well that's a super endorsement!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@johnschreiber1574]

With all due respect, I appreciate where you are coming from. It is unfortunate that Dr. Ekberg does not list studies, or sources for his claims. However, I do believe that taken as a whole, the information he provides is quite useful in helping people lose weight. Take a look at his videos regarding managing insulin levels via saturated fat consumption with daily carb intake at or below 50g, and critique those. I would love to see your critique of ketogenic diet WRT cardiology. When I viewed the video you critique here, I saw the same logical flaw.

[@Bearme73]

Yes, but stay in your lane. Basic nutrition is one thing...cardiac expertise is beyond him. However, if one follows his basic nutrition advice they most likely won't be the services of a cardiologist.

[@jpmeyer4159]

@@Bearme73 Stay in your lane? Are you one of those science consensus people? To truly learn you have to get out of your lane and look to other paths. Maybe they are the better way and maybe not, but if you do not try you will never know.

[@bribradt3450]

Sten ekberg lost all credibility when he dismissed the idea that controlling calorie intake doesn't impact weight loss

[@cycleoflife7331]

@@bribradt3450its the quality of those calories. Eating bad foods still effects your weight

[@maryeverett2266]

@@cycleoflife7331 The quality of those calories doesn’t make a difference in weight loss. The same amount of energy taken in can’t result in less energy being stored.

[@stevensauvageau8827]

Thank you very much for this. There are many people like this on the internet right now. I have been wondering about it and you help clear things up. Thank you very much.

[@miriamkapeller6754]

Thank you for these videos, they are so important. I don't think I'm exaggerating if I say that of the countless KZbin channels I know, this the most valuable one.

[@pi3ni0]

Excellent video! I am so glad that I came across this channel. No mocking, pure science, references. Good job 👍

[@georgelewis9127]

Doctor Sten Ekberg doesn't mention on his KZbin Channel that he is a D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic), not an M.D. (Medical Doctor).

[@LarryNagel]

Dr. Gil, thank you for the content you provide. I am trying to better understand the often-cited “inflection point” with regards to SFA consumption. Is the implication that reducing SFA consumption doesn’t help at all unless you get below around that 10% of daily calories mark?

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

if we read some of the evidence from the cochrane by the letter that's what it seems to show, although I have doubts about the granularity. I would go by ApoB or nonHDL-C before I would hyper focus on the exact SFA amount

[@bastianfuentes8335]

hi, do you have any videos coming up on exercise, muscle gain or so? btw, what are your thoughts on gallbladder problems, it's really a non-talked matter on nutrition topics, I wonder if high levels of cholesterol also play a big role in gallstones development and if there's any other causal factor on this. Thanks

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

yes! we have one on healthy weight gain coming up

[@donnasowers8073]

Would be interested in looking at Dr. Pradip Jamnadas (cardiologist)

[@SandroBuss]

Do you have a video about the relationship between VLDL and triglycerides?

[@samuelmizrahi5207]

Great fact checking and amazing explanations! Any thoughts on K2-Mk7 supplementation benefits that are touted online?

[@johnfritz5903]

I would be interested to hear your perspective on the efficacy of extended fasting to induce autophagy, in order to reverse the buildup of arterial plaques. Does it work, is it safe, possible drawbacks etc.?

[@trishmitchell2440]

Great information that helps clear up a confusing topic! Thanks

[@Holly-days]

Thank you for this. After seeing a 2nd video of yours, I'm now a subscriber. It is vital and most important in this day and age of ready access to information (good, bad, ugly) online. I spend a lot of time helping people look for signs of false information and scams. It is a skill in and of itself. I look forward to hearing the results of your one-on-one conversation with Sten Ekberg.

[@gunslinger8718]

I really enjoy your ability to review and explain a very medically technical subject. (Heart Disease)

[@ValiVali-zy7cp]

Brilliant video! I actually love Dr. Ekberg. Thanks to him and Dr. Berg has my quality of life improved a great deal. And thanks to this video of his I'd refused the statins prescribed by my doctor. And I did absolutely right! I'm young, healthy. No risk factors. Though as I'd switched my doctor, the new one did blood tests and based on just that they'd offered me statins. I refused. I was going through a lot of stress in this period of time and a few weeks later were the test results good. Are statins bad for everyone? I'm not competent to judge that. Though I won't be taking every pill my doctor prescribes me without doing my research and getting a second opinion first. I'm curious how Dr. Ekberg reacts to your video! I hope he does. And I'll be watching more of your videos too, Doc! It certainly seems that you know what you're talking about.

[@fanfeck2844]

I’m just curious to know why so many people will believe a couple of chiropractors, over heart specialists and medically trained doctors and research scientists.

[@elinino5275]

​@@fanfeck2844right! Excellent point

[@ValiVali-dc7rj]

@@fanfeck2844 Because their advice actually work. :-) Yes, there are emergency situations in which you follow medical doctors' advice and don't argue. Otherwise, people need to get themselves informed, try different things and see what works best for them. As for me, the keto lifestyle combined with intermittent fasting has literally changed my life and I feel so much better than I ever did before!

[@Essie314]

@@fanfeck2844 medically trained doctors almost never have any education about nutrition besides official government guidelines... Keep nitpicking their chiropractor degree, and keep ignoring their years, if not decades, of experience and knowledge these "chiropractors" have about nutrition and how the body works.

[@xLuis89x]

@@fanfeck2844 From what I researched, that ''chiropractor'' was an athlete, and you know how healthy athletes keep their lifestyles to do their competitions? they can and SHOULD have a lot of information in regards to healthy lifestyles , foods and habits, tbh

[@Mcfreddo]

Your explanations are very concise, to the point and full of necessary reason with the facts and the relevancy. No waffle. Most enlightening. Thank you!

[@grappydingus]

Good breakdown, I just noticed that gentleman had a lot of "I did this or that for a hundred days" kind of think and found your explanations with citations very well done. You have earned a subscriber.

[@lisag18]

He has many other videos. You didn't look hard enough. He only did those as an experiment to see how his body reacts and to see numbers. What's your criticism?

[@grappydingus]

@@lisag18 I just didn't find those very informative, personally, everyone's body is different. Not for me, but for each their own.

[@maciekwar]

quick question regarding apolipoprotein B and circulation of LDL, does glycation impacts circulation of LDL, could this increase risk of atherosclerosis because glycated apoB is not recognized by LDL receptor like it supposed to?

[@mohanapte]

There is a lot of misinformation peddled on KZbin by non scientific, partly qualified people masquerading as “experts”. This is the ONLY channel that I have come across that has no agenda, is not sponsored by anyone and relies purely on facts, proven medical research and scientific evidence to discuss important health and other issues facing us today. Bravo Dr Gil Carvalho. You are doing us all a great favor by releasing such brilliant content. Keep it up!

[@fatfrreddy1414]

how do you KNOW?

[@tdichow]

​@@fatfrreddy1414 I thought the same.

[@RC-tm8jo]

I don't think statins and their affect on coenzyme Q10 levels were mentioned in the video. Do statins always significantly lower coenzyme Q10 levels and should all patients taking statins supplement with coenzyme Q10?

[@robertusga]

The reason it was not mentioned is because the outcome based data shows it is not a concern. Don't tell the CoQ10 peddlers though, they still need to buy gas for their yaughts.

[@enriquemora9272]

I would love Dr Carvalho to fact check Dr. Jason Fung

[@jimsy7al]

And what about Dr Alan Mandell also

[@fooboomoo]

I really appreciate that you make videos as long as they need to be

[@tria380]

Thank you for this video. You have successfully leveraged the interest that Dr. Ekberg's views might have generated and used it to explain the issues properly. You were factual about it and always kind to Dr Ekberg, focusing on factual criticism and never falling into an ad hominem. You never patronised me as a viewer and made all the explanations clear and thorough. You exemplify an ethical approach to medicine and you have provided an outstanding public service.

[@havanadaurcy1321]

Ekberg ad hominem attacked folate food. Folate is a nutritional requirement for women, low folate is bad for us

[@kleineroteHex]

@@havanadaurcy1321 look into folate vs folic acid. I can't recall if I have heard him on that. Since the natural foliate is in many green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit which Ekberg promotes, why would he be against foliate when needed.

[@yamomanemjazz]

@@havanadaurcy1321 how did folate respond?

[@buckmurdock2500]

@@yamomanemjazz it wilted.

[@yamomanemjazz]

@@buckmurdock2500 so I reckon exfoliation can be too abrasive for thin skin people?

[@dondouglas3431]

I have been a Physical therapist working for 37 years, primarily in a neuro out patient clinic. Your videos are so refreshing and clear in explanation. You are a great resource to so many people / Thank you!

[@edwardbanegas2153]

What do you recommend if I can't tolerate statements because of all the muscle issues?? They shot my CK levels up to a 1000 every time I've tried to use them

[@i_never_asked_for_an_alias]

Love to see this effort in a very respectful way. Thats how the language of science should be.

[@penniroyal4398]

This is so helpful. I have been on high dose statins for 4 years. I have high cholesterol and heart blockage even though I am in good shape. I’m 63 and look much younger because I’ve taken care of myself and don’t smoke or drink alcohol. I don’t look or act my age. Thankfully I walk 2-4 miles most days and on the other days I walk 5 or more days. Walking is a great way to build stamina as you increase the walking distance and it doesn’t wear your body out like some sports.

[@danielmcwhirter]

You had my agreement on saving 50% of heart attacks in the one hundred people example trial...but then I realized that reduction example requires all 100 people to take the drug. It was a "whoa" moment. I do realize that in real life, not a trial, not all people would be identified as needing the drug.

[@OatmealTheCrazy]

Your worry is countered by genetically low cholesterol populations

[@andreak1111]

I am glad I found your channel. There's a lot of mixed information on KZbin presented by some very confident people with a doctorate title. I think you present information the best way and encourage your audience to make their own decisions and to ask questions. Science constantly evolves, and that's a good thing!

[@RaveyDavey]

FYI - Eckberg isn't any kind of doctor - medical or doctorate. He's a chiropractor.

[@arrrryyy]

Many make youtube videos to have clocks, and if they say "take your statins" nobody is going to watch them. Also, there is a video with 20 million views saying that if you just eat garlic and some pepper it will unclog your arteries. I am going to open an account and have videos with titles such as "Finally Chat GPT is human" or "Aliens found on market". Even History channel does it after which I stopped watching. Politicians do it "in moderation too" otherwise they will get no votes.

[@arrrryyy]

I mean clicks not clocks - make money.

[@zoey4846]

When the KZbinr provides you the sources and keeps encouraging audience to fact check everything, he must be a good one!

[@brockwagner939]

@@RaveyDavey fyi. Chiros go to medical school too, and get the same pathetic education on nutrition th at MDs do 👍

[@tomlew55]

I was just at my cardiologist. I complained of muscle and joint pain while on atorvastatin (Lipitor). He prescribed another medication to try stating that his concern was not my ldl level, but my overall risk of heart disease. He suggested that I call his office with concerns rather than take advice from you tube channels. I searched Dr. Sten Ekberg. He is a Chiropractor & Clinical Nutrition Practitioner who seems to primarily run a you tube channel. I'm glad that you respectfully did not agree with some of Dr. Ekberg's views rather than ripping him apart. There's too much of that going on in today's polarized world. You seem to be much more aligned with my Cardiologist than anyone else I have seen on these channels. thank you.

[@coke.]

Man, you're the best! I would love to see a video about hay fever soon. The season is coming and I would like to take some recommendations from an expert like you. Suffering season is here 😢

[@1973sophia]

Quercetin and pineapples.

[@kygo]

Thank you for this, I find your fact checking videos really useful, it's how I found your channel in the first place! Before then I was really starting to trust everything these popular KZbin "doctors" would say

[@elinino5275]

Exactly! You would also be surprised at the amount of "doctors" who believe a man can get pregnant 😂😂

[@ChristopherCologneASMR]

Hey Gil! Can you do a video on so many of these everday MD's speaking on conditions they really know nothing about. I have Chiari malformation and Syringomyelia. I have found too many MD's try to go on about certain conditions when they really know nothing about those conditions. I have found that too many just try to throw the "its anxiety" diagnosis at people when it could be a dysautonomic function or a food sensitivity and so on.

[@garrick3727]

This was very interesting thank you. My overall takeaway is that Dr Ekberg oversimplified in some areas and did not fully explain all the details. Given that this video is over 50% longer than his, it is obvious that this is a very complex subject. What I did not hear is anything specifically stating that Dr Ekberg is providing bad advice when he suggests cutting down on sugar and lowering insulin resistance. His argument that high cholesterol is not necessarily bad is weaker because the subject is complex. It seems fair to say that a Doctor will prescribe statins because that is a reliable way of addressing high cholesterol, but at the same time attempting to make lifestyle changes is also effective. Obviously, given his field of expertise, Dr Ekberg is trying to help people make changes that do not want to take prescription drugs, and while his view of statins may be overly harsh, his lifestyle methods were not refuted.

[@dan-qe1tb]

"Cutting down on sugar" without taking into account quality of carbs, and what you eat them with, is an oversimplification as well, as is the idea that "diabetes is something that happens when we eat more carbs than our bodies can handle". The safe level given by the fed, for refined sugars, is 36 grams a day (including white flour). Someone could be over that on a keto diet if the small amount of carbs they have, is junk food. The quality of protein and quality of fat also matter. I'm one of the people who got slapped with a statin because my ldl was over 100. I'm trying to prove that it had dropped with weight loss. Nurse had made the mistake of doing half the tests after a 12 hour fast, and half of them close to a meal.

[@aldariontelcontar]

@@dan-qe1tb If fed was correct, there wouldn't be so much obesity. In reality, there is no "safe level" for refined sugars, including white flour. That is like talking about "safe levels" for consuming depleted uranium... chronic poisoning is still poisoning, even if it is not as significant as acute one.

[@dan-qe1tb]

@@aldariontelcontar I am sorry if you have been drawn into the idea that small amounts of sugar are bad. We do live in a dramatic clickbait YT world: (pass/fail, everything is either the new superfood, or is killing everybody slowly). 36 grams a day is about what's in a can of pop. Gil had made a video about the idea that the federal food guide is making massive numbers of people fat or diabetic because the carbs amount is too high (which is false). The real problem is people's lack of self control and overeating, the tasty foods Americans love. People can waste a lot of time obsessing over avoiding this or that food, thinking those foods in themselves cause weight gain, when the real problem is overeating. Having a small amount of dessert with an otherwise healthy supper and with water, is a different matter than having several sugary snacks a day with no protein or fiber; not leaving people feeling satiated. Athletes can burn thru a lot of carbs and have skinny builds. People who exercise regularly can easily go through 500 or more calories in a day than couch potatoes do. I have neighbors on each side of me who are fifty pounds overweight. I will go on my exercise walk (which can be over an hour), and when I return, I can see their tvs are still on. They both outsource yard care; so they don't even get the small amount of low intensity exercise of mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, or bagging leaves. Those people, would probably believe people like Eric Berg and Ken Berry, and their anti carb crusades, when they have trouble losing weight. Those neighbors probably eat junk food, but that too, is only part of their problem. Sitting on the couch all evening drinking beer doesn't help.

[@tacitus7797]

Thanks for an overview of stuff I had heard years ago. Quick anecdotes - 15+ years I was hesitant to go on a proper statin so my doctor suggested I could try red-yeast-rice (a natural statin - at the time some claimed it might be easier on the system) - gave me horrible muscle pains. Stopped taking it and had to take anti-inflamatory doses of ibuprofen for about a week for the pain to stop. They then convinced me to take pravastatin, no problems and then a couple of years ago it was changed to rouvistatin, no problems. BTW The only time my cholesterol ever went down from year to year without a statin - was when I did low carb for a year; never did keto.

[@Guishan_Lingyou]

You are a very patient person ;-)

[@timurhant469]

Or a very patient doctor!

[@hn5460]

Excellent! Thanks for doing this great service, doctor. 👏👏👏

[@kestag2110]

Thank you so much for this video. I was considering whether I should or shouldn’t be taking a statin I’ve had high cholesterol for awhile. I was almost taken in by the anti-statin group. Some of the things they were saying made sense, but my instinct was telling me to stick on them, so I continue to research. A couple of my issues you’ve addressed such as why low ldl is associated with higher all cause mortality. My biggest concern is do statins affect cognition? I’d much prefer to die of a heart attack then have Alzheimer’s. This is something I’d still like to know a little bit more about. But because I have high LDL and even though I’m 58 with a calcium score of zero i’ve decided to keep taking a statin. I prefer content that can show evidence based on proper research. You have done this. Thank you again.

[@kestag2110]

Btw , I’ve changed my life style exercise more and I I intermittent fast, but the fasting is cause my cholesterol to rise. This makes sense though, when you understand the science as I did a prolonged fast prior to the blood test as in longer than the recommended 8 to 10 hours, it was more like a 24hr fast which I don’t do very often. My fasting goal was to reduce my blood glucose from prediabetic to normal Which I’ve done.

[@neilnewinger3059]

Have you tried to replace animal saturated fats with olive oil? That worked for me to cut LDL to half. I definitely prefer to take olive oil rather than taking statins.

[@1973sophia]

Yep it affects cognition..brain is made up of cholesterol.

[@lpg12338]

32:40 - From what I have read, a very important issue is to keep the endothelial glycocalyx as healthy as possible, which would prevent these lipoproteins from getting stuck in the first place. So many people have high blood glucose / triglycerides and high blood pressure, which damages the endothelial glycocalyx.

[@brendaandrandyking4126]

That's correct!!!!!!!!!!!

[@descai10]

LDL can still get in even if the endothelium is healthy, just at a reduced rate. ultimately you have to have low enough LDL that the particles can escape faster than they build up.

[@giancork1656]

The service to sanity and health you are providing is not measurable. Thanks 🙏

[@Asiatranceboy]

Thanks for this great video, well explained & referenced without oversimplifying

[@genkishan]

Thank you so much Gil Carvalho, the need for a watchdog checking objectively upon the popular health channels is paramount

[@MorganTDaniels]

I appreciate your analysis of this video. As someone who has been on a statin since I was 39 and is now 55 with a genetic predisposition for heart attack and strokes I am always looking for more information on how to stay healthy and reduce risks. I exercise regularly, do not smoke or drink. Even recently switched my diet cutting out all added sugars from my diet and really working to eat only Whole Foods. So this topic is a treasure trove of great information to watch. And it still is confusing especially when we discuss diet.

[@dionnash6467]

What role do you think calcium plays in plaque formation? Do you believe K2 could be used to lessen the risk of arterial blockage?

[@privatevideos1886]

Very important question! Who's gonna answer ?

[@jonjones5152]

​@@privatevideos1886I concur...K2 - Vit D - Calcium .... This is a dangerous one to not fully understand and it's just coming across like the whole coffee thing , contrary and convoluted... confusing!

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

hi guys we have a recent video that touches on this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJyzdpmMr9Jpn9E

[@RussKarlberg]

How do we know who to trust anymore?? Nobody agrees on statins right now.

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

tbh, don't base these decisions on "trust". try to take a look at the data in your spare time. it'll seem confusing at 1st but it'll gradually make sense. lots of available resources

[@RussKarlberg]

@@NutritionMadeSimple I have been watching many podcasts and videos - lately I have seen so much evidence that statins have numerous side effects, and may not even prevent heart attacks at all. I think diet and exercise are more important.

[@kitefan1]

Thanks for the video. Regarding a response from Dr. Eckberg, with family members I no longer expect them to agree with me or say I'm correct about something but I do pay attention to when they change their behavior to change the thing I objected to.

[@genericusername5909]

The accusation is often that statin data is cherrypicked and that the improvement for target patients’ longevity is around 1.5% (iirc) and that the amount and severity of side effects don’t motivate the limited effect. (Just relaying it - I have no idea)

[@recuerdos2457]

Question: since you mentioned the youtuber didn’t mention how the statins help to lower the LDL, could you elaborate how and why it works on someone but not everyone? What factors should doctors take before putting patient on statins rather than just relying on the numbers showed on lipid panel??

[@WilliamRoscoe]

Gil made a video answering most of your questions entitled "Statins and Diabetes" which is excellent.

[@kathystaats939]

I am so grateful for finding you on KZbin . I admire your way of being civil and graciously giving documentation and studies to give us guidance .

[@GreyDeathVaccine]

I've only watched 12 minutes (I'll try to watch the whole thing) but I can't help but comment on how much I like your attitude. You keep the bar high. :-)

[@RichRich1955]

I was ok on 80mg atorvastatin for a while and stopped them. I started again but lower dose and even at 20mg I got brain fog so I stopped. I lost weight and total is now 180. My numbers are great overall.

[@crimpers5543]

No dietary changes?

[@irenerottensteiner1433]

I appreciate your channel tremendously: clear to the point, very understandable, civil and polite.

[@user-ok6pf7dc1u]

Could someone give a citation about the HMGCR mutation that actually contains the source of the information mentioned in the video? The original citation also just mention it and gives a citation about just the effect of PCSK9 mutations instead which is almost the same, but different...

[@jonathanmagic5633]

My step father has just been taken off statins as he suddenly developed symptoms of dementia which have now disappeared thankfully so it was interesting you mentioned this.

[@robertusga]

Yeah, that makes no sense, you can't "suddenly" develop dementia and then turn it off like a light switch.

[@shenandoah7875]

@@robertusga he said symptoms of dementia. Maybe dementia-like symptoms would have been more clear. My grandpa has been on statins for years and he now has dementia.

[@robertusga]

@Shenandoah is that all he did? Pop statins? He did not do anything else like getting old or any other combination of hundreds of things? That's why we have studies to determine causality. They did that and found that statins do not cause dementia. They do however make folks who had high ApoB live longer and without heart disease.

[@victorycall]

@@robertusga The FDA requires statin drugs to say right on the *label* that they may cause memory loss and confusion. These symptoms are thankfully reversible. It's almost unbelievable that anyone wants to quibble about calling memory loss and confusion "symptoms of dementia," while glossing over the fact that it's important to discontinue or modify the statin prescription *if* memory loss and confusion occur.

[@bettywhill]

@@robertusga that’s one of the KNOWN side effects!

[@Dawn-pe5to]

So, it is disappointing that you did not hear back from him. I had thought that he seemed to be a reasonable person with good intentions. However, when the intent is to help people achieve the best possible life style to promote good health, you would want to know that the information you are putting out is valid. On the other hand there is a factor in this scenario that many doctors totally overlook and that is how much lifestyle changes can impact certain risks without having to resort to pharmacological intervention. Many doctors, probably most, do not give due attention to this topic. They may say all the right things in a hurried way, fulfilling their obligation to point these things out to the patient, but in the end it is simply less "messy" and more expedient to just write an RX! I have experienced this on numerous occasions and questioned the wisdom of taking certain medications before making some effort to alter damaging lifestyle habits. For me it has worked out well to follow my instinct, although I am aware that in some cases the risk factors cannot be easily managed by the individual's choices. There is just not enough counseling on this topic, in my opinion - and probably not enough education in medical schools.

[@hannahbassett7541]

Thanks for this informative video! A couple of clarifying questions: 1. Where do lipoproteins (and their constituent parts) go after uptake to the liver? Statin is increasing receptor cells allowing more lipoproteins into the liver and I wonder why the body wouldn’t have already increased receptors as needed. Is there any negative impact from increasing lipoprotein uptake to the liver? And, as an alternative, how would one decrease ApoB lipoprotein in the blood by modulating inputs to the body? And 2. If LDL and other ApoB lipoproteins aren’t oxidized until they’re embedded in arterial walls, why are smaller LDLs measurable in the blood? Are they damaged or naturally smaller? Thanks!

[@4101windchester]

SInce nobody has replied to your very good question, I'll give it a shot. Disclamer, I'm only a medical student, so fact checking me is encouraged. It is important to realize first that your body NEEDS cholestrol in order to survive. It makes up your cell membranes, constructs hormones, etc. Lipoproteins that make it into the liver are repackaged to go to the periphery to perform these functions or to be packed away as body fat. The problem is that in modern western society, we have abundant fat intake in our diet while our bodies are designed to operate in a starving state that existed with our caveman ancestors. Thus, our liver has a few options to satisfy our body's needs; it can synthesize new lipoproteins from scratch, use dietary cholestrol, or recycle circulating lipoproteins. Because we are designed to avoid starving to death, the body wants uses the circulating cholestrol as a last resort--so its available if needed. Thus, the liver will keep pumping it out even though there is plenty in circulation already--there is no direct regulatory feedback mechanism to stop this. Treating clinically elevated cholestrol rests on increasing receptor expression. Statins do this by halting the sythesis of NEW cholestorol in the liver, thereby forcing the liver to upregulate receptors in order to satisfy its needs--thus pulling away circulatory cholestrol. This ties into your question about why the body doesn't increase receptors on its own--it only does so when we force it to because its afraid of running out of cholestrol. As far as limiting ApoB intake, it really isn't the best way of greatly reducing high cholestrol because most of the circulating cholestrol is coming from the liver in the first place, not the diet. Bile acid resins and ezetimibe do a decent job of what you are asking, but they cause intolerable GI sideffects for most patients.

[@dennisward43]

@@4101windchester Great reply. I agree that statins should be used for people suffering from high LDL, diabetes and related diseases as this undoubtedly helps to reduce mortality and disease but what if you are not overweight, have low blood sugar and follow a Mediterreanean diet, yet still have high LDL? Are statins warranted then?

[@jaym9846]

Do ApoBs normally deliver cholesterol from the liver to other tissues or is the cholesterol in ApoBs mostly there to give it a spherical shape? My doc didn't know.

[@gchrysos]

Thank you for debunking these sources of misinformation with extensive knowledge of the research and a lucid interpretation.

[@marcjacobson757]

This is useful primarily because you provide references to every study and fact you state, and this allows me to form my own conclusions. I don't interpret all the studies the same way you do, but I appreciate that you provide the links to the data.

[@user-fx5df1ur4m]

@marcjacobson757 I could not agree more!

[@keithwilkinson5707]

Thank you Gil for a facsinating assessment. I have seen cardiologists on youtube say that artery calcification cannot be reduced and others claiming how it can be done. What does the science say about this?

[@doddsalfa]

Plant based diet cures blockage in coronary arteries

[@geoffas]

Thank you for such a sober critique of one of Dr Ekberg's videos. I, particularly, found your citing and usage of the extant studies and trials persuasive.

[@arrrryyy]

Finally got most questions answered. It's too time consuming to do online research and read all these papers.

[@helenhucker346]

A brilliant analysis, thank you! Keep up the good work and sending best wishes from the UK.

[@a814723]

Tim Spector gets fact-checked by MD PhD Doctor would be another great podcast

[@briankim75]

I’m a pharmacist that gives lectures to heart patients in a hospital and I agree with Dr Gil. I actually learned something. Thanks

[@vhs10907]

I admire your lack of sarcasm and ad hominem rebuttals of others and want to emulate the non-judgmental way that you analyze the statements of people on KZbin. More fairness and depth of understanding of topics such as those that you publish is needed

[@carlr2837]

Thank you for this excellent, detailed, accurate information. Regarding various "experts" you can find on various social media sites, people should always be suspicious when someone calls himself a "Real Doctor", but doesn't give information about his credentials, and always be suspicious if they don't site actual medical research. You give your credentials up front, and give tons information on actual medical studies.

[@rogerphelps9939]

Ekberg is a fake.

[@georgepapp3913]

Thanks so much for clearing up these guru’s fuzzy nutrition science. You are doing important work.

[@lorenzolalik1]

Does anybody know if dr Gil as a practice in Los Angeles or somewhere eles Can we consult with him ?

[@DWMtukwila]

It took me about 5 minutes for me to subscribe. The most education I had in science was one chem class. Where I really learned was in liberal arts classes where critical thinking skills were absolutely required. For that reason I loved this video. The facts are there and the reasoning was clear. Thank you and I am now a fan!

[@neilnewinger3059]

Liberal arts and critical thinking skills? Like gender fluidity?

[@DWMtukwila]

@@neilnewinger3059 No, more like education and logic

[@neilnewinger3059]

@@DWMtukwila I hope you are right, because a lot what is coming from liberal arts nowadays is very distant from logic, let alone scientific methodology, what is the basis of critical thinking.

[@DWMtukwila]

@@neilnewinger3059 think philosophy, debate, actual evidence from reputable sources, the best literature, and so on. Most of the right wing base is wrapped in conspiracies, OAN, Truth Social and they consider their opinions as facts. They typically have little university education so they rarely have had to defend their papers with legitimate sources. Without those, essays and research papers would either not be accepted or receive a failing grade.

[@ey67]

​@@neilnewinger3059could you try to be a little more vague. Thanks. Look on the bright side, the liberal arts and humanities and history are being phased out all over the country and many departments abolished completely. Now that we have slavery perfected in this country. Who needs these luxuries when it's not required at all anymore. Enjoy the future and the lovely gifts being distributed presently by our ruling class as I doubt there is a philosophy, history or literature graduate among them. Our fine ivy league universities only give us the very best lawyers that money can buy. Hawley, Cruz, dubya shrub aka George Bush and add to the list as you care to. Western economy based on militarism, debt, and planned obsolescence. Aldous Huxley. Who needs the humanities? Nobody. What did you expect from them ? So what is missing? The harm they have done will soon pass. Enjoy 😂

[@leannewalker1422]

I love the way you handled this situation. You made your points without judging others and always have useful advice and sound, facts and logic. Thank you this video helps me so much. ❤