Dr. Alok Chopra, a well-known cardiologist and the founder and director of Delhi’s Aashlok Hospital, challenged the long-held idea that cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease in a recent YouTube chat with Manika Raikwar on “Your Health DeKoded.” Dr. Chopra, who has been a doctor for more than 40 years, said that “big pharmaceutical companies” are to blame for this misunderstanding since they made up the story to get people to take more drugs.
“Who made that sickness? Big drug companies. Dr. Chopra added, “They wanted you to stay sick,” and “more medicines means they’ll make more money.”
He went on to say that cholesterol isn’t always bad because the body makes about 85% of it on its own. Dr. Chopra said that cholesterol is important because it helps keep arteries stiff and protects the body from inflammation when it is under stress. He said it was like a “band-aid” for inflamed arteries, which can happen because of bad habits.
Dr. Chopra says that “the wrong foods” promote chronic inflammation, which is what really causes heart problems. He said that when someone eats bad meals all the time, it damages their arteries over and over again, and cholesterol rushes in to fix the damage. The ongoing cycle of inflammation and repair over time causes plaques to pile up, which eventually blocks the arteries and causes heart disease.
Dr. Chopra gave a number of food and lifestyle tips to help with this. He proposed that people have two meals a day, with a big “brunch” in the morning and a smaller meal in the evening. He said that the first meal should have eggs and leafy greens, and that the day should start with a cup of strong coffee. He said that for snacks, you should choose almonds, salads, or soup and stay away from anything substantial. He also said that you shouldn’t consume fruit on an empty stomach because the liver processes fructose differently when you eat it after a meal.
Dr. Chopra says that to keep your heart healthy and your general health good, you should eat more vegetables and grains and less non-vegetarian food. You should also live a life that respects your body’s natural clock.
This material is only for informational purposes and should not be used instead of professional medical advice. If you have any questions about a medical problem, you should always talk to your doctor.