Also see:
Ray Peat, PhD on the Benefits of the Raw Carrot
Endotoxin: Poisoning from the Inside Out
Protective Bamboo Shoots
The effect of raw carrot on serum lipids and colon function
Protection from Endotoxin
The Truth about Low Cholesterol
“The rate of cholesterol production, and the amount in circulation, tend to be inversely related to systemic inflammation. All of the types of lipoprotein absorb, bind, and help to eliminate endotoxin, for example.” -Ray Peat, PhD
“Cholesterol has a long history as a protectant against many toxins; I think this relates to the fact that people with very low cholesterol have such a high incidence of endotoxin-related symptoms.” -Ray Peat, PhD
Lancet. 2000 Sep 9;356(9233):930-3.
The endotoxin-lipoprotein hypothesis.
Rauchhaus M, Coats AJ, Anker SD.
The advent of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) has revolutionised the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. Statin treatment, by lowering the atherogenic lipoprotein profile, reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. Treatment with simvastatin causes a reduction of events of new-onset heart failure, but this may be attributable to properties other than its lipid-lowering effects. There is some evidence that lower serum cholesterol concentrations (as a surrogate for the totality of lipoproteins) relate to impaired survival in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Inflammation is a feature in patients with CHF and increased lipopolysaccharide may contribute substantially. We postulate that higher concentrations of total cholesterol are beneficial in these patients. This is potentially attributable to the property of lipoproteins to bind lipopolysaccharide, thereby preventing its detrimental effects. We hypothesise there is an optimum lipoprotein concentration below which lipid reduction would, on balance, be detrimental. We also propose that, in patients with CHF, a non-lipid-lowering statin (with ancillary properties such as immune modulatory and anti-inflammatory actions) could be as effective or even more beneficial than a lipid-lowering statin.
