If you’ve ever seen a young child eat candy and then become HYPERactive, you’ve witnessed the speed of sugar absorption. When sugar levels spike in our blood, our insulin levels go up. Insulin’s main action is to store the blood sugar floating around. But when you trigger insulin, it doesn’t just store sugar, it shifts our entire biochemistry into storage mode. The storage form of cholesterol is LDL — the bad cholesterol. So when insulin levels are higher, LDL levels go UP. The non-storage form of cholesterol is HDL — the good cholesterol. When insulin levels are high, HDL goes DOWN. The storage form of sugar is triglycerides.

The FDA just announced the approval of an new drug called Praluent®. Hailed as a giant advance in care, this injectable medication can lower cholesterol by as much as 70%. But here's the real news. The medication will cost – wait for it – $14,600 per patient per year.   

Why are more doctors not talking about nutrition? Have you ever asked your physician about certain nutrition questions and didn’t receive the answer that you were looking for? It’s because it was not in our basic training as doctors. The great news is that many doctors are now seeking outside training to add to their toolbox. Listen to what a Mayo Clinic trained cardiologist has to say about doctors and nutrition.