
Crows love cheeseburgers and are getting high cholesterol - elorant
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/crows-high-cholesterol-urban-cheeseburgers-animals/
======
simonsarris
Some scientists/doctors love using cholesterol because its easy to measure.
But it's still mostly useless. I wonder if its mostly useless here.

 _Oh look it is._ From the article:

> Comparing the cholesterol and survival rates of the burger-eating crows with
> those of nearby crows who were weren’t supplemented with fast food, the team
> found that cholesterol levels did not have a detectable effect on the birds’
> survival.

Meanwhile, in a 2015 survey by Credit Suisse Foundation found 54% of docs
falsely believed eating cholesterol-rich food raises blood levels of
cholesterol and damages the heart. In the words of the survey, "This is a
clear example of the level of misinformation that exists among doctors."
[https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us-
news/en/articles/news...](https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us-
news/en/articles/news-and-expertise/fat-the-new-health-paradigm-201509.html)

Why won't this dumb meme die?

~~~
YeGoblynQueenne
I don't understand - what is the dumb meme? The link of high cholesterol to
heart disease seems to be very well supported by numerous studies, and so are
the benefits of reducing high LDL with diet or medication (statins).

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol#Hypercholesterolem...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol#Hypercholesterolemia)

 _According to the lipid hypothesis, elevated levels of cholesterol in the
blood lead to atherosclerosis which may increase the risk of heart attack,
stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Since higher blood LDL – especially
higher LDL concentrations and smaller LDL particle size – contributes to this
process more than the cholesterol content of the HDL particles,[68] LDL
particles are often termed "bad cholesterol". High concentrations of
functional HDL, which can remove cholesterol from cells and atheromas, offer
protection and are commonly referred to as "good cholesterol". These balances
are mostly genetically determined, but can be changed by body composition,
medications, diet,[69] and other factors.[70] A 2007 study demonstrated that
blood total cholesterol levels have an exponential effect on cardiovascular
and total mortality, with the association more pronounced in younger subjects.
Because cardiovascular disease is relatively rare in the younger population,
the impact of high cholesterol on health is larger in older people.[71]

Elevated levels of the lipoprotein fractions, LDL, IDL and VLDL, rather than
the total cholesterol level, correlate with the extent and progress of
atherosclerosis.[72] Conversely, the total cholesterol can be within normal
limits, yet be made up primarily of small LDL and small HDL particles, under
which conditions atheroma growth rates are high. A post hoc analysis of the
IDEAL and the EPIC prospective studies found an association between high
levels of HDL cholesterol (adjusted for apolipoprotein A-I and apolipoprotein
B) and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, casting doubt on the
cardioprotective role of "good cholesterol".[73][74]_

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercholesterolemia#Diagnosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercholesterolemia#Diagnosis)

Higher levels of total cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular
disease, _particularly coronary heart disease.[33] Levels of LDL or non-HDL
cholesterol both predict future coronary heart disease; which is the better
predictor is disputed.[34] High levels of small dense LDL may be particularly
adverse, although measurement of small dense LDL is not advocated for risk
prediction.[34]_

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_hypothesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_hypothesis)

The lipid hypothesis (also known as the cholesterol hypothesis) is a medical
theory _postulating a link between blood cholesterol levels and occurrence of
heart disease. A summary from 1976 described it as: "measures used to lower
the plasma lipids in patients with hyperlipidemia will lead to reductions in
new events of coronary heart disease".[1] Or, more concisely, "decreasing
blood cholesterol... significantly reduces coronary heart disease".[2]

An accumulation of evidence has led to the acceptance of the lipid hypothesis
by most of the medical community.[3]_

~~~
dmwallin
This is all true but missing one important fact. Dietary cholesterol doesn't
turn directly into blood cholesterol. It makes sense why this became a common
misconception, but the actual physiological mechanics of this are more
complex.

[https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-
you...](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-
and-cholesterol/cholesterol/)

~~~
ralusek
I don't actually hear people talk about cholesterol in food, though. They
almost always mean high in animal fat, which my understanding is that this
then results in higher LDL in the bloodstream.

------
hbgb
Kaeli Swift (quoted in the article) has a corresponding post on her blog that
goes into a little more detail into the experiment:
[https://corvidresearch.blog/2019/08/26/dumpster-diving-is-
gi...](https://corvidresearch.blog/2019/08/26/dumpster-diving-is-giving-crows-
higher-cholesterol-but-does-it-matter/)

Her blog is wonderful, by the way, if you're interested in crows and other
corvids. I highly recommend checking it out.

------
LinuxBender
Cholesterol is fine, but someone should talk to the crows about sugar and
carbohydrates. It can lead to insulin resistance with time and eventually
metabolic syndrome and eventually diabetes. Our hospitals would put the crows
on statins and BP meds instead of changing their diet.

~~~
m463
I think maybe someone should tell the crows to stop eating stuff off the
ground first. :)

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redthrow
What came to mind immediately was Don Gorske, whose primary diet is Bic Macs,
and he seems to have below-average cholesterol level.

> At his doctor visit on April 26, 2011, his first since 1985, his cholesterol
> level was 156 mg/dl, which is below the average of 208 mg/dl

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Gorske](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Gorske)

~~~
AstralStorm
See, Big Macs no fries in not a huge amount are not terrible nutritionally.
They could be improved with less mayonnaise and more veggies, like locally
available "Country Mac" or whatever it is called in whatever is not Polish.

The killers are amount, fries and soda.

Gorsky runs a low calorie diet too, only averaging some 1000 kcal. That's two
Big Macs or thereabout.

