The Top 5 Cholesterol Myths

We are constantly bombarded with warnings about the dangers of cholesterol, but is everything we're being told the truth? Not quite.

Even if you think you know everything there is to know about cholesterol, there may be a few more surprises in store. Check out these common myths about high cholesterol; find out who’s most likely to have it, what types of food can cause it, and why—sometimes—cholesterol isn’t a bad word.

Myth 1: Americans have the highest cholesterol in the world
One of the world's enduring stereotypes is the fat American with cholesterol-clogged arteries who is a Big Mac or two away from a heart attack. As a nation, we could certainly use some slimming down, but when it comes to cholesterol levels we are solidly middle-of-the-road. Read more

Wine That Clears Your Arteries

Isn't it great when something good is also good for you? An Australian doctor is producing wines with up to 100 times the antioxidant content of standard wine, creating what he calls "vascular pipe-cleaners."

It sounds too good to be true, but an Australian doctor insists he has created the world's healthiest tipple: a wine that cleans the arteries as you drink it, reducing the risk of heart attack. Read more

Teetotalers Should Start Drinking

Though study after study has shown the health benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption, doctors have been unwilling to recommend that people who don't drink start. However, a new study clearly shows that teetotalers who aren't at risk for alcoholism, but who are at risk for heart disease, should head to the nearest liquor store at their earliest opportunity.

People who do not drink alcohol may finally have a reason to start -- a study published on Friday shows non-drinkers who begin taking the occasional tipple live longer and are less likely to develop heart disease.

People who started drinking in middle age were 38 percent less likely to have a heart attack or other serious heart event than abstainers -- even if they were overweight, had diabetes, high blood pressure or other heart risks, Dr. Dana King of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and colleagues Read more