Although it is
far from a four-letter word, cholesterol has become a showstopper.
At the mere mentioning of the word, you can hear the arteries clog…but,
it doesn't have to be so life threatening or disabling.
Cholesterol
is actually a necessity of life. Found dancing with the lipids
in the bloodstream, this soft, waxy matter is an element essential
to form cell membranes, hormones and some tissues. Cholesterol and
other fats create an oil and water effect with the blood, and thus
have to be transported throughout the body attached to lipoproteins.
These lipoproteins are often referred to as low-density lipoprotein
(LDL) or high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Low-density lipoprotein
is the most referred to. This is the guy, carrying his backpack of
cholesterol with him, that gets sluggish and settles into an artery
that feeds the brain, heart or other tissue. He gets comfortable and
invites his friends to come and sit with him. Soon, he and his friends
form a tight bond, plaque if you will. The name of their club is arteriosclerosis.
Sometimes, the club has so many members that it blocks the flow of
traffic (blood) to the heart and no other members can join…this
is a heart attack. Sometimes it will block traffic to the brain…this
is a stroke. And unfortunately, all too many members of the American
population have donated their bodies through diet and inactivity to
the club of arteriosclerosis.
High-density lipoprotein
is the good guy. He comes in and wrangles up the excess cholesterol
and travels with it to the liver for storage and elimination. Having
too little HDL can also cause detriment to the body…for being
without it can also create arteriosclerosis.
The first line
of defense has been to attack the dietary fashion of an individual.
Western culture has defined dining at the local fast food joint as
the perfectly rounded meal. Unknown to many, the body produces 2-3
times the amount of cholesterol that is consumed, and is in no need
of acquiring more. The liver manufactures approximately 1000 milligrams
per day and we tend to consume another 500mg from our daily intake
of food. Much of the added intake comes from processed foods and animal
products. As much of us know, the egg took quite a beating.
A most perfect
creation is the egg. Nutritionists wondered how they got the misinformed
egg experts to work in an advertising firm to scare the American population
in the early 80's. The cholesterol in eggs is converted into lipids
long before it is absorbed. The lipids are then transported to the
liver for use. In fact, yard eggs contain lipoproteins that aid in
cholesterol emulsification. The lecithin in eggs becomes inositol
and choline, essential to proper synthesis of cholesterol. Commercial
eggs have been questioned due to some cholesterols found to be insoluble
and detrimental to one's diet. However, yard eggs prove beneficial
and are not to be discarded.
Fascination with
diet has turned many into diet balls. They bounce from one diet to
another in search of the one best suited to their personality, lifestyle,
patience level, affinity for the kitchen, low-salt, no fat or various
other needs. Foods marked "low-fat" or "non-fat"
tend to inhibit gall bladder and liver function, which highly disturbs
the elimination of excess fats and wastes. The high-protein diets
tend to overload the system with dietary cholesterol for those who
choose animal protein over other viable sources. High carbohydrate
diets and macrobiotic diets tend to utilize quite a bit of grain and
increase pH levels in the body…attributing to other disorders.
Adding some vitalized protein such as Green Zone or Synerprotein will
aid in nutritional support as well as balancing
pH.
Blood
type studies show that Type A and Type AB are at risk for
heart disease and high cholesterol. These individuals have generally
succumbed to the American diet, and this has been their demise. Being
that these blood types are unable to assimilate the proteins properly,
the animal fats are the cause of the elevated LDLs. In place of the
animal products, soy is quite beneficial. Increasing one's daily fiber
intake as well as getting optimal amounts of Magnesium and Vitamin
B5, pantothenic acid, can greatly benefit A's and AB's.
Type Os and
Type Bs are greater adapted to animal proteins, yet they fall
prey to the high carbohydrates or the mixing of carbohydrates and
protein in the same meal. This carbohydrate intolerance contributes
to the heart disease that plagues these individuals. The elevated
trigylceride levels associated with most fat that is found in food
and humans suggest this phenomenon. Type Os and Type Bs develop an
insulin resistance, precursored by carbohydrate intolerance as well
as high triglycerides. A diet of pastas, potatoes and sugars leads
to overproduction of insulin. Too much insulin creates a resistance
to its benefits. This inability to respond to ones insulin increases
triglycerides, risk for heart disease and chances for diabetic disorders.
Supplementing the O and B Blood Type Diet with lecithin, hawthorn,
l-carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 can aid in heart health and liver function.
Some excess cholesterol
is removed through the liver, but the American Heart Association recommends
that one try not to consume over 300mg of cholesterol. If heart
disease runs in your family…then it is a good idea to limit that
number to even 200mg. It is necessary to note that eating foods high
in cholesterol does not mean that they are adding to their blood cholesterol
level. Many foods that contain saturated fats such as coconut oil
or palm oil do not have cholesterol, yet they are a major contributor
to plaque. Manufacturers of products such as margarine didn't think
to tell you that in the 1980's when cholesterol became the root of
all evil in heart health. This time also saw the marketing of "no
cholesterol" products at an all time high. Keeping a diet low
in saturated fat will dramatically improve cholesterol counts as well
as watching the cholesterol intake.
Foreign studies
like to link the use of an "occasional" drink with lower
cholesterol levels. However the benefit must be considered carefully.
Indulgence in alcohol would inhibit the liver's ability to rid the
body of the excess dietary cholesterol and thus would increase LDL
levels. Symptoms of liver congestion are: sensitivity to scents/odors,
use of alcohol, use of prescription or recreational drugs and exposure
to environmental toxins.
The scandal behind
cholesterol is that it doesn't have to be so intimidating. It is actually
essential in prevention of depression, insomnia and other nervous
disorders. Scientific investigations have proven that cholesterol
levels were extremely low in attempted and successful suicide victims
and those diagnosed with schizophrenia. This displays a direct correlation
between the intensity of depression and the lowered level of nourishing
cholesterol. The beauty is the lubricating effect on nerve sheaths
and neurotransmitters in the brain. Roughly 20% of the brain is composed
of cholesterol, and it is to that we toast animal fats.
Consumption of
altered fats ( "low-fat", "non-fat", fried foods,
rancid oils, processed foods) only adds to the cholesterol levels.
During processing, heat is generally added to the foods. This process
is known as hydrogenation. These foods tend to contain heated, dried
or frozen eggs, milk, cheese or meats. Cholesterol oxidizes at 212
degrees Fahrenheit and 30% is reconstructed into oxy-cholesterol.
Six percent of this is absorbed into the body. These oxy-cholesterols
are odd to the body and does not inhibit the production of cholesterol
synthesis, thus an increase in cholesterol is accounted for. Absorption
of these oxy-cholesterols from processed foods can also lead to cancer
growth due to their ability to stimulate cell growth.
One purpose of
cholesterol is to be transformed into bile acids to decompose fats.
These oxy-cholesterols cannot be transformed into bile acids and can
lead to an accumulation of these damaged cholesterols, harming arteries
and creating arteriosclerotic plaque. After digestion, these acids
are returned to their fatty composition until needed. When these initial
fats are synthetic, they are no longer viable to the body and thus
are stored in liver and fat cells. Since they are not eliminated,
this dictates why the individual on a low-fat or non-fat diet may
not be attaining the desired weight loss.
Some cholesterol
lowering drugs, statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, Mevacor and Prevachol,
have aided in cardio-vascular disease, not in lowering cholesterol.
No studies show benefit for women and there is minor evidence to indicate
that they will help you live a longer or better life or that they
will limit your chances of a heart attack. These limit the production
of Coenzyme Q10, a heart essential substance. Also limiting hormone
production, many individuals on statins will notice hormonal complaints:
Males with breasts and balding females. Unfortunately these drugs
also have stimulated cancer growth.
Another allopathic
avenue of lowering cholesterol is with Bile Acid Sequestrants (Colestid,
Prevalite). These only aid in giving the liver more work. Theses "bile-blockers"
also pull out fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, D and K) from the system.
(This is also the process by which the new wonder oil Olestra works.)
A shortage of Vitamin E is a direct cause of heart disease.
Showing remarkable
results and glorified testimonials, Cholester-reg has proven
to insurance companies, doctors and dedicated users it's benefit.
When used in combination with Protease Plus and a psyllium
supplement such as Nature's Three, or Fat Grabbers this product
has been known to lower blood cholesterol levels (BCL)50-70 points
within three months of use. The product works by inhibiting the liver's
synthesis of cholesterols. Unfortunately, due to Red Yeast Rice and
the active ingredient, HMG-CoA (similar to lovastatin), not being
marketed as a food or dietary supplement prior to 1987 the herbalist
have yielded to the government once again. Federal courts found that
Merck obtained approval to synthesize lovastatin for their drug Mevacor
prior to 1987. Current production has stopped and the product can
only be found overseas.
Many individuals
have proven to their insurance company that preventative medicine
works better than synthetic ones. Some companies may ask to track
your progress prior to authorizing payment for herbal therapies, but
you body will thank you in the end. Making sure to do a liver cleanse
prior to treatment to eliminate toxins from prior medications will
ensure that you prove successful. A nourishing cleanser for the liver
would be milk thistle or LIV-A. Following up with some Fat Grabbers
or Psyllium Hulls, digestive enzymes and some essential fatty acids
(EFA) will aid in numerous ways.
Omega-3 oils,
one of the essential fatty acids, emerged as a lifesaver when
studies of the Eskimo diet noted their high-fat consumption and low
heart disease. These oils, also known as EPA and DHA, are found in
fish, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds. Monounsaturated oils are also
ranked in prevention. Oleic acid, another EFA and monounsaturated
oil, is found in olive oil and is noted as an omega-9 oil. Polyunsaturated
oils have shown benefit in removing HDLs and LDLs from the system,
whereas monounsaturated oils remove the LDLs and let the HDLs remain
to carry on with the natural removal process.
In light of Cholester-reg,
we do have other alternatives. Gynostemma, another Chinese
cure, has also shown benefit. Guggul lipid, a supplement currently
being studied by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,
has been used in Ayurvedic tradition since 600B.C. It is recommended
that one utilize Intestinal Soothe and Build in conjunction
with Guggul to aid the digestive tract. Maintaining a clean, uncongested
liver can be aided with Taio He Cleanse or LIV-C. These
products will stimulate proper production of bile and thus will lower
cholesterol levels.
The MegaChel
program has worked for many needing to cleanse and nourish the
circulatory system. MegaChel users should remember that the effect
of the product is to liquifey and mobilize the cholesterols for elimination.
Thus, the blood cholesterol levels will be elevated for a short period
of time. The process of chelation will also pull any metallic compounds
from the body and unfortunately that includes some vital minerals.
As long as an individual supplements the program with Colloidal
Minerals,
one should not feel depleted. To counteract any fatigue, the addition
of Ginseng may be called for. This process will reduce arterial
deposits, lower triglycerides, LDLs and BCLs. One will note improved
heart muscle tone and increased circulation to all areas of one's
body. Although the program is lengthy and monotonous, benefit does
prove the outcome with glorified testimonials.
Go through your
pantry and throw out the evils. No more lard, shortening, rancid oils
or margarine. Fill those spaces with oils of extra virgin olive,
grapeseed, and flax. Consumption of fruits and
vegetables containing vitamin C, E and beta-carotene
can aid with their anti-oxidant action. Indulge in LDL fighting
foods: apples, asparagus, alfalfa, berries, carrots, fish, eggplant,
legumes, garlic, oat bran and soy. Decreasing mental stress
and increasing physical activity can lower BCL. Stress management
is essential to heart health since cholesterol is used by the adrenals
to produce hormones that help one adapt to stress. If cholesterol
is too low, so are the hormones, and the body fights to overcome stressful
situations. Realize that the goal of heart health is not as difficult
to attain as the advertisements we are inundated with proclaim. Be
conscience of your bodies needs. Simple life and dietary adjustments
can keep you (and your heart) happy. Raise some chickens. Have eggs!
Pssst…they are incredible and most edible!