High Cholesterol

Elevated blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, impeding blood flow to the brain, kidneys, genitals, extremities, and your heart. High cholesterol levels are one of the primary causes of heart and cardiovascular disease, because cholesterol produces fatty deposits within the arteries. High cholesterol levels are also implicated in other health problems such as: gallstones, impotence, mental impairment, and high blood pressure. Colon polyps and cancers (especially both breast and prostate cancer) also been linked to high serum cholesterol levels. The cholesterol levels in the body are greatly affected by diet. The consumption of foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat increases the cholesterol levels, while a more vegetarian diet, regular exercise, and the nutrients such as Niacin (vitamin B3) and vitamin C can lower cholesterol

Newspapers, magazines, and TV shows these days often mention something about cholesterol and health. People are concerned with lowering their cholesterol levels, and
many people would like to know how they can do this. But how is cholesterol produced and utilized by your body?

Cholesterol is a crystalline substance that is classified as a steroid. However, because it is soluble in fats rather than water, it is also classified as a lipid. Cholesterol is found naturally your body in the: brain, nerves, liver, blood, and bile. This is why people who wish to lower their cholesterol levels are told to avoid meat and other foods containing animal products.

Despite the bad reputation, cholesterol is actually required for the body to function. About 80% of your total body cholesterol is manufactured within the liver, the other 20% percent comes from what you eat. Cholesterol is used by cells to build membranes, used in sex hormones, and for digestion. Cholesterol moves from the liver through the blood stream to other body tissues by a special type of protein molecule The cells take what they need, and any extra stays in the blood stream until other lipoproteins pick it up for transport back to your liver.

There are 2 major types of lipoproteins: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL are often called “bad cholesterol” and HDL are called “good cholesterol.” An analysis of the function of each explains why they are called bad and good. Low-density lipoproteins are heavily laden with cholesterol, because they are the molecules that transport cholesterol from the liver to all the cells of the body. High-density lipoproteins, however carry fairly little cholesterol, and circulate in the blood stream removing excess cholesterol from your body tissues and blood. After, HDLs travel through the blood stream collecting the excess cholesterol, they return it to the liver, where the cholesterol may then be incorporated into LDLs for transport to the cells. If all is functioning correctly, the whole system remains in balance. But if there is too much cholesterol for the HDLs to collect, or if there is just not enough HDLs to do a good job, then the cholesterol can form plaque that sticks to artery walls and can cause heart disease and heart attacks.

The National Cholesterol Education Program has set a safe level of total serum cholesterol both LDL and HDL at 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood. A reading above 200 indicates a risk for developing heart disease and levels over 240 are high risk.

The normal HDL level for men is 45 - 50, and for women is 50 - 60. It is suggested that higher levels, such as 70 - 80 may protect against heart disease. An HDL level under 35 is also considered risky. So if you have a cholesterol reading of 200, with HDL at 80 and LDL at 120, you are considered at low risk for heart disease. However, if you have a total cholesterol level well under 200, if your HDL level is under 35, you would still be considered at greater risk of cardiovascular disease. The rule is as your HDL decreases, your potential for heart problems is greater.

Because LDLs are bad, it is important to understand the effect of diet on cholesterol levels. Decreasing our eating of animal products lowers our overall cholesterol levels. However, dietary cholesterol is only a part of the story. There are other things that affect cholesterol levels like saturated fats, that have been shown to increase cholesterol levels even more than dietary cholesterol does. So if a product label proclaims “No Cholesterol”, that product could still have a bad effect on your body's cholesterol level. Sugar and alcohol both raise the level of natural cholesterol. Stress also causes an overproduction of natural cholesterol. Therefore, preventing heart disease requires a complete approach that includes avoiding too many animal products, saturated fats, sugar, and alcohol, and reducing stress in your life

Nutrient / Supplement	Helpful notes
Lactobacillus acidophilus	friendly bacteria needed for good bowel and colon health. Maybe combined with Lactobacillus rhanosus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus plantarum in a combination such as BotanaCleansePlus
Calcium	works with magnesium and helps prevent hypocalcemia
Magnesium	low intake of magnesium has been linked to high blood pressure and a good source of magnesium is a quality multi-vitamin & mineral supplement especially one that includes calcium, zinc, and garlic.
Essential Fatty acids	important for reducing blood pressure and they also aid in increasing blood circulation. They serve as an preventative aid on general heart health. Fatty acids are found in omega fatty acids from fish and flax seed and borage seed oils from plants.
Guggul	herb from India that lowers cholesterol levels and protects against the development of hardening of the arteries.
Coenzyme Q10	improves circulation and helps with cardiovascular health
Vitamin C	vitamin C helps high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and hypertension by improving adrenal function. Usually can be taken in a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement.
B Vitamins	B1 helps control cholesterol levels, B3 helps to lower cholesterol. The family B vitamins all work together for cardiovascular and heart health.
Multi-vitamin & Mineral supplement	vitamin B complex, , zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E all serve to help lower blood pressure and reduce its negative effects. It is also required for general good health and well being.
Garlic	garlic has been shown to help lower high blood pressure. This herb works well with Coenzyme Q10.