What Is The Relation Between Cholesterol And High Blood Pressure

For most people who have been diagnosed with high Blood pressure they will also be told their cholesterol is too high (over 88 percent, in fact). Traditional Western medicine dictates that we are prescribed pills by our doctor to treat both conditions.

For several people it is like starting to exercise after years of non exercising. Apart from this we are also asked to modify exercise and eating habits.

All of this we do without question, for the most part, rightfully so. If Blood pressure and cholesterol are high, medication often works. Diet and exercise tend to be improved but often, a new habit, even if healthy is not one that is easily adopted.

Medication is easier, because it involves very little investment. Pick up the prescription(s) and take it every day. It\'s not until other side effects of the medication appear that we even question why we need to take it.

Let me ask a very basic question? Why Blood pressure and cholesterol should in control? Because high blood pressure can lead to damages of tissues in kidney, heart and eyes. And this may lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness if not treated.

High blood pressure is defined as a systolic reading of 140 or higher and diastolic pressure of 90 or higher. High blood pressure generally presents with no symptoms, hence, the \"silent killer\" title.

Cholesterol is a fatty or waxy substance that is found in cell walls and tissues all over the body including the heart, liver, brain, skin, nerves and intestines. Cholesterol is needed by the body in order to produce certain needed hormones, process vitamin D and bile needed to break down fats.

When there is too much cholesterol in the body, it tends to get settled down in the arteries. The major area it gets settled down is coronary arteries and this may lead to heart disease. Actually very liitle amount of cholesterol is enough to do all this stuff.

When not treated this sediment will narrow the artery walls and this will limit the flow of blood to the heart. And this may lead to chest pain and heart attack.

Low-density lipoprotein or LDL (bad cholesterol), high- density lipoprotein, or HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides (other fatty substances in the blood) are measured. The amount of cholesterol can be easily measured by a simple blood test.

Other factors that can lead to cholesterol are heredity, obesity, age, stress and usage of alcohol. Many of the studies based on cholesterol shows that diets that contain high saturated fat can lead to high cholesterol.

While moderate drinking actually shows an increase in HDL levels, it doesn\'t lower LDL levels and excessive drinking can lead to liver disease and high blood pressure.

Studies say that high blood pressure does not lead to high cholesterol, but these are the two factors that lead to heart disease and these two are controllable factors. The study also reveals that there is only 10% chance for a person to have high cholesterol and low blood pressure or vice versa.

This is not very surprising as these two share the same risks. Apart from this each condition takes different drug to get treated. And this causes heavy side effects due to multiple drugs.

To reduce your cholesterol level, I highly recommend my beat cholesterol in 30 days program. It is an natural program with proven results. If you are suffering from high blood pressure then you can try my high blood pressure program, it comes with zero side effect.

EL331014

Christian Goodman provides several Alternative health solutions to many chronic conditions. The latest is the all natural Beat Cholesterol program now available. Please check his natural health alternativesblog now.

Top Four Myths of a Low Cholesterol Low Fat Diet

So you just found out you have high cholesterol and have been told to start a low cholesterol low fat diet immediately. But what does this mean? Should you eliminate all high cholesterol foods or eliminate all fats? No and no. Read on to find out about the most common myths of a low cholesterol low fat diet.

Myth #1 of a low cholesterol low fat diet

Focus on cholesterol content

Most people think that in order to lower cholesterol, they need to lower cholesterol intake. Dietary cholesterol (the cholesterol you consume) has nothing to do with your serum cholesterol. The two main culprits that raise serum cholesterol are saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fat is high in foods such as fatty cuts of meat, bacon and sausage and solid fat sources such as butter and lard. Trans fat is found in many packaged products including but not limited to ramen noodles, biscuit mix, cookies and especially in fast food.

Myth #2 of a low cholesterol low fat diet

Eliminate all foods high in fat

Whether or not fat is okay on a low cholesterol low fat diet is really dependent upon the type of fat. While food high in saturated fat or trans fat are a no-no, foods high in polyunsaturated fats are helpful in lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) and raising HDL (good cholesterol). Some great sources are nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil and the omega-3 fatty acid containing fish such as wild-caught salmon and mackerel.

Myth #3 of a low cholesterol low fat diet

Drink red wine to lower cholesterol

Yes and no. While studies show that drinking a glass of red wine may improve cardiovascular disease risk factor in women, drinking too much alcohol will raise triglyceride levels which are another harmful component of total cholesterol. The best advice is to have a glass now and again if you enjoy it, but not to think of it as a cure all for your cholesterol.

Myth #4 of a low cholesterol low fat diet

Fat and cholesterol are the only components of my diet I need to be concerned about to lower my cholesterol.

Absolutely false! There are many other significant factors in a diet that will help lower your cholesterol. First and foremost, get plenty of fiber from a variety of sources such as fruits, veggies and whole grain foods. In addition, consuming fruits and veggies (especially the veggies) will provide your body with a lot of other nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals that are important for overall health.

Ultimately, when thinking about a low cholesterol low fat diet, you need to be thinking of your overall health and diet and not focusing primarily on cholesterol and fat content. By following the basic recommendations of the American Dietetic Association or another healthful diet such as that which I cover in my Healthy Grocery Store Tour (www.healthygrocerystoretour.com), you will be on the path to not only lower cholesterol levels, but a healthier lifestyle that benefits you more than a low cholesterol low fat diet.

Get Information About Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance (a lipid) that is an important part of the outer lining (membrane) of cells in the body of animals. Cholesterol is also found in the blood circulation of humans. The cholesterol in a person's blood originates from two major sources; dietary intake and liver production. Dietary cholesterol comes mainly from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. Organ meats, such as liver, are especially high in cholesterol content, while foods of plant origin contain no cholesterol.

Blood cholesterol level is affected by the diet, since cholesterol is present in certain foods and is manufactured in the body from digested fats. High levels of cholesterol in the blood are associated with hardened arteries (known as atherosclerosis), coronary artery disease (heart attack), and stroke.

There are many types of cholesterol. LDL or Low-density lipoprotein is the "bad" cholesterol, as it blocks the arteries. HDL or High-density lipoprotein is the "good" cholesterol, as it protects the arteries from clogging.

Diets should contain less than 30% calories from fat, less than 8% from saturated fat, and enriched in marine or plant omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid high saturated fats, like diary fats (ice cream, butter) and palm and coconut oils. Limit high cholesterol foods, like eggs and organ meats (liver). Eat higher fiber foods, fruit and vegetables. Eat more fish and skinless chicken breasts. Avoid fried foods and frying which soaks up the fat . Choose low fat and non-fat dairy products, avoid hard margarines which have trans-fatty acids, and try to use products made from plants instead.

Cholesterol really assists the system by creating original cells, aiding in the output of hormones, and insulating the numerous nerves that operate throughout the system. High cholesterol rates are alarmingly growing. Cholesterol may be accounted for higher blood force and coronary eye diseases but not all of these oily substances are detrimental. There are the terrible and better cholesterol. The better cholesterol aids in bile salts output and vitamin D formations. In fact, cholesterol portrays a character of balancing hormones especially among women. Health professionals are trying urgently to offer extreme solutions to the matter.

High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, and it is a risk factor you can modify. Knowing your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels is an important first step in determining your risk for heart disease. Left undiagnosed or untreated, a high blood cholesterol level, as well as other coronary risk factors, can lead to possible serious cardiovascular problems in the future.

Get physical, do regular physical activities and exercises more often. The wonders of exercise are indeed very essential in lowering high cholesterol levels. Doing regular physical activities can also help raise the good cholesterol levels and lose weight as well. There’s really no need for high-intensity workouts, regular brisk walking or jogging can help the body boost HDL cholesterol and also beneficial for the heart.

Medications for cholesterol are most often long-term medications. They have to be taken everyday, often for the rest of your life. Drugs that are most often prescribed are the statins. Statins help the liver remove LDL cholesterol, and reduce production of cholesterol.

Meds Kill – Lower Cholesterol Safely

Has your doctor recommended medication for your high cholesterol? If so please be aware these medications are not safe, nor have they proved to prevent heart attacks or strokes. There are many safe and natural things you can do to lower your cholesterol.

First of all let me tell you that your body needs and produces cholesterol. It is used to coat, protect and build cell walls. However high levels of cholesterol infused with trans fats is thicker, stickier and can plug arteries.

Reduce Trans Fats

We have to restrict the trans fats because they make the cholesterol more dangerous. These are oils that have been hydrogenated. Read labels and cut as much of this out as possible.

Alkalize

Since the cholesterol is protecting our vessels and bodies from our built up acids and toxins; we must strive to increase our pH. The main ways to increase pH is to eliminate alcohol, coffee, and soft drinks, and add more minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Cut Carbohydrates

Another thing we should reduce is carbohydrates. Low-carb diets, not low fat diets, have proven to lower cholesterol. The sugar is broken down and stored as fat. Cholesterol is one of the first fats produced. It flows through our blood stream till it finds a place to be stored.

Eliminating these things completely is pretty much impossible. Fortunately there are many cholesterol reducing foods we can add to our diet.

Fiber

Fiber appears to be important in treating diabetes, elevated cholesterol, colon polyps, and cancer of the colon. Fiber comes from plants and we should have a goal to eat 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

Soluble fiber binds up cholesterol allowing it to be eliminated with the stool. If enough is removed it can lower the blood cholesterol 10-15%. Soluble fiber is found in oatmeal, oat bran, fruit, psyllium (in most fiber products), barley, and legumes.

Foods with the highest grams of soluble fiber in order are baked beans (in tomato sauce- 8.9gms), all types of beans and lentils, peas, apples, raisins, and prunes. In general eating the skin of the fruit or vegetable adds fiber.

Plant Sterols or Stanols

Plant sterols or stanols come from plants and help block cholesterol absorption. Plant sterols have shown to reduce bad cholesterol by 10%. For that reason plant sterols have now been added to fiber products and foods such as orange juice and of all things margarine. You should drink two 8 ounce glasses of plant sterol fortified orange juice per day to reduce cholesterol.

Curcumin

Curcumin is known to have antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and cholesterol-lowering effects. One test showed that animals fed small amounts of curcumin had a 50% reduction in cholesterol. New studies (done on rats) indicated that curcumin increased resistance to heart failure and inflammation. In one test it even reversed heart enlargement.

Curcumin is an ingredient in the curry spice turmeric. So adding this safe natural spice in your cooking may be beneficial. Think curry rice with meat and vegetables, which is a staple in India. Most people may want to start slowly to taste. Curcumin is also available in capsules.

Walnuts and Almonds

Studies have shown that walnuts and almonds can significantly reduce cholesterol and help the vessels become more elastic and resilient. Twenty percent of your daily calories from these nuts would be beneficial. For most of us that is over a third of cup per day. Try adding them to salads and ice cream, cook and bake with them, and eat by the handful. Just remember they are high in calories.

Soy

Diets rich in soy protein have many heart health benefits, including lowering cholesterol. In animal testing it lowered cholesterol by 30%. 5-6 grams of soy protein daily is recommended. Soy drinks, tofu and supplements are available.

Cinnamon

One study of type 2 diabetics found that cinnamon lowered blood sugar and cholesterol levels. They used the whole powdered spice and found that 1gm or 1/2 tsp daily in two doses lowered cholesterol up to 20% in 40 days and effects lasted another 20 days afterwards.

So sprinkle it on toast, cereals, cook with it etc. A daily bowl of apple and cinnamon oatmeal sounds better than any pill.

Green Tea

Green tea has proven to lower cholesterol. Japanese men who normally drink green tea were tested and found that the more green tea they drank the lower their cholesterol was. Generally those drinking more than 9 cups had much lower cholesterol levels. For best results drink 10 cups a day or supplement.

Please don't take cholesterol medication until you have tried safe and natural things first. If you are already on cholesterol medication; talk to your doctor before trying natural alternatives. You will need to be careful to avoid low cholesterol. Reducing the bad things and adding these food products are all safe ways to fight high cholesterol

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a lipid that is present in the cell membranes of all animal tissues. Scientists also consider it as sterol, a combination of steroid and alcohol. Eukaryotes synthesize cholesterol in the cells of the body. Hence, small amount of cholesterol is also present in membranes of plants and fungi.

Cholesterol aids the body to develop new cells, produce hormones and protect nerves.

Cholesterol medication is necessary along with a low-fat and high-fiber diet to reduce cholesterol levels. Usually, treatment for extreme cholesterol levels start with fiber diets along with exercise routines. However, some patients might require a cholesterol medication along with dietary changes to reduce their cholesterol levels.

Below listed are certain cholesterol medications to reduce cholesterol levels:

1. Niacin

2. Statins

3. Fibric acid derivatives

4. Bile-acid resins

High Cholesterol Treatment:

Hypercholesterolemia shows high blood cholesterol. To understand the causes of high cholesterol levels, it is very crucial to understand that high level of cholesterol in the blood is not a disorder.

Instead, this particular medical phenomenon is similar to a metabolic unbalance and may contribute to specific types of disorders such as cardiovascular diseases. Doctors closely link high cholesterol with the following medical terms:

1. Hyperlipoproteinemia (high levels of lipoproteins), and

2. Hyperlipidemia (advanced levels of lipids).

The level of blood cholesterol increases in the body without any previous indications. Although, it is serious threat as it leads to cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke, affected people still feel healthy and do not take the disease seriously.

Harmful levels of cholesterol always relate to bad diets, obesity, excessive alcohol intake, stress, age, smoking, physical lethargy and heredity. Doctors may prescribe specific diet plans and weight loss advice for patients diagnosed with high blood cholesterol levels.

Usually, doctors recommend a systematic diet to reduce dietary fat, particularly saturated fat. Several patients following such diets end with reduced blood cholesterol levels.

However, sometimes, exercise and diet are not sufficient to lower cholesterol levels. In such cases, doctors often suggest medications. Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, and Lescol are certain prominent cholesterol treatment medications that help to reduce high cholesterol level in the body.

How High Should Your Cholesterol Levels Be?

A 2007 report from the Women's Health Study showed that high levels of cholesterol, even in healthy women, was a risk factor that increased a woman's chances of having a stroke. Other studies have shown a link between high levels of cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease. And the media has been warning us for years to cut down our intake of cholesterol because high cholesterol leads to hardening of the arteries. But what is cholesterol and why is it even it our bodies?

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like substance that is made by the body. It is in all of your cells and can be found in all parts of the body including your skin, blood vessels, muscles, and so on. Since your body actively creates cholesterol, we can assume that having cholesterol in your body is not necessarily bad. In fact, you couldn't eliminate all the cholesterol in your body if you tried.

Cholesterol is important for the body. The cells use cholesterol as a building block in creating its protective membrane. Studies have indicated that "good" HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease and stroke even if "bad" LDL cholesterol levels are high. Good cholesterol helps to prevent dangerous breakaway blood clots - which can be caused by sitting in a cramped position for too long. Cholesterol also helps to manufacture vitamin D in the body from the sun. And there is much more good that cholesterol does for the body.

There is also a second source of cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol comes form the foods that we eat. It can be only be found in animal foods and eating it raises the bad cholesterol level in your own body. There have been many studies over the years that correlate a high intake of dietary cholesterol to coronary heart disease. In other words, the more high cholesterol foods we eat, the greater our chance of developing heart disease or a stroke.

High density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol, is a form of cholesterol that circulates in the bloodstream. One of its jobs is to remove excess cholesterol from the body's tissues and transport it to the liver where it will be excreted from the body. This process of "taking out the garbage" or cleansing the bloodstream is why HDL is a called good cholesterol and also why it's good for your body to have a relatively high HDL level. Some researchers say that an HDL of 60 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or greater is good and will protect you against hardening of the arteries and lower your risk of getting heart disease.

Conversely, a low level of HDL, such as less then 40 mg/dl, has a negative effect. Many studies indicate that a low level of HDL combined with a high level of LDL seems to be a precursor of heart disease

You can control your cholesterol. The total amount of cholesterol in your body at any point in time is a function of how fast your HDL and liver can cleanse your system of it's existing cholesterol combined with the amount of dietary cholesterol that you've eaten during recent hours.

Controlling the amount of cholesterol that you allow into your body is a huge part of your lifestyle that you can modify to decrease your chances of heart disease or stroke. According to the American Heart Association, if you eat less then 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day, you can significantly reduce your cholesterol levels. By paying greater attention to the foods you eat, you can help to assure yourself of a long and healthy life.

6 Misconceptions and Cholesterol Myths

Due to bad press and publicity, cholesterol takes on a very bad reputation and majority of us have these misconceptions. It is very crucial to learn the facts about cholesterol, how it affects health and how an individual can manage his/her cholesterol level effectively. To start with, here are some of the common myths about cholesterol.

1. DIET & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SOLELY DETERMINE ONE'S CHOLESTEROL LEVEL

Although it is true that diet and physical activity play an integral part in an individual's blood cholesterol level, it doesn't solely determine it. Cholesterol level is interplay of several different factors such as age, gender, lifestyle, diet, weight, family history, etc. Our bodies produce cholesterol naturally which is used up as energy.

2. USE MARGARINE INSTEAD OF BUTTER TO LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL

This is very untrue! Both butter and margarine are high in fat, so whatever your choice is - use them in moderation. From a dietary standpoint, the chief factor affecting blood cholesterol is the saturated and Trans fat contents of foods. To help lower your LDL levels, consume food that have less saturated and Trans fat. It is best to choose butter or margarine that has "0 g Trans fat" as printed on its nutrition label.

3. THIN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO FRET ABOUT HIGH CHOLESTEROL

Any body type, fat or even thin can have high cholesterol. Although it is true that overweight people are more prone to hypercholesterolemia or high blood cholesterol levels, it doesn't mean thin people can't have it. Most often than not, individuals who don't gain weight easily are less concerned on how much Trans and saturated fats they consume. No matter how thin you are, it is still important to have your cholesterol level checked. High cholesterol is not exclusive for the overweight and the obese!

4. HIGH CHOLESTEROL IS A MAN'S PROBLEM

Women before their menopause age are generally protected from having high LDL (bad) cholesterol because women's estrogen tends to increase HDL (good) cholesterol level. But bear in mind that as an individual ages, so does his or her cholesterol level. Women are not an exception.

5. NO NEED TO HAVE YOUR CHOLESTEROL LEVEL CHECKED WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG

It is strongly advised that everyone, male or female start getting blood cholesterol test at age 20. But it is also not a bad idea to start having it at earlier age especially when you are genetically predisposed to hypercholesterolemia or heart diseases. Just as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So the earlier you check your cholesterol level, the better!

6. NUTRITION LABEL SAYS: "No Cholesterol" = "Heart-Healthy" Choice

Although nutrition labels on food are very useful in choosing heart-healthy foods, they can also be tricky. You need to know what to look for. Many of the "low-cholesterol" or even the "no cholesterol" foods have high levels of trans/saturated fats which mainly contributes to high blood cholesterol. You should check the saturated and/or trans fat, cholesterol, and total calories content of food before you can say it is really heart-healthy. Don't leap before you think - carefully read labels and know what you're eating!

High Cholesterol Foods Saturated Fats = Heart Disease!

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are," said the French philosopher. Two hundred years later, doctors agree. If you eat unhealthy, you end up unhealthy. Here we focus on just one of many dietary villains: cholesterol, and his sidekick, triglycerides. If you want to steer clear of heart and artery disease, then you must understand the unhealthy nexus between the cholesterol- (and triglyceride-) laden food you consume and cardio-vascular disease. This understanding is crucial to making an informed decision about your choice of food, because that's going to affect your health and your life.

What is the actual effect of cholesterol? High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream cause a number of cardio-vascular diseases including artery blockage, strokes, coronary disease and heart attacks. The kicker is the fatal influence of many modern day lifestyle-related vices: smoking, drinking, hypertension, and obesity. Some unfortunate people have the added burden of a hereditary weakness which makes them naturally prone to any or all of the above diseases.

When we speak of 'cholesterol' we are talking about three categories of cholesterol: good cholesterol (HDL), bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides. This means that not all cholesterol is bad. Foods rich in Omega-3 fats like fish are helpful in reducing LDL levels and are advised for patients suffering from cholesterol-caused diseases.

A further twist in this tale is that, more often than not, we wrongly blame specific foods for high levels of bad cholesterol. The cooking method, the medium used for cooking, and the other foods that we consume along with the specific food contribute significantly to aggravated cholesterol levels. As an example, eggs were standard breakfast fare once. Then they were declared 'Bad!' because they contained cholesterol. Further research has shown that we should avoid the yolk of the egg and not the white! So now we're seeing eggs dished up with most of the yolk removed.

So now you are careful about eating eggs. You have restricted to one poached egg. But are you looking at what you're having along with the egg? Bacon and cheese and sausages, with thick slices of white bread liberally coated with butter! The egg isn't going to harm you, but those side helpings definitely are! Once again the point is that instead of adopting a policy of exclusion of a specific food, we should have a more holistic approach to the entire meal.

In general you should avoid greasy foods which are fried or deep fried. You take a perfectly healthy, non-cholesterol-aggravating eggplant, then you coat it in batter and deep fry it that's a perfect recipe for a whole slew of cardio-vascular problems! Yes, there are some foods which are bad for your heart which you must avoid. All animal products like meat, poultry, dairy produce and egg yolks are known contributors to high cholesterol levels in the blood. So go easy on those red meats, for your heart's sake!

Even if you only select those items that are low in bad cholesterol, you may still end up with choked arteries if you are not watchful about the saturated fats that you take in. This is because a high intake of saturated fats triggers a sharp increase of LDL levels as well as triglycerides.

There is no sense in banning specific food items from your diet. It makes more practical sense to maintain a moderate approach. Have everything, but in moderation. Keep a strict vigil on what you eat and how it is cooked. A fresh potato salad is good but French fries is not! Choose to grill your food rather than fry it. Have plenty of fresh vegetables. These very ordinary precautions will help to keep your heart beating perfectly for many, many years!

The first step you should take is to get a cholesterol test an discover what your levels are. Then eat a good low cholesterol diet, and keep up with your levels by purchasing a cholesterol monitor. Go to www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com for more info on living a heart healthy life.

The Truth About Bad Cholesterol

Did you know that your body actually needs cholesterol. You wouldn't think it with all the bad press that it actually gets. The truth is that there are two types of cholesterol in your body, good cholesterol also known as HDL cholesterol, and bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol in your body is necessary to make hormones, vitamin D and bile salts.

The bad cholesterol is the one you need to watch out for as it can cause you lots of problems. LDL cholesterol dumps cholesterol onto the walls of your arteries that will create a plaque. This plaque builds up narrowing and blocking your arteries, this causes a reduction in blood flow which is bad news for the heart.

What Raises Cholesterol?

Do you find that there are many confusing terms being thrown around when it comes to cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is one of those terms. You might think that all dietary cholesterol is bad, but in fact dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol as much as you might think. The two culprits are the trans fatty acids and saturated fats.

So what do you need to do to reduce your levels of bad cholesterol? The most effective way is to change your diet. You will need to cut down in foods which contains the bad cholesterol such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood and look at the foods that can reduce your LDL levels

You don't need to cut out all the nice food in your diet but you need to make modifications. Trans fatty acids are found in a lot of packaged food. Microwave popcorn, hard stick margarine and some French fries from certain fast food chains are all culprits. By removing these foods and finding better substitutes you can reduce the consumption of trans fatty acids that will all contribute to the level of bad cholesterol in your system.

Upping Good Fats

By increasing the amount of good cholesterol in your body you can reduce the bad cholesterol. This is because the presence of good cholesterol in your body means that excess cholesterol will be taken back to the liver to be excreted out of your body. This means you want plenty of good cholesterol as high levels of good cholesterol means a reduced risk of heart disease.

Remember though that you need to make changes in your lifestyle, these changes are eating more food which are rich in soluble fiber and monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats they will help to increase good cholesterol levels. Restrict alcohol consumption to one glass a day for women and two a day for men is also a good idea. By increasing the amount of exercise in your daily life can also decrease cholesterol levels.

The Dangers of Low Cholesterol

In today's society, cholesterol is considered a villain. Everyone "knows" that high cholesterol "causes" heart disease. TV ads warn us that "diet and exercise may not be enough," and drugs are increasingly prescribed to reduce cholesterol levels.

You may think you know what the problem of cholesterol is all about, but before you jump on the anti-cholesterol bandwagon, consider these studies:

* A 3 year study on 11,500 patients showed that low cholesterol resulted in increased lung cancer, increase in other cancers, higher risk of cardiac death, erectile dysfunction and infertility, and a loss of memory and mental focus. (European Heart Journal 1997, 18, 52-59)

* A Swedish researcher discovered that individuals with low cholesterol suffer from frequent and severe infections, while individuals with high cholesterol had a lower mortality than the average population. (Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, independent researcher Magle Stora Kyrkogata 9, S-223250 Lund, Sweden)

* A 30 years follow-up on one of the original studies linking cholesterol and heart disease showed no correlation between high cholesterol and mortality, but did show a correlation between low cholesterol and mortality. Death rates from coronary heart disease increased 14% for every 1 mg/dl drop in total cholesterol per year

(Anderson KM. Cholesterol and Mortality, 30 years of Follow-up from the Framingham study. JAMA 1987 Apr 24;257(16):2176-80)

* A paper in the Journal of Cardiac Failure on an analysis of 1,134 patients with heart disease showed that low cholesterol was associated with worse outcomes in heart failure patients and impaired survival rates. It also showed that elevated cholesterol was not associated with hypertension, diabetes or coronary heart disease.

(Horwich TB. Et.al. Low Serum Total Cholesterol is Associated with Marked Increase in Mortality in Advanced Heart Failure. J Card. Fail. 2002 Aug;8(4):216-214)

High cholesterol is a "disease" that was created by the pharmaceutical industry in order to sell more cholesterol-lowering drugs, i.e., statins. These drugs have a high profit margin, so the lab ranges for cholesterol have been altered over the last 7-10 years so that more people will show up as having "high" cholesterol and be persuaded to take medications.

Normal (i.e., non-pathological) cholesterol ranges should be 175 to 275, with people with Blood Type O running at the higher end of this spectrum because of the way their body utilizes protein. Since, these are the pathological ranges, levels above or below these values mean the body is seriously imbalanced and probably diseased.

However, for optimal health, one should be in the middle third of this range. So healthy cholesterol should be between 208 and 242. Oddly enough people with these perfectly normal and healthy cholesterol ranges are being encouraged to take drugs to reduce their cholesterol to unhealthy low levels.

This is particularly bad considering that statins have a lot of potentially dangerous side effects. The common side effects of the statins include upset stomach, headache, fatigue, skin rash, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, erectile dysfunction, difficulty sleeping, nightmares and peripheral neuropathy. Another common side effect is liver damage.

Statins deplete CoQ10, an important co-enzyme for cardiac health. Since the real cause of heart disease is oxidative damage and inflammation, lowering CoQ10 can actually increase your risk of dying of heart disease.

A very serious side effect of statins is their tendency to cause inflammation of the muscles and create muscle damage. The inflammation makes the muscles painful. If the inflammation is severe enough, the cells in the inflamed muscle tissue may disintegrate (a process called rhabdomyolysis). They then release myoglobin, a protein present in very large amounts within the muscle cells, into the blood. The myoglobin reaches the kidneys, damages them and may even cause them to fail. In some cases, the kidneys may recover; however the damage to the kidneys from the myoglobin may be permanent and necessitate lifelong kidney dialysis.

So, before you take statin drugs to reduce your cholesterol, do a little research on the dangers of low cholesterol. There are other ways of protecting yourself from heart disease that are much more effective.

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