Cholesterol- The Good, the Bad & the Awful

[Guest guest]

Cholesterol always gets a bad rap—and it should. But it's important

to understand that cholesterol is a fatty acid that is naturally

found in the brain, nerves, liver, blood and bile—and is needed to

build cell membranes, insulate nerves, produce vitamin D, hormones,

and bile acid for digestion.

 

It even helps provide antioxidant protection when your vitamin and

mineral stores are low.

Cholesterol is so crucial, in fact, that each

cell is equipped with the means to synthesize its own membrane cholesterol,

regulating the fluidity of those membranes when they are too loose or

too stiff.

 

Necessary for hormone production

 

The hormones, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are

manufactured from cholesterol. Also, adrenal corticosteroid hormones,

which regulate water balance through the kidneys, and cortisone, the

anti-inflammatory hormone that also controls our stress response, all

come from cholesterol.

 

Normally, the liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs.

Problem is,

because of our poor dietary habits and sedentary life

styles, we produce way too MUCH of the WRONG type of cholesterol …

which increases our risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and

stroke. Also, some people have a genetic disposition to high

cholesterol levels.

 

A cholesterol primer:

 

Cholesterol is carried in blood in the form of substances called

'lipoproteins'.

Cardiovascular risk can be assessed by measuring total blood

cholesterol, as well as the proportions of the different types of

lipoproteins.

 

1) Total cholesterol is the most common measure of blood cholesterol

and the only number many people get from their doctor.

 

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood. A

total cholesterol reading less than 200 mg/dL means a lower risk of

heart disease, which everyone should try to attain.

 

(Although cholesterol is not the only marker for heart disease risk,

200-239 is borderline high cholesterol, and 240 and over is high

cholesterol.

 

Lipoproteins:

 

2) HDL cholesterol, the " good " cholesterol, helps carry LDL cholesterol

out of the body, including cholesterol deposited inside blood vessels,

where it may block the flow of blood.

 

If there is too much cholesterol for the HDLs to pick up, or an

inadequate supply of HDLs,

cholesterol may aggregate into 'plaque' groups that block arteries.

 

Those blockages are the main cause of heart attacks.

 

Remember that higher HDL is healthier.

 

A reading of less than 40 is low, at or greater than 60 is high, and

having a level of 60 or greater is considered

a " negative' risk factor that can offset another risk factor.

 

3) LDL cholesterol, the " bad " cholesterol, hauls cholesterol from the

liver to all cells in the body. Remember that lower LDL is healthier.

A reading of less than 100 is optimal; 100-129 is near or above

optimal; 130-159, borderline high; 160-189, high; 190 or great is

very high.

 

Rule of thumb: You want to raise your HDL and lower your LDL.

 

4) Triglycerides make up most of the body's fat, and are the

storehouse for energy. Edible oils from seeds and animal fats also are

composed mainly of triglycerides.

 

They may not be as corrosive as LDL, but excess triglycerides

exacerbate heart disease potential when they oxidize and damage artery

linings or induce blood cells to clump. A reading of under 100 is

optimal; under 200 is normal; 200-400 is borderline high; over 400 is

high.

 

When high triglycerides and low HDL occur together, risk of

cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart and kidney failure

and other degenerative diseases increase.

 

In fact, another up-and-coming index of heart disease risk is your

triglyceride-to-HDL ratio. A ratio of less than 2 is considered good.

 

The best ways to lower your triglyceride levels are:

 

1) to reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates, especially sugar and

starchy foods and 2) to take a high-quality fish oil product.

 

The new cholesterol guidelines:

In May 2001 27 of America's top cholesterol experts issued new

guidelines. This is only the second time the National Institutes of

Health has revised its guidelines for preventing heart disease.

 

Here are the highlights:

• While artery-clogging, low-density lipoproteins are still considered

the chief target for diet and therapy, the report from the National

Cholesterol Education Program established new parameters for HDL

cholesterol.

Any HDL level below 40, rather than 35, is now considered low. This

sets up a new risk-assessment regime for everyone starting at age 20.

 

• A complete lipoprotein profile should be done every five years,

beginning at age 20. This covers total LDL, HDL and triglycerides.

• Reduce saturated fat intake to less than 7% of total calories and

cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg a day.

 

Add more vegetables and 10-25 grams of soluble fiber to your diet

(fruits, vegetables, whole grains and unprocessed beans).

 

Exercise regularly, and reduce weight. Men should keep their waistlines smaller

than 40 inches, and women smaller than 35.

 

• People with diabetes who do not have heart disease are in the same

high-risk category as those who already have heart disease

 

" Studies show conclusively that lowering the level of LDL the " bad "

cholesterol, " can reduce the short-term risk for heart disease by as

much as 40%.

Treatment may lower risk over the long term, beyond 10

years, even more. " Dr. Claude Lenfant, director of the

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

 

According to NDS Health, a health-care information services company

based in Atlanta, more than 110 million prescriptions were written

for statin drugs in 2001-- they're expensive … and they're not

without risk.

 

The hidden side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs

 

Unfortunately, like most pharmaceuticals, these drugs usually have

side effects. The symptoms vary depending on what type of cholesterol

drug is being taken, but they include:

 

• Hot flashes

• Nausea

• Allergic reaction (skin rashes)

• Heartburn

• Dizziness

• Abdominal pain

• Constipation

• Decreased sexual desire

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Indigestion

• Gas

• Peptic ulcers

• Gout

• High blood sugar

• Bloating

• Cholesterol gallstones

 

In addition to the above side effects, some drugs may carry the risk

of serious side effects, such as:

 

• Rhabdomyolysis - a muscle condition that can cause kidney failure

• Muscle pain or weakness

• Liver abnormalities

 

How do statins work?

Statins all work by the same mechanism: they 'inhibit' a liver 'enzyme'

called HMG CoA reductase that 'enables' the liver to make cholesterol.

 

The liver is the body's main source of cholesterol.

But when the liver can not make its own, it removes cholesterol from the blood

to fulfill your body's other needs for cholesterol, as previously

described. Ideally, blood levels of cholesterol decrease, which reduces the

tendency for arteries to become clogged with fatty deposits.

 

Statin Hazards:

 

In a clinical advisory issued recently, the American College of

Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the National Heart,

Lung and Blood warned doctors about possible serious adverse effects

and factors that could increase the risk of statin-caused muscle

disorders.

 

In fact, in January 2002 Bayer Pharmaceutical announced that its

cholesterol drug *Baycol* has been linked to approximately

100 deaths since its withdrawal from the market in August 2001, and Baycol was

recalled after it was linked to about 40 deaths in the US. Bayer is

currently facing several lawsuits from patients who were injured

while taking the drug.

 

New York Times health writer Jane E. Brody recently reported

(December 10, 2002) that last summer an 82-year-old Kansas woman died

as

a result of an undetected muscle disease caused by the statin she

had been taking for years to control her cholesterol.

 

During the entire time she was taking it, the woman had muscle pains

that doctors never attributed to the drug.

" She even had a shoulder operation, which did nothing, of course, to

cure the drug-induced pain that might have been correctly diagnosed through a

simple blood test, " wrote Brody.

 

" Then she was mistreated with an anti-fungal agent for skin lesions

that actually resulted,

not from a fungus, but from the muscle breakdown caused by the drug. "

It's been shown that when anti-fungals are combined with statins,

they can greatly increase the risk and severity of muscle

disorders.

 

" Within three months, the woman's condition worsened and

she became so weak she could not stand or breathe on her own. Two

weeks later, she was dead, " reported Brody.

 

Public Citizen Calls for Stronger Warnings on Statins:

Statins may also cause a liver disorder in about one percent of

patients.

 

Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, has petitioned

the FDA for stronger warnings on all statin drugs in the wake of the

August 2001 recall of Baycol.

The petition asks the FDA to include a warning that muscle pain or

weakness can lead to muscle damage.

 

What's wrong with this picture?

 

Consider this metaphor: You're flying an airplane and one of the

meters indicates that the airplane is going down rapidly and that

you're going to plunge to the ground in minutes.

You pull out your handgun and shoot the meter, destroying not only the

meter but causing damage to other electrical equipment.

There! Problem solved, right? Obviously not.

 

The situation with statin drugs is strikingly similar yet apparently

this isn't obvious to the conventional medical system.

Cholesterol is just a risk factor, one of many.

Sure, you'd like to see that high reading come down, but – and here is

the most important message of this article – you want that reading to

come down for the right 'reasons'.

 

You want your cholesterol to come down as a result of an

overall 'improvement' in your health.

 

References:

Vella, C.A., Kravitz, L., & Janot, J.M. (2001). A review of the

impact of exercise on cholesterol levels. IDEA Health & Fitness

Source, 19, 10, p. 48. Retrieved March 26, 2002 from Expanded

Academic ASAP.

Lane, Jane, " Cholesterol Conundrum, " Energy Times Feb. 1999, pg. 53.

-----

 

Understanding Fat and Cholesterol

--

Blood Lipid Parameters:

The National Cholesterol Education program recommends that everyone

over the age of 20 be tested for cholesterol at least once every 5

years.

Total Cholesterol

< 200 mg/dL

200-239 mg/dL

= 240 mg/dL

Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL)

< 130 mg/dL

130-159 mg/dL

= 160 mg/dL

High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL)

35 mg/dL

(values >60 mg/dL are considered a negative risk factor)

Triglycerides

< 200 mg/dL

 

The National Cholesterol Education Program

Lipids (Fats) Explained:

 

Fats, or lipids, can be divided into three general categories:

Triglycerides, Phospholipids and Sterols.

 

Triglycerides - (fats and oils) This is the main form of fat in the

diet. Triglycerides provide us with energy, insulates, cushions and

protects internal organs and helps our bodies use carbohydrates and

proteins more efficiently. Triglycerides can be further divided into

thefollowing categories:

 

Saturated fats - Usually solid at room temperature, saturated fats

contain the maximum number of hydrogen atoms (saturated with

hydrogen).

Saturated fats are considered the most detrimental to health.

 

Monounsaturated fats - Liquid at room temperature, monounsaturated

fats include olive and organic canola oils. This type of fat tends to

lower " bad "

LDL cholesterol while leaving the " good " HDL cholesterol unchanged.

 

Polyunsaturated fats - Liquid at room temperature, polyunsaturated

fats include corn oils, safflower oil and sunflower oil.

This type of fat

tends to lower both " bad " LDL and " good " HDL cholesterol.

 

Hydrogenated fats -

This fat results from a process where hydrogen

atoms are added back to polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats to

protect against rancidity . This procedure effectively causes

hydrogenated

fats to become saturated fats. Thus, if a food lists partially

hydrogenated oils among its first three ingredients, it usually

contains alot of trans-fatty acids and saturated fats.

 

Trans-fatty acids - In nature, most unsaturated fats are cis-fatty

acids. During hydrogenation, the molecular structure changes from

cis-to trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids increase " bad " LDL

cholesterol and lower " good " HDL cholesterol, which may increase heart disease

risk.

 

Essential fatty acids - Essential fatty acids must be supplied by

the diet. The body uses essential fatty acids to maintain the structural

parts of cell membranes. They are also used as a component in the

production of hormone-like substances (eicosanoids) that help

regulate blood pressure, clot formation, and maintain the immune response.

 

Linoleic Acid - The Omega-6 family.

Common sources for these essential fatty acids are refined vegetable oils and

meats. Most individuals can

ensure an adequate intake of Omega-6 fatty acids by including whole organic

grains, raw nuts, seeds, leafy vegetables, and small amounts of unrefined

vegetable oils and organic meats in their diet.

 

Linolenic Acid - The Omega-3 family. Linolenic acid is a major

component of the communicating membranes of the brain, and is active

in the eye's retina. It is essential for growth and development.

Fish, in particular, is abundant in both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

 

Phospholipids - (eg. non-gmo soy lecithin) Phospholipids help

transport fat-soluble vitamins, hormones and other substances through cell

membranes. Because they can dissolve in both water and fat, they

act as an emulsifier, helping to keep fats suspended in body fluids and

blood.

 

The liver can produce all the body's phospholipids from

scratch, therefore it is not an essential nutrient.

 

Sterols - Sterols include cholesterol, vitamin D and sex hormones.

They are a component of bile, sex hormones (testosterone), adrenal

hormones (cortisol) and are a structural component of cell membranes. 9/10 of

the body's cholesterol is stored in cells.

 

Cholesterol - The liver manufacturers about 800-1500 mg. of

cholesterol per day, which contributes much more to total body

cholesterol than does diet.

The liver can also make cholesterol from carbohydrates,

proteins or fat. Only animal foods contain dietary cholesterol.

 

Excess cholesterol harms the body when it forms deposits on artery

walls, leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.

 

Cholesterol can be further divided into HDLs and LDLs:

Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) - Considered " bad " cholesterol. It is

produced in the liver and circulates through the body, transporting

fat to the muscles, heart, fat stores and other tissues.

 

High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) - Considered " good " cholesterol. It

is produced by the liver to carry cholesterol and phospholipids from

the cells back to the liver for recycling and/or excretion.

Because HDLs represent cholesterol removal from arteries and blood to

the liver for breakdown and disposal, it is considered " good " cholesterol.

 

Therefore, high levels of HDL cholesterol is considered a " negative "

risk factor for heart disease.

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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