Cholesterol Is Not The Villain It Is Portrayed As!

Did you know your body makes three times more cholesterol than you typically eat?

 Cholesterol helps to keep our cells healthy. It aids in the creation of sex hormones, facilitates proper brain and nervous system function, and it is needed to synthesize sunlight into Vitamin D.  Rising cholesterol levels can be a sign that something is wrong in the body; however, elevated levels do not necessarily mean that you should jump on a cholesterol lowering drug.

Unless cholesterol is oxidized, it creates no harm. Consequently there has been much emphasis placed on ways to prevent LDL (bad cholesterol) from being oxidized in the bloodstream.  Olive oil is one substance that has been shown to inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Menopausal women have been studied because they often take cholesterol lowering drugs.  When women reach menopause, their LDL levels rise dramatically.  This elevation is interpreted as risk for heart disease.  However, the greater risk comes from other common symptoms of menopause, such as hypothyroidism (with symptoms of weakness, cold intolerance, weight gain, decreased sweating, migraines, etc.). These risks are compounded by obesity, a sense of isolation, hypertension, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle.  

The cholesterol rise during menopause is actually protective. Cholesterol is needed to create progesterone and estrogen, and -- since hormones levels dramatically drop at this time -- cholesterol is used to help balance hormone levels. This is why it makes no sense to push menopausal women to take cholesterol-lowering drugs.  These drugs only inhibit the body from its natural efforts to get back in balance.

The public has been trained to believe that artery clogs are due to cholesterol and saturated fats. This is not so. Dr. Bernhard Hennig from the University of Kentucky claimed that polyunsaturated fats are the culprits in the cardiovascular disease process, and he recommended limiting their intake.  When artery clogs are examined, 74% of the total fats are unsaturated and more than half of those fats are polyunsaturated (Trans fats).

Companies make claims that eating polyunsaturated fats (margarine) can lower your cholesterol levels.  However, according to some researchers, a high intake of polyunsaturates actually weakens cell membranes. When this occurs, cholesterol comes to the rescue once again. Cholesterol enters the cell membrane in order to stabilize and restore proper function. The cholesterol that does the rescuing is drawn from the bloodstream, thereby lowering cholesterol levels within the bloodstream.  So the claims made by these companies are not complete lies; however, your health is not the first priority in selling these products.

So...What can you do? 

•  A diet higher in Omega 3 fatty acids (fish, flax, walnuts) helps to maintain healthy cholesterol ratios. Olive oil, as stated above, is shown to inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol.
• Limit your sugar intake, since sugar can contribute to higher LDL cholesterol levels.
• An additional and very effective benefit is gained through exercise and maintaining proper weight. Even moderate exercise, such as walking, creates healthy changes in the body and a decreased demand for the LDL cholesterol.
• Antioxidants inhibit oxidation. Some good sources of antioxidants are fruits (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches and plums), vegetables, red wine and vitamin E. If you are not a vegetable lover, supplementing with a high quality Multi-Vitamin, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, Selenium or CoQ10 could be very beneficial.

 If you have any questions please contact Dr. Amanda.

www.JordanFamilyChiro.com