Wisdom of Healing

One of the best selling pharmaceutical drugs on the market, prescribed for high cholesterol concerns, tells us in their ads that bad cholesterol comes from two sources; our family and our food. This is not entirely correct, however.

Genetics is not shown to pass along high cholesterol. In fact, until the 1930’s and ’40’s, high cholesterol is believed to not have actually existed. Research shows that people did not get high ‘bad’ cholesterol and low ‘good’ cholesterol before the 1930’s. And we know that our American and North European ancestors before that time consumed plenty of butter, milk, cream, meats (all locally raised), lard and other foods we’ve been told for decades to stay away from.

By the late 1940’s, cardiovascular disease had become the number one cause of death in the US. What changed? What can we do to prevent cholesterol problems and heart disease today without risking the serious side effects associated with cholesterol drugs?

Genetics do show that a propensity for cholesterol concerns may indeed run in the family in more recent generations. But the real problem may actually be that poor eating and lifestyle habits tend to run in families. When a person with the genetic propensity for heart disease and cholesterol concerns makes changes to their dietary and lifestyle patterns, their health follows suit.

The food that we consume certainly plays a roll in all issues regarding our health. The information that we have been given in the past several decades about which foods contribute to high cholesterol is far from correct and truthful, however. One of the largest studies in medical history, the Framingham Heart Study, has been conducted from 1948 to the present, and was designed to see which biologic and environmental factors might help prevent the rapidly growing problem of heart disease. The researchers found that there was a relationship between high levels of serum cholesterol and heart attacks.

Since foods like butter, eggs, steak and heavy cream were shown to contain significant amounts of cholesterol; they were immediately targeted as the culprits. But the Framingham Study showed quite a different correlation.

The study unequivocally showed that those participants that ate more of those foods; butter, cheeses and eggs, etc, actually had lower LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol and higher HDL, the ‘good’ cholesterol, and those who ate more margarine, refined vegetable oils, etc. had exactly the opposite!

It was then believed that it may not actually be the amount of cholesterol found in the foods that is our problem, since we’ve learned that the liver produces the majority of cholesterol in the body (about 4 times more than we eat); but the level of saturated fat that the foods contained. Saturated fat became the bad guy to stay away from. But, as the results of various studies came in, this wasn’t adding up, either.

A great example of this is shown in those people from tropical regions who consume high amounts of coconut or palm oil, both highly saturated fats. There has been little or no cholesterol issue for people in most of these regions until refined vegetable oils are introduced. Recent research has shown that some of the Caribbean countries where many refined foods including vegetable oils are now consumed have similar cholesterol problems as in the US.

Dr. Mary G. Enig, author of Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol, states that “… a study in 1981 showed that islanders with high intakes of coconut oil showed ‘no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect in these populations’. When these groups migrated to New Zealand, however, and lowered their intake of coconut oil, their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol increased, and their HDL cholesterol decreased.”

Once again, it seems that the real culprit is highly refined ‘junk’ food. When man alters nature to increase profits, in this case through providing longer shelf life so that we may purchase cases of packaged foods or gallons of liquids, etc at a time, and leave it on a shelf for months or years, our health suffers as those profits soar.

Twelve million Americans currently take cholesterol lowering prescription medications, and the drug companies claim that there should be 23 million more taking these expensive drugs. The way many cholesterol medications, called statins, work is by blocking the body’s cholesterol production in the liver.

Statin drugs have a significant list of potential side effects, including the following:

weakening and damaging muscles (and what is the muscle we are attempting to protect- the heart!),
disrupt and reduce our energy production,
exhaust the adrenal glands,
interrupt the body’s ability to synthesize vitamin D,
damage to the kidneys,
provoke cardiomyopathy, (where the heart muscle becomes inflamed, reducing function),
block co-enzyme Q10 production (necessary for all cells, and most important to heart cells),
increased risk of various forms of cancer, and
numerous interactions with various other drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription.

Other less common potential side effects include:

suicide,
depression, and
brain damage.

Although the drug companies say that there is a very low chance of experiencing any of these side effects, I have met dozens of people who have had one or more serious health concerns related to statin drugs. One gentleman who came to the herbal pharmacy where I was an herbalist on staff was no longer able to grip a pen to sign a check or credit card receipt. He reported that his doctor had determined that it was due to the statin drugs that he had taken for several years. Why would we jeopardize our heart muscle in this way?

Diet and exercise are always recommended to be used in conjunction with cholesterol medication. The funny thing is that proper diet and daily exercise is almost always enough to keep cholesterol levels in a healthy range (unless we are overweight). The problem may indeed be that few people know how to eat properly and how much exercise to get anymore. There is so much confusion about what’s really healthy and what’s not.

Too many people with weight concerns still have heart issues even when their cholesterol levels are modified with medication. We need to get off the couch and exercise every day. Not once a week, not two or three times a week; but every single day. Every aspect of health is optimized with daily exercise, and probably none more than heart health. And those of us who are overweight, need to lose that excess weight to be truly healthy!

Have you heard…? Cholesterol is no longer considered a good indicator for heart disease. Statistics show that about 50% of all people who have high cholesterol and lower it to the normal range will still have a cardiovascular episode. And, approximately 50% of all people who have a cardiovascular episode didn’t have a high cholesterol problem.

What recent research shows is that excess inflammation of the circulatory system is present in virtually 100% of those who experience heart disease and a cardiovascular event. The test for measuring this excess inflammation is called the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) test. Excess inflammation is believed to be the most reliable measurement for predicting heart disease or a cardiovascular episode. More doctors need to focus on these very important facts to protect our heart health.

Now I’m sure I have read more than 100 articles about the importance of reducing cholesterol in the past twenty years, but there’s one thing I’ve never seen any of those articles mention that seems to be very important for all of us to understand. Cholesterol is crucial for optimal health.

The body needs cholesterol for dozens of functions including:

Converting our exposure to sunlight into vitamin D,
Energy production,
The brain uses cholesterol for optimal functioning,
The nervous system and spinal cord use plenty of cholesterol when working optimally,
Every cell in the healthy body contains and uses cholesterol,
Bile salts, used to properly break down fats for use in the cells, are produced with cholesterol, and
Sex organs need cholesterol for proper performance.

Why would we choose to stop the liver from producing such an important substance for the body’s optimal health and performance?

Looking at cholesterol concerns from a holistic point of view is very different from the way modern allopathic medicine does. Liver and colon health are extremely important for healthy cholesterol numbers. The liver produces much of the cholesterol found in the blood, and the liver is responsible for slating excess cholesterol to be eliminated from the body. Excess cholesterol is sent to the intestinal tract for elimination, but since most Americans have poor digestion, suffering from either constipation or an issue with Irritable Bowel (IBS), elimination of this excess cholesterol is compromised. Through the leaky gut condition (which usually accompanies constipation and IBS), the cholesterol becomes reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

Detoxification (and repair of the leaky gut) is an important step in eliminating these concerns and maintaining healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Supportive herbs and supplements for daily detoxification can help the liver and colon function more efficiently. Please read: Daily Detoxification, posted to this site on January 31, 2007.

Turmeric, a spicy herb from the Indian subcontinent, has gotten significant praise in the last few years for its effect on excess inflammation and detoxification of the liver, blood and cells. According to the very excellent University of Maryland Medical Center website:

”Early studies suggest that turmeric may prove helpful in preventing the build up of atherosclerosis (blockage of arteries that can eventually cause a heart attack or stroke) in one of two ways. First, in animal studies an extract of turmeric lowered cholesterol levels and inhibited the oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Oxidized LDL deposits in the walls of blood vessels and contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Turmeric may also prevent platelet build up along the walls of an injured blood vessel. Platelets collecting at the site of a damaged blood vessel cause blood clots to form and blockage of the artery as well. Studies of the use of turmeric to prevent or treat heart disease in people would be interesting in terms of determining if these mechanisms discovered in animals apply to people at risk for this condition.”

As I always remind readers, quality is of utmost importance. When it comes to Turmeric, most of the products on the US market are extracted with potentially harmful chemical solvents. The clue to this is on the back panel. If a Turmeric product says that it contains 95% curcumin (or curcuminoids), it’s a chemical extract every time. This is because the Turmeric root usually contains 5-7% mixed curcuminoids, and it may naturally be up to 11% or so when grown organically or biodynamically). Some of the best Turmeric products include Turmericforce from New Chapter and tinctures from Gaia Herbs or Herb Pharm. Another potent product produced by Thera Veda, and formulated by a fourth generation Ayurvedic doctor to support cardiovascular health is called Narsimha Heart/Cholesterol Support. This Ayurvedic herbal formula combines Turmeric, Guggul, Amrita and Fenugreek to assist the body with digestion, liver and circulatory health.

Cinnamon research for healthy cholesterol numbers is getting a lot of attention recently. Consuming just one gram (one half teaspoon) of cinnamon daily is shown to support the body in lowering the bad LDL cholesterol (7-27%), and total cholesterol (12-26%) levels. Now, don’t think that old, tired cinnamon that’s been sitting in your cupboard for the past ten years is going to provide you with the same sorts of results. If you’re interested in health benefits, please go buy some fresher, organic cinnamon and add it to your oatmeal, apple juice, or pumpkin soup. If you prefer a capsule, you may want to try Oregon’s Wild Harvest or Cinnamonforce by New Chapter.

Garlic is the most well researched herb on Earth. Garlic is highly regarded for its ability to support heart health, detoxify the blood, help the body to achieve healthy cholesterol numbers and improve the immune system’s ability to ward off pathogens. If you prefer to eat your garlic to support your cholesterol numbers and heart health, buy organic (of course) and be sure to whack it with the side of the knife. This activates the allicins, the part found to be medicinal. Research has shown that simply chopping or putting it through the garlic press does not thoroughly activate those allicins, so whack it first and then chop or press it for best results! Whether cooked or raw, we receive much of the health benefits from garlic.

Now, most of the garlic products on the US market are called ‘deodorized’ or ‘odor free’ or the like. It is estimated by those who research garlic that as much as 95% of the medicinal value of garlic is in the stinky oils. And, even when odorless, garlic is shown in research to provide some health benefits, so imagine how much more we are likely to get when we use a broad spectrum product with all those allicins activated! Try the Garlicforce by New Chapter for what is likely to be the most potent garlic in capsule form anywhere on Earth.

Cayenne, Burdock root, Dandelion root, Yellow dock and Red clover are some of the other herbs known to support healthy cholesterol numbers. What do all of these herbs have in common? They’re all powerful herbs to help the body cleanse and purify the liver and blood. Makes sense, right? As always, be sure to purchase certified organic herbal products from a reputable company.

For a detailed report on cholesterol written by a brilliant and well researched medical doctor, please visit: Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease.

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