Making Sense of the Cholesterol Controversy
Anna Walden, ND, CNHP

The “Cholesterol Awareness Month” of September reintroduces us to the controversy surrounding this substance which is naturally produced and utilized by the body. Cholesterol is still being implicated as the leading cause of heart disease in the U.S., the most common type being coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease occurs when the blood supply to the heart muscle becomes hardened and narrowed by the build-up of plaque.  Cholesterol is a component in the patching of small injuries to the blood vessels so that we do not die. These injuries are caused by several things, such as excess proteins or from damage done by sugars such as glucose and fructose (glycation). In other words, cholesterol is part of a mechanism which preserves a life that is threatened by injury.

Not only is it pulling duty in triage, but cholesterol is part of each cell and participates in all metabolic processes. It is essential in the synthesis of bile acids, nerve tissue, vitamin D, and hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and cortisol. The LDL’s duty is to carry cholesterol from the liver to the tissues where it will be incorporated into cell membranes.

So, is there significance to the numbers on the blood tests? One perspective on this issue is to view the numbers through ratio rather than individually. It still pins the label of “bad” on the LDL and “good” to the HDL, but at least it is a more realistic view into whether or not there might be a problem. The ratio is determined by dividing the LDL cholesterol into the HDL cholesterol.

If your HDL were 50 and your LDL 150, then your ratio would be 0.3. This happens to be the cut off point as to what is preferable. Ideal ration is considered to be above 0.4.

The next significant ratio is that of the HDL to the total blood cholesterol. A total of 200 with an HDL level of 50 is 4:1. The target ratio is below 5:1 with an optimum of 3.5:1

But back to our controversy, is all this really necessary? Two very large heart disease studies, The Framingham Study and the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT), showed that half of the people who suffer heart attacks had normal and low range cholesterol levels! Statistical data from INTERHEART show that cholesterol is not at factor at all.

Nevertheless, the intensity with which cholesterol was vilified produced a variety of pharmaceuticals which can manipulate the levels, particularly of the LDL’s. Statins are among the most prescribed drugs by the medical establishment to manage cholesterol levels in the blood.

The statin drugs primarily work by inhibiting the liver enzyme HMG Co-A reductase, which reduces the liver’s ability to make cholesterol. Unfortunately, there are many other compounds produced by the HMG Co-A which also get deleted. The reported side effects include muscle pain and weakness, neuropathy, dizziness, cognitive impairment, pancreatitis, depression, and depleted CoQ10 levels.

Wait a minute! Depleted CoQ10?? Wasn’t the purpose of lowering cholesterol to reduce heart disease? A study was done by cardiologist Peter Langsjoen with 20 subjects who had completely normal heart function. They were given a low dose of Lipitor (20mg a day). At the end of six months, two-thirds of the patients had abnormalities in the heart’s filling phase. According to Dr. Langsjoen, this was due to Co-Q10 depletion. The mitochondria in the cell require this enzyme to produce energy. They evidently hadn’t read the Lipitor fine print, which states that this drug “has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.”

In the China Study, 10,000 people with high cholesterol were observed for eight years. Half were given statins, half told to eat normally and get plenty of exercise. The statin did indeed lower the serum cholesterol. However, the death rate, non-fatal heart attacks, and fatal arterial disease were not one bit impacted!

As usual, nature has already provided us solutions. Simple foods that can be used to lower cholesterol are garlic, soy products, and blueberries. Soy has its own controversy but, if fruit can be tolerated, blueberries keep pace with the pharmaceuticals in performing this function. Increased fiber in the diet and moderate exercise as well can modify levels of cholesterol. Supporting the liver through detoxification is one of the best things one can do to control the levels.
In making sense of the cholesterol controversy, seeking the natural way may be the not only the first but the only thing you need.

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