Cholesterol comes from?

Cardiovascular disease is the most common single cause of death in New Zealand, accounting for 40% of deaths annually.  Studies show that having a high Total Cholesterol level is a major contributor to these statistics, with a shocking 2 out of 3 New Zealanders over the age of 15 having cholesterol levels higher than the recommended range; with statistics continuing to climb.

Where does cholesterol come from?

Cholesterol is manufactured by the body from the intake of dietary fats, saturated fats and refined carbohydrates.  Our cells also synthesize cholesterol, however the liver and intestines are the major producers.  An essential substance needed for good health, cholesterol is a normal component of most body tissues but especially those of the brain, nervous system, liver and blood.  More than nine-tenths of cholesterol ends up in the cells, where it performs vital structural and metabolic functions.

Is all cholesterol bad?

There is good cholesterol – HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and bad cholesterol – LDL (low-density lipoprotein).  Neither are  actually cholesterol as such, but “cholesterol transporters”.  The LDL transports cholesterol from the liver to body tissues for use, where the HDL cholesterol “sweeps up” the excess cholesterol and returns it to the liver, where it is dismantled, ready for disposal.  If there is too much cholesterol for the tissues to receive, the LDL transporters start dumping it in the arteries, eventually causing a build up and narrowing.  This situation increases the susceptibility to heart attacks.  Other health consequences of having a high cholesterol level can include Alzheimer’s disease, a stroke, peripheral vascular disease & blocked arteries, especially in the legs.

Is saturated fat an issue for high cholesterol?

It can all seem so confusing though.  Some information tells us to lower our daily dietary fat levels, yet others say to eat more fat.  What is the correct information?  It’s the type of fat you consume that’s the main issue.  There are saturated and unsaturated fats.  Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and come from the oils of vegetables, nut or seed sources, such as corn, canola, safflower, sunflower and olive.  Saturated fats are those that are usually hard at room temperature and, except for coconut or palm oil, come from animal sources (not fish, which is beneficial).  Saturated fats from animals transport more LDL to the blood stream than do unsaturated fats.  Saturated fats are the ones we need to be limiting in our diet, so ensure you check the label on food before you eat it to ensure the saturated fat levels are low.

How to identify saturated fat

Saturated fats are usually visible to the eye, like on the top of soup, pizza, in animal skin, the yellow globules of fat on chicken, the white fat on meat, butter, cheese, whole milk, in chocolate, beef and pork fat.

How much saturated fat should you have with high cholesterol?

The general suggestions with regard to the consumption of saturated fat levels in the diet of a healthy adult are:  Maintain a modest intake of total fat (25-30 percent of total daily calories); but reduce your intake of saturated fat to a maximum of one third of your total fat intake.  Include regular amounts of omega-3 fat in the diet.  This can be from fish like salmon, sardines and other oily fish or from taking an omega 3 supplement.

Eat less margarine and other processed fats and reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates, such as junk food, cakes, biscuits and other white flour products.  If the label on the food item states that you will eat more than 10 grams of fat per 100 grams of food, it’s too high.

An ideal guide to follow when reading labels is no more than 10-15 grams per serve for a main meal, 5 grams per serve for a breakfast food and less than 5 grams per serve for a snack food.  Alternatively, for a quick guide, the saturated fat figure should be no more than one-third of the total figure.  Therefore, if the total fat count is 10 grams per serve, the saturated fat count should be no more than 3 grams.

What other factors affect cardiovascular health and cholesterol?

Other things that affect cholesterol levels include poor liver function, stress, anxiety, cigarette smoking, overeating, a lack of exercise and a high consumption of refined carbohydrates.  Some people may not efficiently metabolise saturated fats.  Other factors may include high blood pressure, diabetes and gout.

High cholesterol and poor liver function

We read that the HDL cholesterol takes the LDL cholesterol back to the liver to process it.  But what if your liver function is poor?  Will you still process cholesterol efficiently?  The simple answer is No.  People think they have to be a heavy drinker or drug taker to have a sluggish liver and definitely those who do partake in these will have poorer liver function, than someone who does not.  However, it is very easy for our liver function to become poor.  Think of your self as being a car.  We get our car tuned up each year, to help prevent it from having a problem, yet our body is Our vehicle.  We are not taught to treat our body in a preventative way, “tuning” it up, to help prevent a problem developing.  Yet this is one of the best ways to support our liver function.  The liver is our Chemical laboratory.  It has to process toxins that come into our body and then assist to eliminate these.  When it becomes sluggish, it cannot complete this process efficiently, or other tasks such as processing cholesterol.  Many people have had a virus, such as glandular fever or hepatitis, which over loads the liver, affecting its functioning ability.  All of these things really do make this poor organ struggle.

Supporting liver function is not only beneficial for helping to lower cholesterol levels, but also for helping increase energy, mental clarity, improving digestive problems and helping with more efficient weight loss.

Complete a liver cleanse

All adults should consider taking a liver cleansing product at least once a year, to complete a “spring clean”.  Choose one that contains the herbs milk thistle extract, dandelion &/or artichoke, as well as the amino acid Taurine.  Dandelion, artichoke and Taurine help with liver detoxification, while milk thistle helps with liver regeneration.  Studies have shown that extracts of milk thistle can help the liver to regenerate 4 times faster than it usually does.  Livatone contains all of these ingredients, in the 1 capsule.

Working on improving liver function will definitely help to lower cholesterol levels; however there are many other natural ingredients that can also help in this process.  These include Omega 3 Fish oil, Flax seed & Coconut oils.  These can be taken in supplement form, mixed into dressing or with a little acidophilus yoghurt.  To retain the full benefits they should not be heated.  Because most people are very deficient in essential fatty acids, such as is found in fish oil, it can take 2-4 months of supplementation to top up these levels, before helping with deficiency symptoms in the body.  The more of these beneficial oils you consume in your diet, the higher your HDL or good cholesterol will be.  The higher this level, the more  bad cholesterol your body can process.

Natures Natural Statin

Other natural ingredients for helping lower cholesterol are Vitamin C; referred to as Natures Perfect Statin.  A statin is a cholesterol lowering substance.  A statin works to lower cholesterol by blocking the coenzyme HMG-CoA reductase.  The first statin drugs were released in 1987.  Since then, the manufacturing and promotion of these drugs has grown into a huge business.  Statins are the most widely prescribed class of drugs in history.

In 1985, scientists made an important discovery.  Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is the human body’s natural HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor.  When vitamin C levels are low, the body compensates and manufactures more cholesterol; when levels are high, the vitamin inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, lowering the body’s cholesterol level naturally.

The main problem with the artificial statin drugs is they concurrently reduce circulating levels of ubiquinone; more commonly known as coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10.  A decline in CoQ10, attributed to artificial statins use, has been linked to muscle pain, muscle myopathy and congestive heart failure.  Because of this, it is vital that anyone taking cholesterol lowering medication also take CoQ10, around 100-200mg per day.

The mineral chromium raises HDL (good) cholesterol levels, so is another beneficial ingredient to take.  Supplementing with 200mcg per day can decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while increasing HDL-cholesterol levels, as well as decrease fasting glucose levels, improve glucose tolerance and lower insulin levels.

Policosanol is a natural mixture of fatty compounds derived from the outer wax of cane sugar.  Extensive clinical studies have proven it is both safe and effective in lowering cholesterol levels by several mechanisms, including blocking cholesterol formation in the liver.

However, one of the most effective natural ingredients I use for lowering cholesterol is Red yeast rice.  Chinese have used it for many centuries as a food preservative, food colorant (it is responsible for the red color of Peking duck), as a spice and an ingredient in rice wine.  Red yeast rice is rice that has been fermented by the red yeast Monascus purpureus.

This yeast has been extensively researched, with the results of 17 studies published, involving approximately 900 Chinese subjects who had modestly elevated cholesterol levels.  These studies consistently showed that those who took a supplement containing red yeast rice had a lower total cholesterol (by an average of 10-30%), lower LDL cholesterol (by an average of 10-20%), lower triglycerides (by an average of 15-25%), and increase HDL (by an average of 7-15%).  As well as this, there were little or no reported side effects.

Fiber is another vital ingredient in the fight against high cholesterol, with Oat bran being of particular importance.  Oat bran is the edible, outermost layer of the oat kernel.  When eaten regularly, it can help to lower total cholesterol levels by 25% or more, within 1-3 months.  In addition, oat bran can help to reduce the bad LDL and raise levels of good HDL cholesterol.

To conclude, getting out and exercising is also essential for helping lower cholesterol.  Studies have proven that exercising regularly (about 30 minutes between three and five times a week) elevates the good HDL cholesterol levels.  This is vital as the more HDL you have the more LDL your body can process.