Overview
Cholesterol is bad, right? Wrong. Cholesterol is the soft, waxy
substance that makes up fat in the body. By itself, it’s nothing
more or less – something that’s a part of our body. The actual
condition that is the problem is called hypercholesterolemia
– too much cholesterol in the body.
When the
body stores or creates too much cholesterol, it collects on the
walls of blood vessels and slows the circulation by blocking
arteries and making it difficult for the heart to pump blood out
to the bodily systems that need it. The higher the levels of
cholesterol in the blood, the higher the risk a person runs of
heart attack or stroke. In addition, there are a number of other
conditions that are associated with high levels of cholesterol
in the blood.
What
Cholesterol Does:
There
are three kinds of fatty tissue that circulate in the blood –
high density lipoprotein, also called HDL, low density
lipoprotein, also known as LDL and triglycerides. Current wisdom
is that HDL is ‘good cholesterol’, and LDL is ‘bad cholesterol.’
Triglycerides are a ‘dark horse’ – scientists aren’t quite sure
yet exactly how triglycerides affect the heart, but research has
shown that heightened levels of LDL and triglycerides and
lowered levels of HDL are associated with heart disease.
Symptoms of High Cholesterol levels:
Few
people have symptoms of high cholesterol until cholesterol has
impacted a major bodily system like the circulatory system. For
that reason, it’s important that regular physical checkups
include blood tests to measure serum cholesterol levels. Some
risk factors that make those tests more important include:
What
Causes Cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia):
While
there are other causes for high cholesterol, in most cases
heightened levels of cholesterol are the result of an overly
fatty diet coupled with an inactive lifestyle. The major
precursor to high cholesterol levels is obesity – a condition
that has reached epidemic proportions in the modern western
world. Poor diet habits contribute to cholesterol related
disorders, including atherosclerosis, diabetes and strokes.
Other
causes for hypercholesterolemia include inherited disorders that
affect the absorption and metabolism of fats, as well as
hereditary hyperlipidemia, poorly controlled diabetes, nephritic
syndrome (a kidney disorder), anorexia nervosa, liver disease,
overactive pituitary gland, underactive thyroid gland,
malnutrition, cigarette smoking, anabolic steroid use, insulin
resistance, hepatitis, lupus, pregnancy, estrogens (birth
control pills) and lymphoma.
Treatments for Cholesterol:
The main
goal of treatment for high cholesterol levels is to lower the
amount of cholesterol in the blood. This is best accomplished by
making changes to the lifestyle and diet of the patient.
Specifically, the American Heart Association recommends
supplementing the diet with fiber, reducing the amount of fat
and sugars in the diet, and increasing the amount of
antioxidants in the diet. Research has shown that every point of
lowered cholesterol results in a 2% lowering of the risk of
heart disease and stroke. To bring those levels down, doctors
often prescribe drugs that can lower cholesterol along with the
following dietary changes:
-
Increase consumption of soluble fibers like psyllium
-
Increase consumption of soy
-
Increase consumption of antioxidants, especially vitamin E
-
Increase consumption of omega 3 fatty acids, which have
proven that they protect against heart disease
-
Take
folic acid supplements
In
addition, some health practitioners suggest using red yeast
rice, gugulipid and fenugreek to help lower cholesterol.
Recently, a great deal of research has focused question on the
relationship between saturated fats and cholesterol, and on the
relationship between diet and high cholesterol. More and more,
researchers are realizing that dietary influences account for
only 15-20% of the cholesterol circulating in your blood. The
remainder is manufactured by the body. Most traditional doctors
prescribe a class of drugs called ‘statins’ to lower cholesterol
levels. These statins have negative effects on the liver and
kidneys, and can compromise the immune system.
Because
of the strain placed on the system by the traditional
pharmaceuticals that lower cholesterol, many doctors are
recommending herbal and alternative treatments to lower
cholesterol. Herbs and components like gugulipid, polycosanol,
theaflavin (from green tea) and vitamin E and lecithin all have
proven effective in lowering the levels of LDL without affecting
levels of HDL or damaging the liver. In addition, most of these
ingredients show other beneficial effects to the body.
Xtend-Life
Natural Products offers a product specifically designed to lower
cholesterol in the blood without compromising other bodily
needs. Cholesterol Formula contains 10 of the most effective
cholesterol lowering natural vitamins and enzymes in a
combination that is designed to synergistically maximize the
effects of each. If your doctor recommends statins to lower your
cholesterol levels, we strongly suggest that you do your own
research on the effects of statins on your body, and contrast it
with the beneficial effects of the ingredients in Xtend-Life’s
Cholesterol Formula – then discuss the possibility of
alternative treatment with your doctor.
