Beating the Cholesterol Culprit

No prescription drug is better at treating high cholesterol than proper diet. Whether you have moderate to high cholesterol, it is still important to take the necessary steps to maintaining proper cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. New research even indicates that high cholesterol increases your risk of Alzheimers disease. The latest statistics from the CDC are alarming:

• About 17% of adult Americans aged 20 and older have high cholesterol at 240 or above.
• The average blood cholesterol in adult Americans is about 203.
• Hispanics and African Americans are at a greater risk of high cholesterol.

These statistics do not include the newest research that shows most children age 12 in the U.S. have the arteries of a 45 year old or that children born in the year 2000 will need liver transplants in their 30's and 40's due to fatty liver disease. The liver is the organ that produces cholesterol and is so important!

Americans have increasingly seen a rise in their cholesterol over several decades and at the rate we are going it is not going to get better. In the U.S. we are even seeing our grade school children on medications for high cholesterol. What a shame and more the reason to make positive changes to lower your cholesterol for yourself and the ones you love.

There are two forms of cholesterol. HDL and LDL. HDL stands for high density lipoprotein. This is the good cholesterol ( the good guys). LDL stands for low density lipoprotein. This is the bad cholesterol ( the bad guys). The goal is to have a higher ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. If you have ten times as much LDL as HDL then you are at an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Most of the people who come to see me have a moderate to high risk of cardiovascular disease due to high cholesterol. I seldom have someone come to me with the right ratio of HDL to LDL.

The good news though is that reversing bad cholesterol can be done with no prescription drugs at all. It is not hard and one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. Just KNOW that if you have high cholesterol then you most certainly have inflammation throughout your entire body.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction in the body. When you eat foods that contain trans fats, (partially hydrogenated oils) sugary carbohydrates, sodas, manufactured and prepackaged foods and fatty dairy and meat products the reaction that takes place is significantly higher cholesterol levels. When you eat foods that do not contain bad fats, the reaction is lowered cholesterol. By substituting bad foods with healthier foods, it is possible to reduce cholesterol levels. The more substitutions that are made, the greater the cholesterol reduction.

The old mindset used to be total avoidance of all fats when attempting to lower cholesterol but we now know that good fats can help a lot. Understanding good fats from bad fats is so important when learning how to control cholesterol.

• Medium chained saturated fatty acids: These acids are found in some plant foods such as coconuts, and do not increase cholesterol productions as other saturated fatty acids do.
• Unsaturated fatty acids: Monounsaturated fats like those found in walnuts and avocados and olive oil reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL, which protects against arteriosclerosis. (Hardening of the arteries)
• Unsaturated fatty acids: Polyunsaturated fats are found mainly in seeds and seed oils like sesame. They also reduce LDL cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids are a special type of polyunsaturated fatty acid found primarily in fatty fish like salmon and tuna and most Americans suffer a deficiency of these unique and wonderful fatty acids.

So what foods lower cholesterol? This you need to know because getting certain nutrients is so important when learning how to lower cholesterol and consistently maintaining healthy levels. Foods like leafy greens and green vegetables that are high in fiber will always be your wisest choice. Think of fiber in veggies as a scrub brush for the arteries, cleaning out and scrubbing away bad cholesterol.

Making homemade dressings and roasting veggies and fish in olive oil is great for lowering bad cholesterol. Olive oil is high in oleic acid which is why it is so helpful in lowering bad cholesterol. It's a very good fat to use consistently without worry. Nuts like almonds and walnuts are also a good form of cholesterol lowering fat. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and apples are high in soluble fiber, vitamin c and folic acid which are all known cholesterol lowering nutrients.

Legumes and beans like peas, lentils and red beans are high in cancer fighting phytochemicals, carotenoids, isoflavanoids and vitamins A, C and E. These are all helpful in lowering cholesterol. Oftentimes these nutrients are needed in therapeutic doses through supplementation to bring the body to a necessary and balanced place quickly so drugs can be avoided. Interestingly enough, the nutrients that lower cholesterol are also the same nutrients that heal the body of many other forms of inflammation.

It's also important to understand that one size does not fit all in terms of cholesterol. Most doctors will pass out statins to anyone who is a certain number regardless of their family history. If you are currently taking a statin, please make sure you are taking CoQ10 because statin drugs with deplete the body of this vital co-factor that protects the heart. Some bodies/livers just naturally produce higher cholesterol and do not necessarily put the person at risk if their number is higher than someone else. Cholesterol is needed for normal and healthy hormone production and so just working to maintain a good and balanced ratio is the ideal goal when tackling cholesterol.

Just remember that lowering cholesterol and living a lifestyle that helps maintain consistently good levels will lead to decreased inflammation throughout your entire body. You'll begin to feel better in ways you never knew. The results will be evident not just in your cholesterol numbers but also in the way you feel. It's simple and worth it.

Dr. Asa's Thoughts:

Dr. Asa's Protocol for Supporting Cholesterol

1. Eat 2-3 organic eggs each day
2. Exercise to increase HDL's
3. We recommend Cholesterol Protocol - CLICK HERE