Re: liver-cholesterol drug

[Guest guest]

There seems to be vast amount of knowledge here so I am asking yet another

question. My cholesterol keeps climbing even though I have cut out many

things in my diet AND lost weight. My last physical showed not only my

cholesterol but also my blood glucose is on the rise. The doctor thinks

both are genetic. He insisted that I start a new cholesterol lowering

medication, Crestor. I have read all I could find about it but know there

is much not known or written at least. I have been on it for about a

week--and I do mean WEAK I can hardly get out of bed in the mornings and

have little strength to do my usual activities during the day. I have always

been a night owl but now find myself having to go to bed around 9 PM. At

first I thought I was just catching up on sleep from my 3 AM wakenings from

gallbladder pain but that has been resolved at least for now with all the

good info on here. Has anyone else had or heard of any similar problem with

weakness while taking Crestor or any other drug like it?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/26/2004 9:47:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

jes94@... writes:

> Has anyone else had or heard of any similar problem with

> weakness while taking Crestor or any other drug like it?

>

I truly know nothing about that kind of drug (and I plan to keep it that

way.) But I can offer that my step mother was put on one of that class of drug

--

a few years back -- and she too suffered extreme weakness as a reaction. In

her case it was a serious drug-induced side effect. You might want to think

about calling your doctor instead of taking the " grin and bear it " approach.

Good luck,

[Guest guest]

JUDITH You are scaring me. If you read the book " The Cholesterol Myth " or

dive into the information about fats on the Weston A. Price Foundation

website I think you will be like me and suddenly see the truth about the

meaning of cholesterol in our bodies. " Modern " medicine has it all wrong!

This substance is there to protect your arteries from oxidative stress

(inflammation) that came from somewhere else. These books and sites list

dozens of probably causes. The cholesterol is like an ambulance at an

accident scene. It ain't the problem, it is there because you have some other

thing going on, i't s a " marker " but also one that protects you. Likewise, high

cholesterol is not connected to incidence of cardiovascular disease. You

have to read the entire body of information to understand this, and i couldn't

relay it all here, but I know you will be STUNNED if you explore what is out

there.

Bottom line: Using drugs to lower your cholesterol is leaving your arteries

vulnerable and exposed.These types of drugs are a fad thing (granted, a

monster money-maker fad!) that will be nothing more than a cruel joke in our

blip of medical history. Think back to the poor devils that were dosed with

mercury or bled almost to death! I pity the poor pioneering doctors who are

now blowing the whistle on this fat cash cow that needs to go away!

No one knows for sure this minute if the drug is making you experience low

energy but the timing is pretty suspicious and it's the kind of drug that could

do it (see the PDR or the literature!) Yipes!. I bet you can't find a holistic

doctor anywhere that will keep you on that drug one more second....

[Guest guest]

Here is the Barron newsletter that I received a couple of days ago. It

might be of interest to you some of you.

I don't know if this newsletter is on his website yet (www.jonbarron.org); I

received it as an email a couple of days after I signed up to receive the

newsletter.

I hope the lines break in the right places. My apologies if they do not.

" The cholesterol is like an ambulance at an accident scene. " That was a

good one! Well said, Will.

Carol Lively

....

The Cholesterol Myth

Jon Barron

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is not a fat, but rather a soft, waxy, " fat-like " substance that

circulates in the bloodstream. It is vital to life and is found in all cell

membranes. It is necessary for the production of bile acids and steroid

hormones and Vitamin D. Cholesterol is manufactured by the liver, but is

also present in all animal foods. It is abundant in organ meats, shell fish,

and egg yolks but is contained in smaller amounts in all meats and poultry.

Vegetable oils and shortenings contain no cholesterol.

Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood, so your liver combines it with

special proteins called lipoproteins to “liquefy”

it. The lipoproteins used by the liver are either very low-density

lipoproteins (VLDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL). (VLDL cholesterol is

metabolized in the bloodstream to produce LDL, or low-density cholesterol.)

Note: HDL is called the " good cholesterol " because HDL cholesterol particles

prevent atherosclerosis by extracting

cholesterol from arterial walls and disposing of them through the liver. LDL

cholesterol is called " bad " cholesterol, because elevated LDL cholesterol is

associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Thus, high

levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol (high LDL/HDL

ratios) are considered by most doctors to be risk factors for

atherosclerosis, while low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL

cholesterol (low LDL/HDL ratios) are considered desirable.

It is important to note that the liver not only manufactures and secretes

LDL cholesterol into the blood, it also removes it. To remove LDL

cholesterol from the blood, the liver relies on special proteins called LDL

receptors that are normally present on the surface of liver cells. LDL

receptors snatch LDL cholesterol particles from the blood and transport them

inside the liver. A high number of active LDL receptors on the liver

surfaces are associated with the rapid removal of LDL cholesterol from the

blood and low blood LDL levels. A deficiency of LDL receptors is associated

with high LDL cholesterol blood levels. But it is also crucial that the

cholesterol which has been stored in the liver by the LDL receptors be

regularly " flushed " to make room for “new” deposits, or the process comes to

a standstill, thus causing levels to soar in the bloodstream.

In point of fact, the liver is responsible for over 80% of your cholesterol

level. Diet accounts for less than 20%

The Cholesterol Theory of Heart Disease

According to the cholesterol theory of heart disease (and despite all that

you may have heard, it is only a theory), LDL cholesterol in the blood

combines with other substances such as cellular waste products, calcium, and

fibrin (a clotting material in the blood) to form arterial plaque, which

attaches itself to the inner lining of the arteries. Over time, cholesterol

plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries,

a process called atherosclerosis. Arteries that supply blood and oxygen to

the heart muscles are called coronary arteries. When coronary arteries are

narrowed by atherosclerosis, they are incapable of supplying enough blood

and oxygen to the heart muscle during exertion. Lack of oxygen to the heart

muscle (ischemia) causes chest pain. Also formation of a blood clot in the

artery can clause complete blockage of the artery, leading to death of heart

muscle (heart attack). Atherosclerotic disease of coronary arteries

(coronary heart disease) is the most common cause of death in the United Sta

tes, accounting for about 750,000 deaths annually.

Causes of High Cholesterol

Again, according to the cholesterol theory of heart disease, both heredity

and diet have a significant influence on a patient's LDL, HDL and total

cholesterol levels. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia is a common

inherited disorder whose victims have a diminished number or nonexistent LDL

receptors on the surface of liver cells. The resultant decreased activity of

the LDL receptors limits the liver's ability to remove LDL cholesterol from

blood. Thus, affected family members have abnormally high LDL cholesterol

levels in the blood. They also tend to develop atherosclerosis and heart

attacks during early adulthood.

Diets that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol decrease the LDL

receptor activity in the liver, thereby raising the levels of LDL

cholesterol in the blood. Saturated fats are derived primarily from meat and

dairy products and according to most doctors can raise blood cholesterol

levels. Some vegetable oils made from coconut, palm, and cocoa are also high

in saturated fats and are on the medical " no-no " list. On the other hand,

most vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fats. Unlike saturated fats,

unsaturated fats do not raise blood cholesterol (again according to the

theory) and can sometimes lower cholesterol. Olive and canola oil are high

in monounsaturated fats, which may have a protective effect against coronary

heart disease. Unfortunately, some vegetable oils are converted to saturated

fats during a process called " hydrogenation " which can be required for food

processing.

Note: the concept that you might have to flush cholesterol stored in the

liver to make room for new cholesterol coming from the bloodstream did not

make its way into the cholesterol theory of heart disease.

How Low

On May 15, 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP) issued

major new clinical practice guidelines on the prevention and treatment of

high cholesterol levels in adults, lowering the target optimum level for LDL

to less than 100. This was the first major update of the NCEP guidelines

since 1993. The NCEP has predicted that the new guidelines will increase the

number of Americans requiring treatment for elevated cholesterol levels

(from 52 million to 65 million) and will nearly triple the number of

Americans who will need to take cholesterol lowering drugs (from 13 million

to 36 million).

But for many doctors, 36 million people under experimental drug therapy are

not enough. Many “experts” are now pushing to set target limits for LDL to

less than 80, which would mandate that tens of millions more Americans be on

moderate to high doses of statin drugs for the rest of their lives – despite

the fact that these drugs are known to cause significant liver damage.

The Studies

And, of course, there are the usual assortment of FDA approved double blind

studies to back these conclusions. In the past 10 years, clinical trials

have “conclusively” demonstrated that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces heart

attacks and saves lives. The benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol include:

Reducing the formation of new cholesterol plaques

Eliminating existing plaques

Preventing rupture of existing plaques

Decreasing the risk of heart attacks

Lowering the chance of strokes.

So what’s my problem? Quite simply, that cholesterol doesn’t cause plaque to

accumulate on arterial walls. If it did, why doesn’t anyone ever have

clogged veins – only clogged arteries? Think about that for a moment. If

high levels of cholesterol promoted the formation of plaque and its

accumulation on arterial walls, then why doesn’t it accumulate on the walls

of veins? And the answer is – because the problem is centered in the walls

of the arteries, not in the cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream.

Challenging the Theory

To understand what I’m talking about, it’s first necessary to understand the

beneficial role that arterial plaque plays in the human body (yes,

beneficial), because therein lies the key to understanding a key role that

cholesterol plays. So what is the role of plaque? It is “repair cement” for

arterial walls. That is to say, if there is any damage to the arterial wall,

your body will whip up some plaque from the cholesterol, calcium, and fibrin

in the bloodstream to repair the damage before the arterial wall develops a

leak and you bleed to death internally. Cholesterol isn’t part of the

problem, it’s part of the solution – to a different problem.

With that in mind, let’s now look at some of the basic assumptions of the

cholesterol theory of heart disease.

Does eating a high cholesterol diet automatically lead to heart disease?

Absolutely not. Look at the results seen on the Atkins Diet.

Does eating a high saturated fat diet automatically lead to heart disease?

Again, absolutely not. Consider the traditional Eskimo diet, probably the

highest saturated fat diet in the world because of all the whale and seal

blubber consumed. And yet Eskimos on that diet have virtually no heart

disease – until they shift to a modern Western diet. The same positive

results are seen with the Atkins diet with its high consumption of saturated

fats. (Both diets, however, are associated with different problems long

term. Eskimos, on the traditional diet, for example, have an extremely high

rate of osteoporosis because their diet promotes high acid levels in body

tissue.)

Does lowering cholesterol in the diet automatically reduce cholesterol

levels in the bloodstream? Not necessarily.

Does lowering cholesterol in the bloodstream reduce the formation of new

plaques? In many cases it does, but not necessarily for the reasons

promoted. The primary reason may be that you’ve minimized the ability of the

body to effect repairs. You haven’t got rid of the problem – merely the

ability of the problem to manifest one particular set of symptoms.

Do the statin drugs (Advicor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol and Zocor)

reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke?

Yes, but as we will discuss shortly, probably not because of their ability

to lower cholesterol, and not without significant side effects.

An Alternative Theory

I would like to propose now the “arterial damage” theory of heart disease.

Quite simply, it says that since your body produces arterial plaque in

response to arterial damage, excessive plaque build-up and the concomitant

hardening and narrowing of the arteries is the result of excessive damage,

scarring, and inflammation in the arterial walls. And why only the arteries

and not the veins? Because, as we shall see shortly, arterial walls contain

muscle tissue that is particularly susceptible to damage. Veins do not

contain muscle tissue and are less likely to suffer damage.. So what causes

damage or inflammation to the arterial walls? Well, among other things.

High homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced as a normal

byproduct of the breakdown of methionine (from proteins), which is an

essential amino acid acquired mostly from eating meat. Homocysteine

generates superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, both of which have been linked

to damage of the endothelial lining of arterial vessels. Studies have shown

that too much homocysteine in the blood is related to a higher risk of

coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

Too much Omega-6 fatty acid in the diet. The body converts linoleic acid,

the primary fatty acid found in bottled vegetable oil, to arachidonic acid.

The -2 enzyme then converts the arachidonic acid to the hormone-like

prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and to the cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1),

interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), all of which

promote inflammation in the body in general, and in the arterial walls in

particular.

Eating high levels of meats and animal fat from grain fattened animals

saturates the body with large amounts arachidonic acid. As a point of

interest, the high levels of arachidonic acid found in most meat are

accumulated from the conversion of Omega-6 fatty acids present in the grains

used to fatten them. That means that only minimal levels of arachidonic acid

are found in range-fed beef. If you can find it, range-fed beef is far

healthier for you than the more common grain-fed variety.

High acid diets. Diets high in meat, sugar, grain, and starch raise acid

levels in body tissue – thereby making it hard for the body to clear the

lactic acid that builds up in muscle tissue from normal muscle activity.

This is a particular problem for arteries since the arterial wall contains

muscle tissue (again, veins do not) so that the arteries can be contracted

to even out blood pressure when changing position (from lying down to

suddenly standing up, for example). The problem is that when the acid doesn’

t clear, it irritates, inflames, and scars the muscle tissue in the arterial

walls.

High levels of circulating immune complexes in the blood. Circulating immune

complexes (CICs) are created when you eat complex proteins (usually from

wheat, corn, and dairy) that cannot be digested thoroughly. They make their

way into the bloodstream, where they are treated as allergens by the body

and combined with antibodies, thus forming CICs. When the number of CICs

climbs beyond the ability of the body to eliminate them all, they are

deposited in the body's soft tissue, including the arterial walls, thereby

triggering attacks by the body’s immune system, which results in

inflammation.

Inflammation in general. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory

marker — a substance that the liver releases in response to inflammation

somewhere in the body. Studies indicate that men with high levels of CRP

have triple the risk of heart attack and double the risk of stroke compared

to men with lower CRP levels. In women, studies have shown that elevated

levels of CRP may increase the risk of a heart attack by as much as seven

times. The statin medicines (Advicor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol

and Zocor) reduce levels of CRP. This may be more significant in accounting

for the ability of these drugs to statistically lower the incidence of heart

disease than the role these drugs play in lowering cholesterol levels.

Solutions

Avoid trans fatty acids like the plague. Hydrogenated and partially

hydrogenated oils (the trans fatty acids) are the number one killer in the

modern diet.

Optimize the liver. Do a periodic liver flush that includes the use of

lipotropic herbs such as dandelion root to flush accumulated fats and

cholesterol from the liver and gallbladder.

Lower homocysteine levels. While there is a considerable amount we do not

know about homocysteine, we do know how to use nutritional supplements to

reduce homocysteine levels. This is done through three independent routes:

(1) using folic acid with vitamin B-12, (2) using trimethylglycine (TMG),

and (3) through B-6. The first two work through a process called

methylation, and the B-6 through transsulfuration. Such a combined approach

can normalize homocysteine in 95% of the people studied.

Optimize Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios by eliminating bottled vegetable oils

found in your supermarket, except for olive oil, and supplementing with fish

oil and flax seed oil, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Much of the

problem with inflammatory disorders actually stems from a lopsided imbalance

in dietary intake of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and the resulting

cascade in pro-inflammatory activity. The ideal ratio is roughly 1 to 1;

however, over the past 30 years, people from industrialized countries have

replaced much of their dietary saturated fat (on the mistaken advice of

their doctors and the media) with vegetable oil omega-6 fatty acids. Ratios

of 20 to 1 and 30 to 1 are now not uncommon. From a biochemical standpoint,

this sets the stage for major arterial inflammation. (See the October 21,

2002 newsletter.)

A good antioxidant formula that contains OPCs, can help repair damage to

arterial walls.

Proteolytic Enzymes. This is one of the most important things you can do.

The regular use of proteolytic enzymes can help eliminate CICs from the

body, reduce overall inflammation, dissolve accumulated plaque, and repair

arterial scar tissue. Although the evidence is purely anecdotal at the

moment, we have seen extraordinary results using detox levels of this

formula.

Conclusion

So, is there anything to worry about with high cholesterol levels? Yes, sort

of.

High cholesterol levels are indicative of other problems – sort of like the

canary in the coal mine. Among other things, they can be a warning signal

for:

Liver problems

Dietary imbalance

High acid levels

Chronic inflammation, which may be a factor in the onset of Alzheimer’s and

cancer in addition to heart disease

High cholesterol levels and high levels of saturated fat in the blood

" thicken " the blood. If the arteries are wide open, this is not a problem.

But if the arterial walls have been narrowed or hardened, the thickened

blood significantly increase the odds of a heart attack or stroke. Of

course, there are a number of natural ways to thin the blood. Gingko biloba

is a blood thinner, as is garlic, as are Proteolytic Enzymes (particularly

nattokinase).

The trick, of course, is to take care of the problem, not the warning

signal. Artificially suppressing cholesterol levels with statin drugs is a

bit like feeling good about your car because you’ve disconnected your

warning lights. Not very bright.

And if you’re desperate to lower cholesterol levels without subjecting

yourself to the side effects of the statin drugs, supplement with niacin and

policosanol. Policosanol is a natural supplement made from sugar cane. It

works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of

cholesterol, as well as being a powerful antioxidant that prevents LDL

oxidation. Clinical studies show that policosanol is as effective as

prescription drugs in lowering cholesterol levels, without their dangerous

side effects. And, in addition, it reduces the inflammatory response in the

arterial wall.

Just for Fun - Questions for Your Doctor

Remember, the cholesterol theory of heart disease is only a theory – a

theory that is increasingly being discredited. For those of you who enjoy

tormenting your doctor, or if you just want to see them get flustered and

angry, be sure and ask them the following questions.

If cholesterol is the main culprit in heart disease, why don’t veins ever

get narrowed and blocked?

If high cholesterol foods are responsible for raising cholesterol levels,

then why do people on the high-cholesterol Atkins Diet experience such a

significant drop in cholesterol levels?

Why do Eskimos who eat a traditional diet of almost pure saturated fat

(whale and seal blubber) have almost a zero incidence of heart disease?

If the liver is responsible for regulating up to 80% of my cholesterol

levels, why would I want to take statin drugs for lowering cholesterol –

considering that the number one known side effect of statin drugs is liver

damage?

[Guest guest]

>>>The Cholesterol Myth

Jon Barron

What Is Cholesterol?<<<

Hi Carol,

Thanks so much for the fwd! It was truly an education and cleared up quite a

few questions I'd been mulling regarding cholesterol and its effects.

Thank you!!!

n

[Guest guest]

Thank you all. I have quit taking the drug. I am feeling better already.

I just don't feel it is right for me although my doctor looks at my lab

results and scowls at me.

Judith

----- Original Message -----

From: " Carol Lively " <clively@...>

<gallstones >

Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 5:18 AM

Subject: RE: liver-cholesterol drug

> Here is the Barron newsletter that I received a couple of days ago. It

> might be of interest to you some of you.

>

> I don't know if this newsletter is on his website yet

(www.jonbarron.org); I

> received it as an email a couple of days after I signed up to receive

the

> newsletter.

>

> I hope the lines break in the right places. My apologies if they do

not.

>

> " The cholesterol is like an ambulance at an accident scene. " That was a

> good one! Well said, Will.

>

> Carol Lively

>

> ...

>

> The Cholesterol Myth

> Jon Barron

>

> What Is Cholesterol?

>

> Cholesterol is not a fat, but rather a soft, waxy, " fat-like " substance

that

> circulates in the bloodstream. It is vital to life and is found in all

cell

> membranes. It is necessary for the production of bile acids and steroid

> hormones and Vitamin D. Cholesterol is manufactured by the liver, but is

> also present in all animal foods. It is abundant in organ meats, shell

fish,

> and egg yolks but is contained in smaller amounts in all meats and

poultry.

> Vegetable oils and shortenings contain no cholesterol.

>

> Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood, so your liver combines it with

> special proteins called lipoproteins to " liquefy "

> it. The lipoproteins used by the liver are either very low-density

> lipoproteins (VLDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL). (VLDL

cholesterol is

> metabolized in the bloodstream to produce LDL, or low-density

cholesterol.)

>

> Note: HDL is called the " good cholesterol " because HDL cholesterol

particles

> prevent atherosclerosis by extracting

> cholesterol from arterial walls and disposing of them through the liver.

LDL

> cholesterol is called " bad " cholesterol, because elevated LDL

cholesterol is

> associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Thus, high

> levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol (high

LDL/HDL

> ratios) are considered by most doctors to be risk factors for

> atherosclerosis, while low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of

HDL

> cholesterol (low LDL/HDL ratios) are considered desirable.

>

> It is important to note that the liver not only manufactures and

secretes

> LDL cholesterol into the blood, it also removes it. To remove LDL

> cholesterol from the blood, the liver relies on special proteins called

LDL

> receptors that are normally present on the surface of liver cells. LDL

> receptors snatch LDL cholesterol particles from the blood and transport

them

> inside the liver. A high number of active LDL receptors on the liver

> surfaces are associated with the rapid removal of LDL cholesterol from

the

> blood and low blood LDL levels. A deficiency of LDL receptors is

associated

> with high LDL cholesterol blood levels. But it is also crucial that the

> cholesterol which has been stored in the liver by the LDL receptors be

> regularly " flushed " to make room for " new " deposits, or the process

comes to

> a standstill, thus causing levels to soar in the bloodstream.

>

> In point of fact, the liver is responsible for over 80% of your

cholesterol

> level. Diet accounts for less than 20%

>

> The Cholesterol Theory of Heart Disease

>

> According to the cholesterol theory of heart disease (and despite all

that

> you may have heard, it is only a theory), LDL cholesterol in the blood

> combines with other substances such as cellular waste products, calcium,

and

> fibrin (a clotting material in the blood) to form arterial plaque, which

> attaches itself to the inner lining of the arteries. Over time,

cholesterol

> plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the

arteries,

> a process called atherosclerosis. Arteries that supply blood and oxygen

to

> the heart muscles are called coronary arteries. When coronary arteries

are

> narrowed by atherosclerosis, they are incapable of supplying enough

blood

> and oxygen to the heart muscle during exertion. Lack of oxygen to the

heart

> muscle (ischemia) causes chest pain. Also formation of a blood clot in

the

> artery can clause complete blockage of the artery, leading to death of

heart

> muscle (heart attack). Atherosclerotic disease of coronary arteries

> (coronary heart disease) is the most common cause of death in the United

Sta

> tes, accounting for about 750,000 deaths annually.

>

> Causes of High Cholesterol

>

> Again, according to the cholesterol theory of heart disease, both

heredity

> and diet have a significant influence on a patient's LDL, HDL and total

> cholesterol levels. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia is a

common

> inherited disorder whose victims have a diminished number or nonexistent

LDL

> receptors on the surface of liver cells. The resultant decreased

activity of

> the LDL receptors limits the liver's ability to remove LDL cholesterol

from

> blood. Thus, affected family members have abnormally high LDL

cholesterol

> levels in the blood. They also tend to develop atherosclerosis and heart

> attacks during early adulthood.

>

> Diets that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol decrease the LDL

> receptor activity in the liver, thereby raising the levels of LDL

> cholesterol in the blood. Saturated fats are derived primarily from meat

and

> dairy products and according to most doctors can raise blood cholesterol

> levels. Some vegetable oils made from coconut, palm, and cocoa are also

high

> in saturated fats and are on the medical " no-no " list. On the other

hand,

> most vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fats. Unlike saturated fats,

> unsaturated fats do not raise blood cholesterol (again according to the

> theory) and can sometimes lower cholesterol. Olive and canola oil are

high

> in monounsaturated fats, which may have a protective effect against

coronary

> heart disease. Unfortunately, some vegetable oils are converted to

saturated

> fats during a process called " hydrogenation " which can be required for

food

> processing.

>

> Note: the concept that you might have to flush cholesterol stored in the

> liver to make room for new cholesterol coming from the bloodstream did

not

> make its way into the cholesterol theory of heart disease.

>

> How Low

>

> On May 15, 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP) issued

> major new clinical practice guidelines on the prevention and treatment

of

> high cholesterol levels in adults, lowering the target optimum level for

LDL

> to less than 100. This was the first major update of the NCEP guidelines

> since 1993. The NCEP has predicted that the new guidelines will increase

the

> number of Americans requiring treatment for elevated cholesterol levels

> (from 52 million to 65 million) and will nearly triple the number of

> Americans who will need to take cholesterol lowering drugs (from 13

million

> to 36 million).

>

> But for many doctors, 36 million people under experimental drug therapy

are

> not enough. Many " experts " are now pushing to set target limits for LDL

to

> less than 80, which would mandate that tens of millions more Americans

be on

> moderate to high doses of statin drugs for the rest of their lives -

despite

> the fact that these drugs are known to cause significant liver damage.

>

> The Studies

>

> And, of course, there are the usual assortment of FDA approved double

blind

> studies to back these conclusions. In the past 10 years, clinical trials

> have " conclusively " demonstrated that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces

heart

> attacks and saves lives. The benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol

include:

>

> Reducing the formation of new cholesterol plaques

> Eliminating existing plaques

> Preventing rupture of existing plaques

> Decreasing the risk of heart attacks

> Lowering the chance of strokes.

>

> So what's my problem? Quite simply, that cholesterol doesn't cause

plaque to

> accumulate on arterial walls. If it did, why doesn't anyone ever have

> clogged veins - only clogged arteries? Think about that for a moment. If

> high levels of cholesterol promoted the formation of plaque and its

> accumulation on arterial walls, then why doesn't it accumulate on the

walls

> of veins? And the answer is - because the problem is centered in the

walls

> of the arteries, not in the cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream.

>

> Challenging the Theory

>

> To understand what I'm talking about, it's first necessary to understand

the

> beneficial role that arterial plaque plays in the human body (yes,

> beneficial), because therein lies the key to understanding a key role

that

> cholesterol plays. So what is the role of plaque? It is " repair cement "

for

> arterial walls. That is to say, if there is any damage to the arterial

wall,

> your body will whip up some plaque from the cholesterol, calcium, and

fibrin

> in the bloodstream to repair the damage before the arterial wall

develops a

> leak and you bleed to death internally. Cholesterol isn't part of the

> problem, it's part of the solution - to a different problem.

>

> With that in mind, let's now look at some of the basic assumptions of

the

> cholesterol theory of heart disease.

>

> Does eating a high cholesterol diet automatically lead to heart disease?

> Absolutely not. Look at the results seen on the Atkins Diet.

>

> Does eating a high saturated fat diet automatically lead to heart

disease?

> Again, absolutely not. Consider the traditional Eskimo diet, probably

the

> highest saturated fat diet in the world because of all the whale and

seal

> blubber consumed. And yet Eskimos on that diet have virtually no heart

> disease - until they shift to a modern Western diet. The same positive

> results are seen with the Atkins diet with its high consumption of

saturated

> fats. (Both diets, however, are associated with different problems long

> term. Eskimos, on the traditional diet, for example, have an extremely

high

> rate of osteoporosis because their diet promotes high acid levels in

body

> tissue.)

>

> Does lowering cholesterol in the diet automatically reduce cholesterol

> levels in the bloodstream? Not necessarily.

>

> Does lowering cholesterol in the bloodstream reduce the formation of new

> plaques? In many cases it does, but not necessarily for the reasons

> promoted. The primary reason may be that you've minimized the ability of

the

> body to effect repairs. You haven't got rid of the problem - merely the

> ability of the problem to manifest one particular set of symptoms.

> Do the statin drugs (Advicor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol and

Zocor)

> reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke?

>

> Yes, but as we will discuss shortly, probably not because of their

ability

> to lower cholesterol, and not without significant side effects.

>

> An Alternative Theory

>

> I would like to propose now the " arterial damage " theory of heart

disease.

> Quite simply, it says that since your body produces arterial plaque in

> response to arterial damage, excessive plaque build-up and the

concomitant

> hardening and narrowing of the arteries is the result of excessive

damage,

> scarring, and inflammation in the arterial walls. And why only the

arteries

> and not the veins? Because, as we shall see shortly, arterial walls

contain

> muscle tissue that is particularly susceptible to damage. Veins do not

> contain muscle tissue and are less likely to suffer damage.. So what

causes

> damage or inflammation to the arterial walls? Well, among other things.

>

> High homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced as a

normal

> byproduct of the breakdown of methionine (from proteins), which is an

> essential amino acid acquired mostly from eating meat. Homocysteine

> generates superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, both of which have been

linked

> to damage of the endothelial lining of arterial vessels. Studies have

shown

> that too much homocysteine in the blood is related to a higher risk of

> coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

>

> Too much Omega-6 fatty acid in the diet. The body converts linoleic

acid,

> the primary fatty acid found in bottled vegetable oil, to arachidonic

acid.

> The -2 enzyme then converts the arachidonic acid to the hormone-like

> prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and to the cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1),

> interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), all of

which

> promote inflammation in the body in general, and in the arterial walls

in

> particular.

>

> Eating high levels of meats and animal fat from grain fattened animals

> saturates the body with large amounts arachidonic acid. As a point of

> interest, the high levels of arachidonic acid found in most meat are

> accumulated from the conversion of Omega-6 fatty acids present in the

grains

> used to fatten them. That means that only minimal levels of arachidonic

acid

> are found in range-fed beef. If you can find it, range-fed beef is far

> healthier for you than the more common grain-fed variety.

>

> High acid diets. Diets high in meat, sugar, grain, and starch raise acid

> levels in body tissue - thereby making it hard for the body to clear the

> lactic acid that builds up in muscle tissue from normal muscle activity.

> This is a particular problem for arteries since the arterial wall

contains

> muscle tissue (again, veins do not) so that the arteries can be

contracted

> to even out blood pressure when changing position (from lying down to

> suddenly standing up, for example). The problem is that when the acid

doesn'

> t clear, it irritates, inflames, and scars the muscle tissue in the

arterial

> walls.

>

> High levels of circulating immune complexes in the blood. Circulating

immune

> complexes (CICs) are created when you eat complex proteins (usually from

> wheat, corn, and dairy) that cannot be digested thoroughly. They make

their

> way into the bloodstream, where they are treated as allergens by the

body

> and combined with antibodies, thus forming CICs. When the number of CICs

> climbs beyond the ability of the body to eliminate them all, they are

> deposited in the body's soft tissue, including the arterial walls,

thereby

> triggering attacks by the body's immune system, which results in

> inflammation.

>

> Inflammation in general. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory

> marker - a substance that the liver releases in response to inflammation

> somewhere in the body. Studies indicate that men with high levels of CRP

> have triple the risk of heart attack and double the risk of stroke

compared

> to men with lower CRP levels. In women, studies have shown that elevated

> levels of CRP may increase the risk of a heart attack by as much as

seven

> times. The statin medicines (Advicor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor,

Pravachol

> and Zocor) reduce levels of CRP. This may be more significant in

accounting

> for the ability of these drugs to statistically lower the incidence of

heart

> disease than the role these drugs play in lowering cholesterol levels.

>

> Solutions

>

> Avoid trans fatty acids like the plague. Hydrogenated and partially

> hydrogenated oils (the trans fatty acids) are the number one killer in

the

> modern diet.

>

> Optimize the liver. Do a periodic liver flush that includes the use of

> lipotropic herbs such as dandelion root to flush accumulated fats and

> cholesterol from the liver and gallbladder.

>

> Lower homocysteine levels. While there is a considerable amount we do

not

> know about homocysteine, we do know how to use nutritional supplements

to

> reduce homocysteine levels. This is done through three independent

routes:

> (1) using folic acid with vitamin B-12, (2) using trimethylglycine

(TMG),

> and (3) through B-6. The first two work through a process called

> methylation, and the B-6 through transsulfuration. Such a combined

approach

> can normalize homocysteine in 95% of the people studied.

>

> Optimize Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios by eliminating bottled vegetable oils

> found in your supermarket, except for olive oil, and supplementing with

fish

> oil and flax seed oil, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Much of

the

> problem with inflammatory disorders actually stems from a lopsided

imbalance

> in dietary intake of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and the

resulting

> cascade in pro-inflammatory activity. The ideal ratio is roughly 1 to 1;

> however, over the past 30 years, people from industrialized countries

have

> replaced much of their dietary saturated fat (on the mistaken advice of

> their doctors and the media) with vegetable oil omega-6 fatty acids.

Ratios

> of 20 to 1 and 30 to 1 are now not uncommon. From a biochemical

standpoint,

> this sets the stage for major arterial inflammation. (See the October

21,

> 2002 newsletter.)

>

> A good antioxidant formula that contains OPCs, can help repair damage to

> arterial walls.

>

> Proteolytic Enzymes. This is one of the most important things you can

do.

> The regular use of proteolytic enzymes can help eliminate CICs from the

> body, reduce overall inflammation, dissolve accumulated plaque, and

repair

> arterial scar tissue. Although the evidence is purely anecdotal at the

> moment, we have seen extraordinary results using detox levels of this

> formula.

>

> Conclusion

>

> So, is there anything to worry about with high cholesterol levels? Yes,

sort

> of.

>

> High cholesterol levels are indicative of other problems - sort of like

the

> canary in the coal mine. Among other things, they can be a warning

signal

> for:

>

> Liver problems

>

> Dietary imbalance

>

> High acid levels

>

> Chronic inflammation, which may be a factor in the onset of Alzheimer's

and

> cancer in addition to heart disease

>

> High cholesterol levels and high levels of saturated fat in the blood

> " thicken " the blood. If the arteries are wide open, this is not a

problem.

> But if the arterial walls have been narrowed or hardened, the thickened

> blood significantly increase the odds of a heart attack or stroke. Of

> course, there are a number of natural ways to thin the blood. Gingko

biloba

> is a blood thinner, as is garlic, as are Proteolytic Enzymes

(particularly

> nattokinase).

>

> The trick, of course, is to take care of the problem, not the warning

> signal. Artificially suppressing cholesterol levels with statin drugs is

a

> bit like feeling good about your car because you've disconnected your

> warning lights. Not very bright.

>

> And if you're desperate to lower cholesterol levels without subjecting

> yourself to the side effects of the statin drugs, supplement with niacin

and

> policosanol. Policosanol is a natural supplement made from sugar cane.

It

> works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of

> cholesterol, as well as being a powerful antioxidant that prevents LDL

> oxidation. Clinical studies show that policosanol is as effective as

> prescription drugs in lowering cholesterol levels, without their

dangerous

> side effects. And, in addition, it reduces the inflammatory response in

the

> arterial wall.

>

> Just for Fun - Questions for Your Doctor

>

> Remember, the cholesterol theory of heart disease is only a theory - a

> theory that is increasingly being discredited. For those of you who

enjoy

> tormenting your doctor, or if you just want to see them get flustered

and

> angry, be sure and ask them the following questions.

>

> If cholesterol is the main culprit in heart disease, why don't veins

ever

> get narrowed and blocked?

>

> If high cholesterol foods are responsible for raising cholesterol

levels,

> then why do people on the high-cholesterol Atkins Diet experience such a

> significant drop in cholesterol levels?

>

> Why do Eskimos who eat a traditional diet of almost pure saturated fat

> (whale and seal blubber) have almost a zero incidence of heart disease?

>

> If the liver is responsible for regulating up to 80% of my cholesterol

> levels, why would I want to take statin drugs for lowering cholesterol -

> considering that the number one known side effect of statin drugs is

liver

> damage?

>

>

>

>

> Learn more from our experience, over 7.000 liver flush stories:

> http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=4

> http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=80

> http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=100

> http://curezone.com/forums/fd50.asp?f=112

>

> Liver Cleanse Recipe: http://CureZone.com/cleanse/liver/

>

> Liver Flush FAQ: http://curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=73

>

> Images:

> http://CureZone.com/image_gallery/cleanse_flush/

> http://CureZone.com/image_gallery/intrahepatic_stones/

>

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> http://www.sensiblehealth.com/

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>

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>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Carol for the excellent review of the Cholesterol Myth.

He sure nails the Evil Empire being built upon both monitoring the wrong

blood chemistries and then modulating the wrong blood constituents with the

statins. It's as bad as the ADA refusing to look at the nation-wide health

quagmire being created by mercury amalgam and floridation.

Whistle-blowers are nuked in both cases. We are talking mega billions of

bucks at stake here. Both dentists and doctors are going to look like complete

fools and, worse, evil greedheads when the truth comes out. I'm expecting a

huge whitewash and diversion plan to bamboozle the American public

towards the next new, 'EVEN BETTER! " PLAN.

But, with regard to our gallbladders, we all suspect, the flow of cholesterol

in

the body MUST have some effect on our gallstones, given that 99% of them

are cholesterol. There are suspicious " smoking gun " threads in the article

about this, but it is not exactly addressed.

Since our lives and health depend upon getting control of depositon of these

cholesterol deposits, we need to know more. The article mentions doing

occasional liver flushes and states they should include herbs such as

dandelion but it is pretty vague and makes no connection to preventing the

formation nor the dissolution of existing stones.

Somewhere in this work, and other studies that may follow, could like the

secrets we all need to get healthy again.

Let's keep digging,

Will in Minneapolis