By: Kerri-Lynn LaPointe, ND | March 18, 2008 1:51 pm
1. High cholesterol is not a disease. Increased blood levels (hypercholesterolemia) indicate an inflammatory process is occurring in the body. Cholesterol is released by the liver to repair tissue (cell) damage. Coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and heart attacks all indicate inflammation of the heart tissue or blood vessels. Instead of blaming cholesterol, we need to determine why the cholesterol levels are high and treat the cause of chronic inflammation to reduce the extra need for cholesterol. Supplementing with fish oil is an excellent way to reduce inflammation and protect the cardiovascular system. Eating cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil and raw almonds or walnuts, and eliminating coffee have also been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
2. It is not as simple as having high good cholesterol levels and low bad cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is cholesterol. In the past, HDL (high density lipoprotein) has been touted for its heart-protective properties, and LDL (low density lipoprotein) has been given a bad rap as the cause of heart conditions. In fact, both HDL and LDL are simply fats combined with proteins that travel throughout the blood to various parts of the body to repair tissues. The important value to consider is the total cholesterol : HDL.. Also, it is important to note that extremely low cholesterol levels can be as harmful as high cholesterol levels.
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