The Truth about Cholesterol

image

Cholesterol along with saturated fat has been the bogeyman of heart disease for centuries. People fret about how much cholesterol/ fat is in their food. Everyone tries to eliminate cholesterol by buying low fat or no fat foods.

 Perhaps they do not realize that cholesterol is essential to health, our body does produce some cholesterol and at times needs more to function well.

Cholesterol is a key building block of our hormones, like estrogen and testosterone; without these there would be no sex and no babies. You also need it to make bile which enables your body to break down the fats you ingest. Cholesterol also helps produce Vitamin D. All cells in your body need cholesterol to help them form their cell walls or they cannot do their job. You need a form of cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), to transport the fat soluble vitamins you take in daily like Vitamin A, D, E, K and CoQ10.

In the 1970’s studies said that saturated fat and cholesterol were the causes of heart disease, today we know that was an error. Pharmaceutical companies made drugs, “Statins”, to lower cholesterol, and doctors were putting everyone with high cholesterol on the drug. Sales of Lipitor, the most well-known drug of this type, topped $13 billion in annual revenues for the pharmaceutical giants.

Today, new studies show cholesterol is not the main reason for heart disease. From one half to two thirds of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol readings. More people with readings under 200 mg/dl (the normal range), die of chronic heart disease (CHD), than those whose levels are over 300 mg/dl!

Heart friendly dietary supplements can maintain and support good cardiovascular health. Many people, not everyone, can do well without Statin drugs, no surgery and therefore no drug side effects. Here are some recommendations to improve your cholesterol.

Improving your intake of Omega-3’s and antioxidants reduces risk of CHD by thinning the blood, improving heart rhythm and blood vessel flexibility. Vitamin E protects the LDL level of cholesterol especially if eating higher levels of trans- fat and vegetable oils. Vitamin B6 and B12 help lower the levels of homocysteine, a biochemical byproduct of the body, which can damage arteries.

Low Vitamin D levels have been associated with hypertension. Magnesium plays key roles in more than three hundred different processes in the body including regulation of heartbeat. Coenzyme Q10 is needed to produce energy for heart cells. Vitamin K2 helps by decreasing the amount of calcium deposits on the walls of arteries which leads to hardening of the arteries (Do not take Vit K if on Coumadin or any other blood thinner). Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP), is a new product that blocks and binds a protein, galectin-3 which causes fibrosis, a hardening and scarring of the heart muscle.

More and more Cardiologists are becoming aware that Inflammation is one cause of Arthrosclerosis, artery narrowing plaque deposits. Controlling inflammation is the number one strategy to prevent CHD and heart attacks. Various other factors related to heart issues is high blood pressure, excess glucose, smoking, pollution and poor dietary choices.

Replacing your diet with good food and decreasing inflammation can help your body support its cardiovascular system.

References:

www.naturalgrocers.com

www.hsionline.com

www.thehealingkitchen.com

Cindy Burrows
Cynthia Burrows, M.T. CWC, Herbalist

Cynthia Burrows, from Austin, Texas, owns Cindy Burrows, Natural Health Consultant; assisting individuals with health issues they would like to change. She will set up a program giving choices of foods, herbs, teas and homeopathic suggestions. Cindy is past owner of Nature’s Healing Herbs, an Herbal, Green Tea, and Tincture product line, and a rare product line of Green Tea Foods. She has certificates for Herbalist at East West School of Herbology, and as Wellness Consultant with the Wellness Forum in Ohio.

Cindy is also a Medical Technologist, with a B.S. degree from Mansfield University in Mansfield Pa., she has been in healthcare for over 30 years. In 2005, she started using a new device founded in Europe, Quantum Biofeedback, “an energy rebalancing of the body”, by using our bodies electricity or frequency waves it can detect stress points in the body, she has added this to her consulting practice. She now has her Certification as a Biofeedback Specialist. She helps her clients by working with the synergy of herbs, food, homeopathy, and aromatherapy within her practice. She is a speaker, writer, and teacher. Cindy has been interviewed on TV; about the benefits of Green Tea and has been on radio about her small business tour to Ecuador.

Cindy has been an herbalist for over 20 years and has spent 6 years learning through the East West School of Herbology with Michael Tierra. She has studied Western, Chinese and Ayurvedic Herbs with a strong emphasis on nutrition. Along with many other continued studies of alternative and complementary medicine. She is a Certified Wellness Consultant, through a special program, The Wellness Forum, which has its nutrition program, now part of the curriculum at Ohio State University, providing educational seminars and workshops designed to impart relevant nutrition information to individuals to take control of their own health. These programs give healthier options and choices that can impact your longevity and quality of life. Cindy has been a speaker to many groups and has conducted many of her own classes on food and healthy life style programs.

Cindy has been involved with a hands-on healing program for the past 4 years and offers energy healing, through donation only, to anyone who needs her services.

She is Co-president of the Austin Herb Society and a member of the American Herbalist Guild. Cynthia has been a board member on many programs in the past including; La Sertoma, Arthritis Foundation, Toastmasters International, National Association of Female Executives, Handicapped Equestrian Learning Program, Entrepreneurs Association, and Austin Integrated Health Care Program.

Cindy also loves nature, animals, reading, blending teas, juices, etc.; likes to hike, and work with plants and, of course, cooking., mostly vegetarian.
Cindy has an adventurous streak.
She has organized and taken tours with business and artists groups to Big Bend, Texas, New Mexico, USA, and Ecuador, South America.