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Herbal Glossary | Medicinal Glossary | Herbal Preparations | Ayervedic Formulas | Chinese Formulas High Cholesterol(Hypercholesterolemia)Contents:Definition | Causes | Nutrients
DefinitionThe chemical formula for cholesterol is C27H45OH. A monohydric alcohol. The most abundant steroid in animal tissues, especially in bile and gallstones; used as an emulsifying agent. Hypercholesterolemia is an excessive amount of cholesterol in the blood. About 80% of total body cholesterol is manufactured in the liver, the other 20% is from dietary sources. The body produces cholesterol because it is necessary in building cell membranes and sex hormones, and it aids in digestion. Cholesterol becomes a problem when excess of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are present in the body. It is this excess of LDLs that can trigger the formation of placque on artery walls. High density lipoproteins (HDLs) are good because they sweep the body clean of excess cholesterol. If the body has too little HDL or too much LDL, there can be a problem. The levels of these substances are greatly influenced by diet. Vegetarians have low LDL, while exercise, vitamin C, and niacin elevate the good HDL. It is generally healthier to have a total cholesterol reading of less than 200 (combining both HDL and LDL), and the higher the HDL fraction the better. If the HDL level is 80 and the LDL level is 120, you are considered low risk for heart disease. As the HDL level decreases, your potential for heart problems intensifies, even if the total is on the low side. An HDL level under 35 is considered risky. Cholesterol is insoluble in water. It must be attached to a protein in order for it to be carried in the blood. This link to a protein is called a lipoprotein. CausesOverindulgence in cholesterol-containing foods is dangerous, causing elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides. These fats produce placque-filled arteries that impede flow of blood to the brain, kidneys, genitals, extremities, and the heart. High cholesterol levels are the major cause of heart disease, fatty deposits in the arteries, and cerebrovascular and cardiac insufficiency. Also, high cholesterol is implicated in gallstones, impotence, mental impairment, and high blood pressure. Cholesterol, a yellowish, wax-like substance closely related to fat, is obtained from eating animal products. The body produces about Other factors that also play an important part in high blood cholesterol: NutrientsCoenzyme Q10, taken HerbsBack to Top RecommendationsOlder people should take a walk daily outdoors, breathing the fresh air for the added oxygen as they exercise. Oat bran and brown rice bran are the best foods for lowering cholesterol. Since fiber absorbs the minerals from the food it is in, take extra minerals separate from the fiber. Meat and dairy products are the main offenders since they contain high levels of cholesterol. Coffee, stress, and sustained tension raise the serum cholesterol. Alcohol, steroids, oral contraceptives, Lasix and other diuretics, and No salt, heated fats, or supermarket oils should be eaten. Avoid red meats, animal products, white bread, coffee, tea, alcohol, or tobacco. Reduce the amount of fats in the diet. Make sure to take in plenty of fiber in the form of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. A good exercise program is very important. Carrot juice helps flush fat from the bile in the liver and this helps lower cholesterol. Vegetables and fruits are free of cholesterol unless, in preparing for a meal, fats or other cholesterol substances are used. Sometimes people use margarine or vegetable oils because they contain no cholesterol, but once these are heated and ingested, the system is overwhelmed by deadly fats. Cream substitutes (nondairy cream), are poor alternatives to cholesterol heavy dairy products because many contain coconut oil, which is a highly saturated fat. Soy or almond milk is preferred. Pure virgin olive oil helps reduce serum cholesterol. Good fats are polyunsaturated fats. These are all vegetable fats that are liquid at room temperature. Examples of these are: olive oil, nuts, seeds, soybeans, black currant oil, and flaxseed. The fats that should be avoided are saturated fats, which are of animal origin: hydrogenated fats such as coconut oil and palm kernel oils; and hardened fats and oils such as margarine, lard, and butter. Some scientists claim that as the coffee consumed rises, the amount of cholesterol in the blood goes up dramatically. Saturated fatty acids are solid at room temperature. These raise the blood cholesterol level and contributes to the "hardening of arteries". Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in peanuts, peanut butter and oil, avocados, olives and olive oil, most nuts including cashews, pecans, and Brazil nuts, regular margarine, and vegetable shortening. These reduce the total blood cholesterol (reduce the LDL level leaving the HDL nearly untouched. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are usually liquid at room temperature. These are found in plant oils such as corn, safflower, cotton seed, and sunflower oil, and in salad dressings made from these oils. Exceptions to this rule are coconut and palm oil, which are high in saturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids tend to lower the level of blood cholesterol, thus helping to prevent strokes, coronary artery disease, and atherosclerosis. SuggestionsThere are home diagnostics kits available with new finger-stick testing for cholesterol. Always check with the doctor when high cholesterol is suspected. A number of drugs lower blood cholesterol, but physicians have been warned by drug companies of their serious side effects. Only as a last resort should these drugs be used. Some cholesterol lowering drugs can provoke or worsen psoriasis. Many fast food restaurants use beef tallow (fat) in their hamburgers, fish, chicken, and French-fries producing highly toxic chemical substances in these foods. There are claims that charcoal lowers cholesterol levels. Do not consume activated charcoal daily because it also absorbs the good nutrients. Do not take charcoal with other medication.
Resource LinksLiveStrong.com: Cinnamon Bark & Cholesterol LiveStrong.com: Sunflower Seeds & HDL LiveStrong.com: Dandelions & Cholesterol LiveStrong.com: Does Flaxseed Oil Reduce Cholesterol? LiveStrong.com: Herbal Supplements Used to Lower Cholesterol LiveStrong.com: Natural Methods for Lowering Triglycerides & Cholesterol National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: High Cholesterol National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute: High Blood Cholesterol National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What is Cholesterol? MayoClinic.com: Cholesterol-lowering supplements Mayo Clinic.com: Mayo Clinic: HDL cholesterol: How to boost your 'good' cholesterol Mayo Clinic - Cholesterol: Top 5 foods to lower your numbers PubMed.gov: Flaxseed reduces total and LDL cholesterol in Native American postmenopausal women. PubMed.gov: Experimental and clinical research findings on the cardiovascular benefits of flaxseed. PubMed.gov: Flaxseed extract lowers cholesterol and glucose in hypercholesterolaemic subjects. PubMed.gov: Cranberry flavonoids, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular health. PubMed.gov: Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and cardiovascular disease risk factors. PubMed.gov: Antihypercholesterolaemic effect of ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) in rats. PubMed.gov: Protective effects of Allium sativum against defects of hypercholesterolemia PubMed.gov: Effects of grape seed extract in Type 2 diabetic subjects at high cardiovascular risk PubMed.gov: Blood cholesterol and walnut consumption: a cross-sectional survey in France. PubMed.gov: Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Bibliography
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Back to Eden
, by Jethro Kloss; Back to Eden Publishing Co., Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994
, HCBL (Health Center for Better Living).,1414 Rosemary Lane, Naples, FL 34103., Special Sale Catalog, 1996Copyright © 1996-2010 Lynn DeVries, all rights reserved.