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Lowering Cholesterol

The common belief is that lowering cholesterol will keep you from having a heart attack. But it isn't quite that simple. The majority of heart attack victims don't have high cholesterol and even those with cholesterol below 200 are at risk for a heart attack.

Cholesterol has received a bum rap—in fact cholesterol is so vital that you’d have to eat about 20 eggs to absorb the amount of cholesterol that your body makes every day.

If too much cholesterol isn't the problem then why are the doctors prescribing millions of doses of cholesterol medications? Good question. There is significant information that points to the problems of lowering cholesterol with statin drugs such as Lipitor, Crestor or one of their generic cousins.

Although there are several components of lowering cholesterol only two, LDLs and HDLs get much attention. This gets a little technical, but stay with me on this. 

• LDL cholesterol is short for Low density lipoproteins. This is the so-called "bad" cholesterol and we want to keep the number of these guys below 130 as they are one of the factors in the artery clogging process.

• HDL cholesterol is short for high density lipoproteins. This is the good cholesterol and we want as much of it as possible. HDL cholesterol acts like a vacuum cleaner to carry the debris back to the liver where it can be disposed of. You want these numbers above 40 and 55 is better.

• VLDL stands for very low-density lipoproteins. VLDL cholesterol is "very bad" cholesterol and should be less than 35 mg/dl, preferably even lower.

• Many folks look at just their total cholesterol number but the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol is a much better measurement of heart attack risk.

Little Known Heart Attack Risk Factors:

• Lp(a) cholesterol. Many researchers say this is the “baddest” cholesterol.

• homocysteine is very dangerous and can injure the arteries and accelerate clogging. It is also linked to cancer, Alzheimer's and many other diseases that we really don't want to have. 

  Doctors rarely order a blood test to check Lp(a) or homocysteine levels. 

Research has shown conclusively that high ldl cholesterol is only one factor in cardiovascular disease.

The complete story is more complex. There is injury to the lining of the artery due to toxic, reactive molecules known as free radicals, oxidized LDL cholesterol, oxidized triglycerides, etc. 

This is followed by attempts at repair that involve thickening the arteries by repair proteins apo(a) and fibrinogen, along with fats and cholesterol. The combination of thickened (narrowed) arteries and sticky platelets is what sets the stage for heart attacks and strokes...but the good news is that this doesn't have to happen!

How to Improve Your Cholesterol Naturally

Food is your best medicine
The food industry spends millions advertising their low cholesterol foods but the best cholesterol lowering foods usually don't come in a package. You'll find them in the produce department.

Vegetables, fruit and whole grains should be your mainstay as they are full of antioxidants and fiber. You're probably thinking, "That's what I have been hearing for years." True, but are you really getting the recommended amount of five servings per day? If so, congratulations... you belong to a very select club.

Heart Supplements
I am a strong believer in the natural approach to lowering cholesterol and included in this is Cholest-Natural from X-Tend Life. This heart supplement contains a small amount on niacin and three additional ingredients that have a great track record. They are policosanol, Beta-sitosterol and Tea theaflavins a derivative of green tea.

Give it a look. I think you will agree that this could be the answer you have been looking for.

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