Cholesterol Levels

Many classify cholesterol as good and bad. This is not true. Cholesterol is simply cholesterol. When thinking of good and bad, many are referring to HDL’s and LDL’s. HDL refers to high density lipoprotein while LDL refers to low density lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are merely cholesterol carriers. Lipoproteins are part lipid (fats) and part protein. The reason for this structure is proteins are soluble in water whereas fats are insoluble in water. The protein portion is used to transport the lipids through the blood. Since blood is comprised mostly of water, the lipid portion would not travel without the protein portion.

Heart disease and stroke are often triggered by high cholesterol in the blood. Lowering your cholesterol for some is just a matter of changing your diet. Others may need to diet and the help of medications prescribed by their doctor. Either way, lowering your cholesterol can save your life.

A delicate combination of steroid and alcohol, Cholesterol, also a combination of a lipid that is found in cell membranes of all of our body tissues. Cholesterol is also transported in the blood of all animals. You might derive that the name cholestral comes from the simple combination of the words alcohol and steroid however it actually dates back to Greece, (like most everything else). First discovered in 1784, cholesterol was found in a solid form in gallstones.

Gallsontes are crystalline bodies that are formed inside of the body by accretion (”growth or increase in size by gradual external addition”) or concretion (”a spherical or ellipsoidal nodule formed by accumulation of mineral matter after deposition of sediment”) of normal and abnormal bile components.

The largest single makeup of gallstones are cholesterol stones, which are generally green, but have been found to be white/yellow in color. Cholesterol stones account for approximately 80 percet of all gallstones, and are composed primarily of cholesterol.

People with high blood cholesterol levels are very exposed to developing heart disease. High cholesterol levels are common to people with ages over 50, people with weight problems, people with gastro-intestinal disorders and people with diabetes. High blood cholesterol levels can be the result of either overproduction of the substance (due to liver dysfunctions) or the inability of the body to eliminate it. However, apart from physiological factors that enable the accumulation of cholesterol inside the organism, there are also many other external factors that contribute to cholesterol build up: inappropriate diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and alcohol abuse.

Several studies, including one of medical students around exam time, and another of accountants during tax season, have shown significant increases in cholesterol levels during stressful events - when there was little change in diet.

Interesting isn’t it!

Are you caught up in modern day life? Do you have a mix of crazy work deadlines, household responsibilities and family needs — perhaps car problems or some bills that need urgent payment? You need to be very careful: Medical researchers have now discovered a link between periods of severe stress and increased cholesterol levels.

Is there an alternative to statin drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol? If yes, does it have any side effects? Physicians are facing these questions each day however, most have bought into the drug companies marketing, and have not done the research for themselves. The truth is that there a number of naturally-occurring compounds that will work as well as, or better than, these multi-million dollar drugs. These compounds are found naturally in our bodies, or are found in nature. They don’t cause the side effects commonly found with statins, and are much safer to use. These compounds have been clinically shown to improve cholesterol levels without the heart damaging side effects found with statin drugs.