Fw: Is Cholesterol a Myth? (article)

-------Original Message-------  From: Joe Barton Date: 16-05-2011 11:45:23 PM Subject: Is Cholesterol a Myth? (article)     Is Cholesterol a Myth? (Part I) The Cholesterol Myth   Cholesterol has become a word that is synonymous with unhealthy.  It is described as a sticky, oily substance that clogs our arteries and causes heart disease.  We have been led to believe that our cholesterol needs to be as low as possible and even extremely low cholesterol numbers have been suggested for "high risk" individuals.  However, these insanely low numbers could never be achieved without the use of prescription drugs.  These cholesterol-lowering medications have some of the worst side effects in the pharmaceutical world, including heart attacks and stroke! Low fat diets have been suggested to keep cholesterol under control. Saturated fats like butter and animal fat have been replaced by refined oils and hydrogenated fats like margarine.  All this is happening while obesity and heart disease rates continue to rise.  Something is seriously wrong here and I truly don't believe it's cholesterol's fault.   We Need Cholesterol First of all, cholesterol is not our enemy.  It is a very useful substance and it has many important jobs in our body.  Some of the many benefits of Cholesterol include:   -      It helps to produce cell membranes. -      Acts as a precursor to the manufacturing of hormones. -      Is a precursor to the formation of vitamin D. -      It helps to formulate bile acids to digest fat. -      It is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. -      It helps form memories in the brain. -      It is important in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall. The two forms of cholesterol, HDL and LDL, are now deemed as "Healthy Cholesterol" and "Bad Cholesterol."  The reality is neither is bad.  They are both needed and have very important roles to play in the body. LDL cholesterol acts like a bandage and helps repair arterial damage.  HDL takes cholesterol from your body and arteries and shuttles it back to the liver where it can be reused.   Can your cholesterol be too high?  Yes, but the reason it's high is because your body is trying to protect itself.  Remember, cholesterol comes on the scene when there is damage.  It is not the bad guy; it just repairs and bandages. Inflammation is what's causing the damage and cholesterol shows up because it's just doing its job.  If you can get rid of the things causing the inflammation, your cholesterol will naturally normalize.  So, essentially, the key to good cholesterol is lowering your body's inflammation levels.   Keys to Lowering Inflammation   How to keep inflammation - and cholesterol - levels low:   -      Do not smoke -      Avoid hydrogenated oils like margarine and shortening -      Greatly reduce your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates -      Avoid refined oils like canola, corn, and soy oil -      Lower your stress levels -      Exercise regularly -      Consume foods rich in A, C, D and minerals, including iodine. -      Incorporate healthy saturated fats into your diet like extra virgin coconut oil -      Take a quality fish oil daily   Side Effects of Very Low Cholesterol   Just like having too much cholesterol is not healthy, having too little is just as bad.  Having very low cholesterol can cause many side effects.  Every single cell in your body needs cholesterol to survive.  Some MDs and scientists are now saying that levels of 150 and below can cause psychological problems. Unfortunately, some doctors are still having their patients shoot for levels as low as 100! This is extremely low and cannot naturally be achieved.  Statins and other cholesterol lowering drugs are prescribed to reach these low levels.  These are some of the most dangerous prescriptions you can take.   If your cholesterol is too low you can experience:   -      Depression -      Violent and aggressive behavior -      Fatigue and Lethargy   Reading Your Numbers   I'm sure you're wondering that if 150 is too low, then what is considered too high?  Your total cholesterol is not your best determining factor.  Your HDL levels play such an important role. If your HDL is high, then your total cholesterol can be higher as well.   Here is the new and improved way of determining your heart disease risk. Take your HDL and divide it by your Total Cholesterol.  It should be above 24%.   -      HDL/Total Cholesterol=  Ideally above 24%   Triglycerides, Lipoprotein, and C-reactive protein levels have shown to be better indicators of heart disease risk than total cholesterol.  If your physician has not run these labs, you can request them.   Don't live in fear if your cholesterol is above 200.  Take your HDL to total cholesterol ratio into consideration. You can also change your cholesterol with diet.  I'm not talking about a low fat, low cholesterol diet.  Part II of the Cholesterol Myth will include some dietary guidelines to help keep you and your heart in good health. Naturally Yours, Amanda Box, ND Barton Publishing Inc May's Health Topic: Bed Bugs www.homecuresthatwork.com Are Your Glasses Getting Thicker As You Get Older? www.bartonpublishing.com/vision Ever Been Accused Of Selective Hearing? www.bartonpublishing.com/tinnitus This 1 'Weird' Trick Of A Tiny Belly? www.bartonpublishing.com/fatburning Exposed: Shocking Cholesterol Cover-Up Why high cholesterol worries are as obsolete as cassette tapes The real cause of heart disease has finally been discovered - and it's NOT high cholesterol. However - this information is not for everyone...for years we've been told that high cholesterol will eventually lead to a faulty ticker...if you're one of the "Blind Faith Believers" then this is not for you. But if you're concerned about heart disease, have a mind of your own, and choose to decide the course of action based on facts...and want to know what really causes heart disease - then this may be the most important information you're ever going to get on the subject. Because a Danish physician has discovered that all those years of avoiding saturated fats and high cholesterol foods - were wasted. And this is no joke - heart disease is a major cause of death the world over - especially true in the U.S. and Australia... mostly blamed on cholesterol and a diet high in saturated fat. This doctor discovered several studies that blow the lid off this cruel cover-up and found that "...old people with low cholesterol died twice as often from a heart attack as did old people with high cholesterol..." If you think this is crazy...a flash-in-the-pan...the ravings of an old coot... It's not. And if you enjoy foods that have been banished from the table because of the Mainstream Medical Cover-Up...  if you or anyone you know is taking statins to lower their cholesterol - then you owe it to yourself to take a look at this... and discover the truth... The Cholesterol Myth DISCLAIMER: THE CONTENT AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS E-NEWSLETTER ARE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL ADVICE, AND WE DO NOT INTEND FOR THIS INFORMATION TO BE USED TO DIAGNOSE OR PRESCRIBE FORMS OF TREATMENT. Email: support@bartonpublishing.com Toll Free: 1.888.356.1146 Outside US: +1.617.603.0085 Phone Support is available Mon-Fri 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM CST Forward this email to a friend: http://www.bartonremedies.com/forward.html?x=a62e&m=REpF&s=GXuxj&y=i& Barton Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 50, Brandon, SD 57005, United States