9 Things You Can't Do Without Cholesterol

This is from Virginia Hopkins Health Watch

Cholesterol Levels

Lower Cholesterol Levels are Not Always Better

My friend Cheryl waved her blood test results at me. “My cholesterol is down to 160!” she exclaimed happily.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry,” I said. “Want to go have a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a shake?”
I was kidding of course. A better solution was for Cheryl to stop taking her statin drugs, which her doctor had put her on because, at 67 years old, her total cholesterol level was 220.

The fact that statin drugs are still widely and indiscriminately prescribed for so-called high cholesterol is a testimonial to the power of drug company money and lobbyists over evidence-based medicine.

Delve into cholesterol research and you may be shocked to find out that, except for a very small sub-group, cholesterol-lowering drugs do not prevent women from dying of heart disease.
There is no evidence (that’s right, zip, zero, nada) that cholesterol-lowering drugs prevent anyone over the age of 65 from dying of heart disease.

The illusion that the statin cholesterol-lowering drugs prevent death from heart disease in everyone over 50 has been achieved by 20 years of data tweaking, weasel wording, and billions of dollars in advertising, lobbying and physician-bribing by the drug companies.

Since the large media outlets are financially dependent on drug company advertising, no news organization bothers to actually read and interpret drug studies, they simply regurgitate what’s handed to them, no questions asked.

Cholesterol is essential for good brain function,
an important health issue for the elderly.

According to Julian Whitaker, M.D., “… the Framingham Heart Study has shown that older people with low total cholesterol (under 200) are much more likely to perform poorly on tests of mental function than those with high cholesterol (over 240).”

The Framingham Study has also shown repeatedly over the decades that

• high HDL or “good” cholesterol is significantly associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and a reduced risk of death from heart disease in almost everyone, yet statins have only minor, if any positive effects on HDL.
  
• There is ample evidence that excessively low cholesterol levels can be harmful to men and women.

9 Things You Can’t Do Without Cholesterol

1. Make vitamin D
2. Make progesterone
3. Make estrogen
4. Make testosterone
5. Make cortisol
6. Make DHEA
7. Protect brain functions such as memory and learning
8. Digest fat-soluble nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins such as A, E and K
9. Have a healthy immune system
   

What Low Cholesterol Levels Can Do To You
Increase the risk of suicide
Increase the risk of depression
Increase the risk of violent behavior
Increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke
Increase cancer risk by reducing vitamin D levels
Increase osteoporosis risk by reducing hormone levels
Increase fatigue
Increase anxiety
Reduce levels of fat soluble vitamins such as A, E and K
Damage memory and learning ability

Unless LDL cholesterol is extremely high, the only possible benefit of statin drugs for most people is their modest anti-inflammatory effect.

A wide range of herbs, supplements and drugs such as aspirin, and ibuprofen have more potent anti-inflammatory effects. Eating healthy foods and avoiding toxins such as fake fragrances and pesticides can also help reduce inflammation.

Simple Solution to a Healthier Cholesterol Profile

One of the simplest and safest ways to create and maintain a healthier cholesterol profile is to eat more fiber. A study published in the March 2010 issue of the journal Atherosclerosis found that participants who used psyllium husk for 8 weeks had significantly reduced LDL cholesterol, oxidized LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin and blood pressure, and higher “good” HDL cholesterol.

The statins do not improve the entire cholesterol profile in this way, nor do they lower triglycerides, insulin and blood pressure. And yet, psyllium is inexpensive, easy to use and has no side effects.
For more details on cholesterol and health, get the e-booklet, Dr. John Lee's Commonsense Guide to a Healthy Heart.

Chol levels 200 - 240 are NORMAL!!!

"Blood cholesterol levels between 200 and 240 mg/dl are normal.

These levels have always been normal.

In older women, serum cholesterol levels greatly above these numbers are also quite normal, and in fact they have been shown to be associated with longevity. Since 1984, however, in the United States and other parts of the western world, these normal numbers have been treated as if they were an indication of a disease in progress or a potential for disease in the future. "

Mary G. Enig, PhD
read the rest of this article:

Refined Carb - NOT Fats - Threaten the Heart

Carbs against Cardio: More Evidence that Refined Carbohydrates, not Fats, Threaten the Heart
By Melinda Wenner Moyer

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=carbs-against-cardio&print=true

Eat less saturated fat: that has been the take-home message from the U.S. government for the past 30 years. But while Americans have dutifully reduced the percentage of daily calories from saturated fat since 1970, the obesity rate during that time has more than doubled, diabetes has tripled, and heart disease is still the country’s biggest killer. Now a spate of new research, including a meta-analysis of nearly two dozen studies, suggests a reason why: investigators may have picked the wrong culprit.

Processed carbohydrates, which many Americans eat today in place of fat, may increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease more than fat does—a finding that has serious implications for new dietary guidelines expected this year.

In March the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a meta-analysis—which combines data from several studies—that compared the reported daily food intake of nearly 350,000 people against their risk of developing cardiovascular disease over a period of five to 23 years. The analysis, overseen by Ronald M. Krauss, director of atherosclerosis research at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, found no association between the amount of saturated fat consumed and the risk of heart disease.

The finding joins other conclusions of the past few years that run counter to the conventional wisdom that saturated fat is bad for the heart because it increases total cholesterol levels. That idea is “based in large measure on extrapolations, which are not supported by the data,” Krauss says.

One problem with the old logic is that “total cholesterol is not a great predictor of risk,” says Meir Stampfer, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Although saturated fat boosts blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, it also increases “good” HDL cholesterol. In 2008 Stampfer co-authored a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that followed 322 moderately obese individuals for two years as they adopted one of three diets: a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet based on American Heart Association guidelines; a Mediterranean, restricted-calorie diet rich in vegetables and low in red meat; and a low-carbohydrate, nonrestricted-calorie diet. Although the subjects on the low-carb diet ate the most saturated fat, they ended up with the healthiest ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol and lost twice as much weight as their low-fat-eating counterparts.

Stampfer’s findings do not merely suggest that saturated fats are not so bad; they indicate that carbohydrates could be worse.

A 1997 study he co-authored in the Journal of the American Medical Association evaluated 65,000 women and found that the quintile of women who ate the most easily digestible and readily absorbed carbohydrates—that is, those with the highest glycemic index—were 47 percent more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes than those in the quintile with the lowest average glycemic-index score. (The amount of fat the women ate did not affect diabetes risk.)

And a 2007 Dutch study of 15,000 women published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that women who were overweight and in the quartile that consumed meals with the highest average glycemic load, a metric that incorporates portion size, were 79 percent more likely to develop coronary vascular disease than overweight women in the lowest quartile. These trends may be explained in part by the yo-yo effects that high glycemic-index carbohydrates have on blood glucose, which can stimulate fat production and inflammation, increase overall caloric intake and lower insulin sensitivity, says David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children’s Hospital Boston.

Will the more recent thinking on fats and carbs be reflected in the 2010 federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, updated once every five years?

It depends on the strength of the evidence, explains Robert C. Post, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Findings that “have less support are put on the list of things to do with regard to more research.” Right now, Post explains, the agency’s main message to Americans is to limit overall calorie intake, irrespective of the source.

“We’re finding that messages to consumers need to be short and simple and to the point,” he says. Another issue facing regulatory agencies, notes Harvard’s Stampfer, is that “the sugared beverage industry is lobbying very hard and trying to cast doubt on all these studies.”

Nobody is advocating that people start gorging themselves on saturated fats, tempting as that may sound. Some monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in fish and olive oil, can protect against heart disease.

What is more, some high-fiber carbohydrates are unquestionably good for the body. But saturated fats may ultimately be neutral compared with processed carbs and sugars such as those found in cereals, breads, pasta and cookies.

“If you reduce saturated fat and replace it with high glycemic-index carbohydrates, you may not only not get benefits—you might actually produce harm,” Ludwig argues.

The next time you eat a piece of buttered toast, he says, consider that “butter is actually the more healthful component.”

Before you get a dental filling removed...prepare at home

Getting a mercury filling replaced this week.

Conventional dentists may not take proper precautions in removal of the mercury fillings.

Why get them out? They may be causing chronic health conditions!

Fibromyalgia symptoms? Alzheimer's disease, dementia?
Nervous system disorders?

Most of the mercury is coming from fillings*, but it also comes from other sources like large fish. Not a good idea to eat tuna too often. People consuming tuna have been known to suffer from many chronic problems that clear once the tuna is out of the diet.

Here's what I am doing:
Cilantro juice - 1 cup of cilantro in 1 cup of water. blend and drink 30 min before or after other food.

Kyolic garlic twice a day. Protects white and reb blood cells. antimicrobial agent to protect from secondary infections.

Kyo-chlorella, 6 per day, away from food. Binds heavy metals so they wont be absorbed.

Perque l-ascorbate Vitamin C powder, 3,000 mg a day. Antioxidant for protection of cells.

Carlson Cod Liver Oil - 2 tsp a day. EPA/DHA - Protects brain, heart and other tissues.

After the procedure, more of the same for another week or two or three.
Plus, take charcoal caps which also absorbs heavy metals.

The Klinghardt Neurotoxin Elimination Protocol

Here's a case study - VERY interesting....one of many.


*1991 the World Health Organization acknowledged that, in developed countries, the predominant source of human exposure to mercury is fillings.

Chelation of Heavy Metals: chlorophyll is one of the most important chelates in nature. It’s ability to bind to and remove toxic heavy metals such as mercury makes it an extremely powerful healer. source

Mercury toxicity from dental fillings

IAOMT video of mercury vapor

Vitamin D for Cancer, Heart, MS, Flu, Asthma etc

The following article by Martie Whittekin, www.RadioMartie.com

It turns out that Vitamin D is much, much more than just the bone nutrient.

Researchers seem to agree that it helps prevent

• several cancers,
• heart disease,
• autoimmune conditions (e.g. multiple sclerosis),
• influenza,
• complications of the flu and in fact,
• death from all causes.1

(Hmm, what is helpful for prevention is often helpful in treatment.)

It seems likely that in children, deficiency of Vitamin D may well be “THE [emphasis was in the original quote] leading cause of cancer, type 1 diabetes, asthma, allergies, atopy [e.g. eczema], and possibly epidemic autism*.2”

The elderly should note that Vitamin D increases muscle strength and brain function while reducing chronic pain.

One of my classmates was surprised when horribly painful breast lumps she’d had for decades resolved after she got her Vitamin D levels into a healthier range. That’s an example of a benefit not yet specifically researched. (I did find one intervention study of almost 49,000 post-menopausal women. Researchers found that “a modest reduction in fat intake and increase in fruit, vegetable, and grain intake do NOT [emphasis mine] alter the risk of benign proliferative breast disease. The one variable that did seem to matter was Vitamin D intake.)3 .

We shouldn’t be surprised at varied fringe benefits because most cells in the body have a receptor for Vitamin D and it appears to control 1,000 or more of our genes.4

THE NEWS:

Given all that good news, I was extremely annoyed at recent media scare tactics. They were trying to tell us that people are taking too much vitamin D. The implication was to stop supplements and just get it from sun exposure. (Of course, the media also says to cover up with sunscreen to avoid skin cancer.)

MY 2 CENTS:

Don’t these guys have access to the internet so they can read that medical journals worldwide show we’re not getting enough Vitamin D?

Pregnant women and their breastfed babies are deficient.**,5,6

More than a third (36%) of healthy young adults are low.7

According to a German study of roughly 1,200 adults, 80% didn’t have blood levels supportive of bone health.8

A Stanford study says elderly folks aren’t getting enough and are therefore frailer.9

Perhaps as much as 80% of those with chronic illness are deficient. (Do you think there might be a connection?)

Even people living in sunny US states have low blood levels. Furthermore, the timid 400 IU/day government intake guideline (or even its 2,000 upper limit) has not been enough to fix the problem.

About the only way currently to know if we are getting enough D is to test blood levels. Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, Editor in Chief of IMCJ (Integrative Medicine; A Clinician’s Journal) wrote 2 great articles reviewing of a number of studies and reported results of a corporate wellness program in which he participated.

(The name of the specific blood test is 25(OH)D3. The numbers are as ng/L, the most commonly reported. To convert to nmol/L, multiply by 2.5)

SUPPLEMENT DOSES (proposed by Dr. Pizzorno unless otherwise indicated):10

Note: These are dependent on the amount of sun exposure, skin color and other factors.

Therefore, it is recommended to have your blood levels tested and confirm the appropriate dose to reach the optimum range.*

Kids - The government says 200 IU. Many recommend 400 IU, but Dr. Pizzorno points to a study showing that, after 2 years on that dose, most children were still not into an optimum range.

A Japanese study had good results with flu prevention and asthma at 1,200 IU per day.11

Some kids may need more especially if the only light on their skin is from the glow of the video game display. Again test, test, test and watch out for the liquid drops because it’s easy to measure incorrectly. *

Adolescents - A daily maintenance dose of 2,000 IU seems prudent.12 *

Adults - 5,000 IU daily seems safe and may be a good level for the average adult who doesn’t spend time a lot of time in the sun.

[My thought: If you are skittish, 4,000 IU is another common option for the winter at least.)* Upper limits of daily dose - A routine dose of 10,000 IU/day seems to cause no harm13

(During the summer in the midday sun in a bathing suit, you’d make 10,000 in a few minutes.)*

Playing catch up - If a person’s blood levels are very low and especially if they live in a northern climate, they may need a “loading dose” of up to 20,000 IU per day for 3-6 months.
Toxicity is rare—it’s likely we were intended to spend some time daily in the sun without being coated in sunscreen.

Of course, you can overdo anything. The issue is more what you do consistently than individual doses. French researchers gave adolescents single doses of 200,000 IU’s with no side effects observed.14 One reason for the relative safety is that over-the-counter Vitamin D supplements are in a storage form (Cholecalciferol). The body converts that form into the active form (Calcitriol) only as needed unless there is a massive overload of the storage form or some disease process.

As always in nutrition, balance is very important. Vitamin A and Vitamin K compete with D and among their benefits help protect from overloading with D.15 (I think I’ll go into Vitamin K next week since many people don’t know there is such a thing.)

Patients have become toxic from being prescribed overly aggressive treatments of the active form. Accidental overdoses of the supplement form have been also been reported but mostly from milk fortification errors and mislabeled supplements (choose brands carefully). Overdoses can result in too much calcium in the blood and in excess that causes mischief. Sarcoidosis patients don’t tolerate vitamin D supplements well.

I’m quite encouraged that so many doctors now test their patients’ vitamin D levels. However, many are still afraid of theoretical toxicity and don’t give doses adequate to bring the blood levels into a healthy range where the patient is better protected. It’s your health and they work for you, so push a little.
Kitchen TIP
I buy sets of graduated measuring spoons and cups wherever I see them at a bargain price (e.g. garage sales). I divide up the sets and dedicate the appropriate measure to a food or supplement container. For example, I use 2 Tablespoons of lecithin granules in my protein drink. Because I leave the same Tablespoon in that container, I don’t have to look for one every time I use the lecithin, nor wash it and put it away…saves only seconds, but they add up..
*Have those researchers who assured us that on average vaccines don’t cause autism even looked at subsets of patients who were perhaps more vulnerable because of a Vitamin D and/or magnesium deficiency at the time?**Mom is sharing her Vitamin D during pregnancy and lactation. It stands to reason her daily need would be at the upper end of the range for adults. She can at least get regular sunlight if she is afraid of supplements.
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Newsletter archive
1Arch Intern Med. 2008 Aug 11;168(15):1629-37. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of mortality in the general population. Melamed ML, Michos ED, Post W, Astor B.2Vitamin D: Still Learning About Dosing, IMCJ, Vol. 9, No 3, June/July 2010. J. Pizzorno. 3Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2008 Sep;1(4):275-84. Epub 2008 Jul 9. Low-fat dietary pattern and risk of benign proliferative breast disease: a randomized, controlled dietary modification trial. Rohan TE, Negassa A, Caan B, Chlebowski RT, Curb JD, Ginsberg M, Lane DS, Neuhouser ML, Shikany JM, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Page DL.4 VitaminDCouncil.org April 2010 Newsletter5 Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009 May;70(5):685-90. Epub 2008 Sep 2. Vitamin D deficiency and supplementation during pregnancy. Yu CK, Sykes L, Sethi M, Teoh TG, Robinson S. 6 Indian J Med Res. 2008 Mar;127(3):250-5. Vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breast-fed infants. Balasubramanian S, Ganesh R.7 What have we learned about Vitamin D dosing, IMCJ, Vol. 9, No 1, Feb/Mar 2010. J. Pizzorno.8 Osteoporos Int. 2010 Jun 17. [Epub ahead of print] Are commonly recommended dosages for vitamin D supplementation too low? Vitamin D status and effects of supplementation on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels-an observational study during clinical practice conditions. Leidig-Bruckner G, Roth HJ, Bruckner T, Lorenz A, Raue F, Frank-Raue K.9 J Intern Med. 2010 Apr 28. [Epub ahead of print]. Vitamin D deficiency and frailty in older Americans. Wilhelm-Leen ER, Hall YN, Deboer IH, Chertow GM.10 What have we learned about Vitamin D dosing, IMCJ, Vol. 9, No 1, Feb/Mar 2010. J. Pizzorno.11 Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1255-60. Epub 2010 Mar 10. Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, Kurihara M, Wada Y, Ida H.12 J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Jul;93(7):2693-701. Epub 2008 Apr 29. Short- and long-term safety of weekly high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in school children. Maalouf J, Nabulsi M, Vieth R, Kimball S, El-Rassi R, Mahfoud Z, El-Hajj Fuleihan G.13 J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Dec;22 Suppl 2:V64-8. Vitamin D toxicity, policy, and science. Vieth R.14 Arch Pediatr. 2010 Jun 7. [Epub ahead of print] [Administration of a single winter oral dose of 200,000 IU of vitamin D(3) in adolescents in Normandy: Evaluation of the safety and vitamin D status obtained.] [Article in French] Mallet E, Philippe F, Castanet M, Basuyau JP. Abstract in English.15 Vitamin D: Still Learning About Dosing, IMCJ, Vol. 9, No 3, June/July 2010. J. Pizzorno.

Tomato Chickpea Soup

Tomato Chickpea Soup, Easy Vegan Soup for Stove Top or Slow Cooker

Revised from the Savvy Vegetarian

The chickpeas can be soaked overnight, brought to a boil and finish cooking in the crockpot. If you use canned beans, drain and rinse them first.
4 - 6 Servings:

Soup Ingredients:
1 cup dried garbanzo beans, OR 2 16 oz cans, drained & rinsed
Bean cooking directions below
6 ripe plum tomatoes
2 - 3 large carrots
2 stalks celery
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp spicy paprika
2 large bay leaves
1/8 tsp 100% pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp sea salt
1 can tomato paste
4 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs dried basil, or 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs Tamari sauce (wheat-free soy sauce)
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley or cilantro

How To Cook Garbanzo Beans
Sort and clean the dried beans
Soak the beans overnight in cold water
Drain and rinse
Place in medium saucepan, cover with cold unsalted water
Bring to boil uncovered, boil for ten minutes, skim the foam
Add a strip of Kombu (dried sea vegetable from the health food store)
Cover and simmer for 2 hours
Slow cooker or crock pot (large size): After boiling and skimming the beans, cook for 6 - 8 hours covered on low.
Drain and rinse the beans

Soup Directions:
Dice tomatoes, carrots and celery
Add to beans and 4 cups of stock or water with bay leaves, basil, salt, tomato paste, tahini, and maple syrup
Heat olive oil on medium low
Peel, core and mince the garlic cloves, and brown in the oil
Stir the cumin and paprika into the oil and heat for five minutes
Add 1/2 cup hot water to the spice mixture to make a smooth paste, then transfer to the beans and veggies

Stovetop: Bring to boil, simmer covered for one hour
Crockpot: Turn heat to high, cook for 2 hours

Blend soup with a blender stick, or in batches in a blender
Add Tamari sauce, fresh minced herb, more salt and pepper to taste

Alternatives to Artificial Sweeteners

What are some options for safe natural sweeteners?
By Tamara Brown, M.H.P., L.D., R.D.
Weight & Wellness

One great choice is maple syrup. Maple syrup contains many trace minerals and nutrients. Because it is lower in carbohydrates than honey, it has less effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Another natural sweetener is Stevia, made from leaves of the plant. It is sold in a powdered and liquid form and can be found in natural food stores. Stevia has been used in many countries for decades without reports of negative side effects, and it does not rapidly increase blood sugar or insulin levels. In my experience with clients, I often hear that after stopping diet products, they have fewer sugar cravings, less hunger, reduced intestinal problems, and often lose weight. There is no good reason or health benefit to substitute with any artificial sugars. So forget the yellow, pink, or blue, and make a choice better for you!