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Cholesterol
Dr. Rath's groundbreaking discovery about the nutritional origin
of coronary heartdisease (vitamin C-scurvy-heart disease
connection) also explains that elevated bloodcholesterol levels are
not the main cause of heart disease, but the consequence
ofbiological dysfunction of the arterial walls and ongoing
cardiovascular disease. Today pharmaceutical medicine focuses on
promoting chemical drugs (especiallystatins) to reduce blood
cholesterol levels without an understanding of the
biologicalconnection between structurally damaged arterial walls
and elevated cholesterol bloodlevels. Dr Raths Cellular Medicine
not only explains this phenomenon but also offers apossibility of a
natural control of the high cholesterol problem. Dr Raths discovery
logically explains that the impaired integrity of the blood vessel
walls andtheir need for reinforcement and repair is the main cause
why cholesterol production in thebodys cells increases and its
blood levels become elevated. Dr Raths scurvy-heart
diseaseconnection explainsthat cholesterol carrying lipoproteins
(LDL and Lp-a) are one of the most effective biologicalrepair
molecules because their properties can deposit in the structurally
weakened areas ofthe arteries similar to mortar patching
structurally damaged bricks in the wall. If the underlyingcause of
arterial dysfunction, which is micronutrient deficiency, in
particular the lack of vitaminC, is not addressed and damage
continues then more and more cholesterol molecules enter theartery
wall lesions. With time, this triggers various pathological
responses and leads to theformation of arterial deposits and a risk
of heart disease or stroke.
The connection between loss of vitamin C production, structural
damage in the vascular walland elevated blood cholesterol levels
that was discovered by Dr. Rath about 20 years ago ihasbeen gaining
an increasing scientific support. Among others it was independently
confirmed bythe work of Maeda et al. by using genetically modified
mice which, similar to humans, have lost an ability ofendogenous
production of vitamin C.
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Cholesterol
The relationship between cholesterol production and vascular
wall structure proposedby Dr Rath provides logical explanations to
many still opened questions in cardiologywhich cant be answered by
conventional medicine, for example: Q: Why cholesterol deposits are
predominantly formed in the coronary blood vessels,not veins?A:
Cells building arterial walls have particularly high demands for
micronutrients to supportoptimum bio-energy production and maintain
integrity of the blood vessels.. Due to highmechanical stress of
the pumping heart muscle and the pressure of blood forced through
thearteries, nutritional deficiencies and structural impairments
primarily affect the blood vessels ofthe heart (coronary arteries).
This is why blood repair factors such as cholesterol
carryinglipoproteins (LDL and Lp-a) are deposited in these weakened
areas but not along the entirelength of the vascular system.
Q: What is the role of secondary blood risk factors other than
cholesterol (i.e.,homocysteine, high glucose)A: Many of them
function as biological repair factors compensating for weakened
connectivetissue and arterial dysfunction (i.e. by facilitating
collagen cross-links).
Q: Why coronary heart disease is the most frequent cause of
death in humans while it ispractically unknown in the animal
world?A: All animals, with only a few exceptions, produce large
quantities of vitamin C in their bodies(2- 20 grams /day) to
support optimum collagen production necessary for maintaining
healthyand elastic blood vessels. High level of endogenous vitamin
C production protects animalarteries from damage and development of
atherosclerotic deposits. This is why animals do notdie of heart
attacks, even if some of them, such as bears, have very high blood
cholesterollevels (600 mg/dl). In contrast , humans lost the
ability of vitamin C production and its dailydietary intake is
often insufficient to assure optimum vascular health. (Human RDA
for vitaminC is 60-80 mg/day). Read more . Practical consequences
of the new understanding of the role of cholesterolin
cardiovascular health Cellular Medicine provides the basis for
developing the most comprehensive micronutrientbased approaches for
optimizing cholesterol metabolism in our body. These approaches
aimprimarily at increasing biological stability of the blood vessel
walls as a causative factor for
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Cholesterol
abnormal cholesterol levels. In addition, they include natural
approaches to optimize cholesterolsynthesis and its utilization in
the body. Cellular medicine applies the principle of biological
synergy between natural components forachieving increased
effectiveness with using moderate doses of micronutrients. The key
natural synergy components essential in optimizing blood vessel
function andcholesterol metabolism are: 1. Healthy function of the
arteries:
Nutrients such as Vitamin C, lysine, and proline support optimum
collagen formation andits structure which is needed for the natural
healing of the artery walls and reducing demandsfor repair factors.
2. Optimum cholesterol synthesis in the liver is naturally
regulated by vitamin C.
This nutrient can decrease the activity of an enzyme, HMGCoA
reductase, which regulatesthe rate of cholesterol production. In
this aspect, vitamin C and highly promoted pharmaceuticaldrugs
statins target the same enzyme. Vitamin C works as a natural statin
without causingthe severe side effects associated with this class
of drugs. 3. Other blood risk factors.
Synergy of Vitamin B complex, betaine and other nutrients is
important for supportingmetabolism of methionine, thereby
optimizing homocysteine synthesis and its blood levels. 4.
Biological energy for the cells building the cardiovascular
system.
Fatty acids are the primary source of bio-energy for the heart
muscle and arterial walls. Carnitineis essential for optimum
conversion of fatty acids into cellular energy. The effectiveness
of micronutrient synergy in optimizing cholesterol and
triglycerides bloodlevels has been confirmed in our pilot clinical
trials . Cholesterol production The main cholesterol sources in the
body are its internal production and diet. Our liver is themain
organ producing cholesterol (about 80%), although the intestines,
adrenal glands andreproductive organs also contribute to
cholesterol production. Synthesis of cholesterolmolecules in our
bodys cells is a multi-step process where two small
carbon-containingmolecules (acetyl CoA and acetocetyl CoA) are
bound together to form
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Cholesterol
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) by the action of an
enzyme HMG-CoA reductase.The activity of this enzyme is important
as it determines how much cholesterol is produced inthe bodys
cells. Pharmaceutical drugs, statins, which inhibit the HMGCo-A
reductase in the body are heavilypromoted and widely prescribed for
artificial lowering of cholesterol production and its bloodlevels.
However the action of these drugs is associated with many, often
dangerous, sideeffects. Some of these relate to the fact that
statins inhibit production of other importantbiological molecules,
such as Coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q-10), sex hormones, steroid hormones,
andvitamin D. The most frequent side effects of statins are muscle,
liver and kidney damage, risk ofthrombosis, developing mental
problems, cancer and many others. The HMGCoA reductase activity and
cholesterol production can be naturally regulated byvitamin C.
However, information about the cholesterol-lowering effects of
vitamin C insynergistic combination with other nutrients such as
niacin (vitamin B3) and other micronutrientsis largely ignored.
Importance of cholesterol in the body Cholesterol plays a vital
role in optimum structure and function of all cell membranes, in
thesynthesis of bile acids that break down ingested fats and it is
essential for the production ofsteroid hormones. These hormones
such as cortisone and aldosterone regulate blood pressure,affect
the immune and inflammatory responses and play other functions.
Production of othercholesterol-dependent hormones such as male and
female sex hormones (testosterone andestrogen) affects sexual
development and fertility. Furthermore, cholesterol is required
forproduction of internal vitamin D, which in turn is essential for
several biochemical processesincluding bone mineralization among
others. Most importantly, cholesterol is critical for theproper
functioning of nervous tissue and brain cells (neurons).
Cholesterol transport in the blood Cholesterol does not dissolve in
water, therefore it is packed together with other fattysubstances
which are wrapped around by a protein forming lipoprotein molecule.
In this form itis carried in the bloodstream to be processed by the
cells. These lipoproteins have differentnames, such as VLDL, LDL,
and HDL, etc., which indicate their density , (i.e., VL = very
light; L=light, H=heavy). The density of lipoproteins depends on
their ratio of the fat to the proteincomponent. As such, VLDL -
(very low density lipoproteins) have the most fat and thereforehave
the lowest density (they float on the surface). The molecules which
have the lowest fatcontents are HDL (high density lipoprotein). The
LDL (low density lipoprotein) is intermediate to
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Cholesterol
VLDL and HDL in respect to fat to protein ratio. VLDL: Is a form
of lipoprotein that transports cholesterol and triglyceride
molecules through theblood. VLDL readily converts into LDL (low
density lipoproteins) for further transport ofcholesterol, which is
considered as a major pro-atherogenic lipoprotein. LDL: This
lipoprotein is also referred to as bad cholesterol because it
carries excessivecholesterol to the tissues where it can accumulate
and may lead to atherosclerotic plaqueformation. In the case of
excessive accumulation of cholesterol inside cells and in some
geneticdiseases, LDL is blocked from entering the cells and its
elevated levels are detected in theblood. Therefore conventional
medicine considers it as the major risks for
atherogenesis.Conventional approaches ignore the connection between
cholesterol metabolism andweakened vascular walls. According to
medical guidelines issued in 2003, the optimum bloodLDL levels
should be
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Cholesterol
Triglycerides (TG): Dietary fats are the main source of
triglycerides in the blood. Sincecholesterol and other fats cannot
dissolve in blood, dietary fatty acids are stored andtransported in
the form of triglycerides and for the same reason they are
considered as a riskfactor of atherosclerosis. Conventional
medicine considers normal triglyceride levels should beless than
150mg/dl.
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