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But while cholesterol isn’t the enemy, you still

want to maintain a balanced cholesterol profile,

i.e. low in LDL, high in HDL and HDL to LDL

ratio. Having a high HDL level is a scientifically

validated way to stay healthy and reduce therisk of cardiovascular disease.

The trouble is that most conventional medical

practices think that the best way to deal with

this is by prescribing cholesterol-destroying

drugs called “statin drugs.” They are wrong.

Statins are one of the most deadly drugs on

the planet.

For starters, statins may cause cancer. In fact,

studies show that this could be a real long term

danger for men and women currently takingstatins, but very little is heard about this risk.

Secondly, statins can actually contribute to the

cause of heart failure.

Statins lower levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10),

a crucial element for cellular energy productionin the mitochondria – the cellular “engine.”

Since CoQ10 is needed by virtually every cell

in the body – especially those cells that use the

most energy like the heart and cardiovascular

system, you can understand how much more

risk statins create right off the bat.

None of this is unknown to conventional

practice. In fact, many doctors would argue

that the very fact of declining CoQ10 levels is

evidence that the statins are working! After

all, they reason, that’s how you know the

drug is being metabolized in the liver! And yet,

if you were to suggest supplementing with

CoQ10, I would guarantee that nine out of

ten conventional medical practitioners would

try to talk you out of it. Yet lack of CoQ10

dramatically weakens the heart and reducesits ability to beat energetically.

Here’s something else to think about: 5 million

Americans have Congestive Heart Failure

(CHF), and there are 500,000 new cases each

year of this largely preventable, lifestyle-based

disease. Sadly, half of those patients with CHFwill be dead within 5 years. And yet, statin

Natural Cholesterol Balance and Control

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To your good health,Terry... Naturally  

or years we’ve been told that cholesterol is

big problem. I don’t believe that’s really the

ase. After all, cholesterol is not the enemy

it’s a vitally important building block for

verything from vitamin D to our sex hormones.

Having said that, I do  believe in keeping a

alance of cholesterol. Keeping our HDL to

DL ratio healthy is one of the most important

spects of cardio-vascular health. But having

balance of cholesterol can be difficult.

After all, our bodies produce cholesterol – as

much as 1000 mg per day, so for anyone

redisposed to having an imbalance, it can

eel like an uphill battle.

hat’s why I appreciate natural ingredients that

on’t dramatically drop the cholesterol we trulyeed or damage the liver the way that statin

rugs do. If you’re thinking about using statin

rugs, please think again. I’d like to present

ou with a much healthier alternative.

Good” Cholesterol vs.

Bad” CholesterolWhile this is simplifying things a bit, you canreak cholesterol into High-Density Lipoprotein

holesterol (HDL or “good” cholesterol) and

ow-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or

bad” cholesterol).

Admittedly, my opinion about cholesterol is

oing to differ quite a bit from a lot of established

ractice, but let’s think of it this way: boosting

HDL levels is a good idea, and you can’t do that

with the Standard American Diet (SAD) with

s emphasis on refined foods and sugars and

oor balance of fatty acids.

drug sales have increased to almost $20 b

How can we say that we’re truly interest

preventing disease with numbers like this?

What Really Causes Heart Attack

It Isn’t CholesterolDo you know what really causes h

attacks? It isn’t cholesterol. It is oxidation

inflammation. Consider what’s happenin

the arteries. Cholesterol particles travel

fine through the bloodstream. Inflamma

changes cause damage to the lining of

blood vessel, which attracts white blood c

Inflammation causes oxidative damage.

damage requires a bandaid. What does

body use for the bandaid? LDL cholestOnly when LDL becomes oxidized does it b

to form plaques in the wall of the artery. Blacholesterol for heart disease is like bla

your bandaid for the scrape on your knee.

HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is pa

the body’s repair  system. As it moves thr

blood vessels and arteries, it scoops up

cholesterol and returns it to the liver s

can be broken down. That’s why balan

your levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol –

not putting your liver and health at risk

statins – is so important. One way to do th

to keep blood vessels and arteries flexiblehealthy so they are less affected by oxid

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When in doubt, always consult your physician

 health care practitioner. This column is to pro

 you with information to maintain your health

20336_0613

KEY WORDS

cholesterol, HDL, LDL, balance,

flaxseed oil, flax, sterols, plant sterols,

phytosterols, lipoprotein, ratio,statins, statin drugs, Mevacor, Zocor,

Crestor, Lipitor, good cholesterol,

bad cholesterol, omega-3, EPA,

eicosapentaenoic acid

 M

HEART HEALTH

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Natural Cholesterol Balance and Control

heart disease has long been associated with

men, it is actually the second leading cause

of mortality for women. In the Nurses’ Health

Study, a massive 10-year follow-up study, the

diets and instances of coronary risk factors of

women ages 35 to 55 were examined. Theresearchers found that a higher intake of ALAcould reduce the risk of IHD. Additionally, one

of the major benefits of ALA intake was noted

in the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute

Family Heart Study. In a cross-section test of

over 4500 participants, ALA was shown to

lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CAD).

One of the very important ways it does this

is by supporting a strong, healthy heartbeat

and rhythm. And, another study found further

evidence of the benefit of ALA showing that it

lowers fasting serum triglyceride levels.

Plant Sterols – A Simple, But

Clever IngredientIf you follow developments in the health

food industry, or have heard of more recent

developments in what are called ‘functional

foods’, you’ve probably heard about plant

sterols (also called ‘phytosterols’).

Plant sterols actually work on a very simple

principal. They take over the sites in theintestines, where cholesterol would be either

absorbed or reabsorbed. Plant sterols are

shaped so much like cholesterol that they fit

perfectly into spots – the “parking places”, orperhaps “driveways” through which cholesterol

would normally absorb.

Plant sterols also help prevent the re-absorption

of old, used-up cholesterol that our body is

trying to excrete. Once our liver dumps this

waste cholesterol into our intestines, it really

needs to latch onto a fiber source to carry it outof the body. If you’re not getting a lot of fiber in

your diet that day, it gets  reabsorbed , which

can be an unhealthy circumstance. Remember,

the body creates about 80% of your cholesterol,

so this isn’t always just coming from food

sources. In fact, someone following a vegan/ 

vegetarian diet can have better cholesterol

balance by using phytosterols!

tress and inflammation, and to reduce levels

f chronic inflammation in your body. The other

s to gently and naturally reduce the amount of

holesterol your body absorbs and more impor-

antly, reabsorbs, through the digestive system.

here are two ingredients that do just that:

lpha-linolenic acid and plant sterols.

Alpha-linolenic Acid – A Plant-ourced Omega-3 Fatty Acid

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty

cid found in leafy green vegetables, almonds,

walnuts, and especially flaxseeds.

One of the best sources of alpha-linolenic

cid is flaxseed ( Linium usitatissimum) oil. Thismega-3 fatty acid acts as an anti-inflammatory

nd helps keep the cellular structure of blood

essels and arteries healthy and flexible.

A small amount of the alpha-linolenic acid from

axseed oil is converted to eicosapentaenoic

cid (EPA) in the body. Some research has

hown that it can convert to smaller amounts of

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) as well, although

ot as consistently. Omega-3s are immensely

mportant to cardiovascular health. They not

nly keep blood vessels supple and flexiblewhich reduces blood pressure) they reduce the

ccumulation or “aggregation” of blood platelets

hat lead to clogged arteries by reducing the

utput of prostaglandin thromboxane A(2), an

nflammatory signaling molecule in the body.

However, ALA also has healthy properties

without   being converted to EPA and DHA.

One of the clinical studies establishing ank between alpha-linolenic acid and heart

ealth showed that it reduced inflammation,

owered levels of C-reactive protein (a marker ofnflammation) and decreased levels of vascular

ell adhesion molecules – the very molecules

hat, when inflamed from oxidative stress, can

nd up creating the blocked blood vessels that

ause atherosclerosis.

Alpha-linolenic acid also lowers the risk of

schemic heart disease (IHD) in women. Although

 You Don’t Need Statins!There are a number of things you can do

affect your cholesterol balance. One is exer

Choose an activity that you really enjoy

stick with it. When your weight is hea

your body has a better chance of kee

your LDL where it should be. Not sure w

to begin? Check out my article, “Short B

Exercise vs. Conventional Exercising.”

Only eat whole, unrefined foods. Avoid

sweeteners and refined grains. Not only

refined carbohydrates keep you fat (which

don’t  do, despite the conventional “fat pho

out there), they also raise your triglyc

levels and get you on the road to typ

diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Either wprocessed foods cause a lot of inflammatio

the body, and throws a healthy LDL/HDL

completely out of balance.

Another big lifestyle change is to stop smo

Aside from its damage to your cells

respiratory system, cigarette smoking ca

inflammation and oxidative stress throug

the cardiovascular system that can lea

hardened and clogged arteries.

If you are struggling with an HDLimbalance, I recommend at least 1200 m

alpha-linolenic acid from pure Nordic flax

oil combined with 900 mg of plant sterols

day. I think these natural ingredients m

good sense. Add them to your regimen,

see if they work to get your HDL and

ratio to a much better place. Reducing

eliminating risks for heart disease is one o

best ways you can avoid disability as you

and can lengthen your life span significa

It pays to pay attention to your heart.

www.TerryTalksNutrition.com 

 P

Terry recommends a product with thes

 ingredients:

Plant Sterols 900 m

In a base of Pure Nordic Flax Seed Oil

containing Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)

(Omega-3)

2013