Cholesterol: Sheep In Wolf’s Clothing

Cholesterol is the most misunderstood and wrongly maligned biological molecule in existence today. The idea that cholesterol is harmful for health is engrained in people’s minds.  So let us try to get some of our facts straight. Did you know that cholesterol is essential for life without which the human body would wither away. Further, it is not possible for us to consume enough cholesterol to meet the body’s need. To make up the difference, many organs such as the liver can synthesize cholesterol from the carbohydrate, proteins and fats that we eat.

Cholesterol is not a fat; it belongs to a group of molecules called sterols. Cholesterol is used by our body as a basic building block. It is found not only in the blood stream, but in every cell of the body. Cholesterol maintains the shape and rigidity of cell membranes and protects cells from free radical damage. Cholesterol in the skin helps the production of vitamin D. Many hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, cortisone cannot be made without cholesterol. The brain when well formed is largely made up of cholesterol and fat. Human milk is high in cholesterol. If infants during the first year of their life don’t get adequate cholesterol in their diet, they risk a loss of cognitive function. For some people, cholesterol is an absolute dietary requirement, as their body’s own synthesis is inadequate. Research at the University of California, Berkeley, USA has shown that cholesterol in eggs is helpful to older people whose memory is declining. Cholesterol is used by the body as a raw material for healing itself. This is the main reason the injured areas in the arteries or lungs have cholesterol deposits along with other components such as calcium and collagen.

We would not be here without out cholesterol, thus an obvious question comes to mind- why this mania about lowering cholesterol? Wont lowering cholesterol be a health hazard if it so important? Let us take a closer look. According Dr. Mary Enig, an expert on lipid biochemistry, high cholesterol is an “invented disease”. Total level of cholesterol in the blood is not a great indicator of heart disease risk. It is the ratio of HDL (high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol) to cholesterol and the ratio of triglyceride to HDL that highly correlates with heart disease. HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Divide the HDL level by cholesterol level and the percentage should ideally be above 24%. The same thing can be done with the triglyceride levels with HDL and the percentage should be below 2%. But do keep in mind this are still simply guidelines and there is lot more that goes into your risk of heart disease.

If you have increased levels of cholesterol, it is at least in part because of increased inflammation in your body. The cholesterol is there to do a job: help your body to heal and repair.  During inflammation blood vessels constrict to prevent bleeding and the blood become thicker so it can clot. This is followed by the immune system sending out cells and chemicals to prevent infection at that site, then cells multiply to repair damage and finally a scar is formed. If this process occurs inside an artery, the scar is known as a plaque. This plaque is responsible for increased risk of hypertension and heart attacks. Cholesterol enters the picture when damaged cells are being replaced. Conventional medicine misses the point when they recommend lowering cholesterol with drugs to reduce risk of heart attack rather than looking at the cause of inflammation. If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, taking cholesterol-lowering drugs should be absolute last resort. Cholesterol lowering drugs or statin drugs work by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver to produce cholesterol. In this process the drug inhibits a whole family of substances that are important for biochemical function. One such compound is coenzymeQ10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is responsible for providing energy to the heart and muscles. Depleted levels of CoQ10 leads to muscle fatigue and thus increased risk of heart failure. Side effects of statin drugs include weakened muscles thus pain in hands and feet, dizziness, memory loss, depression, increase risk for cancer, weak immune system and liver problems.

Chronic inflammation can be reduced naturally. First is not following the knee-jerk advice to avoid foods like eggs, saturated fat, butter, red meat, dairy due to their alleged artery clogging properties.  This is simply not true. This refutation is based on a lot of current research and is illustrated very well in a famous article by Drs. Fallon and Enig “The skinny on fats”.  The key is to avoid eating ready made and processed foods, sugar and grains, fried foods, trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, all of which are nutritional disasters. Apart from these bad eating habits, excessive stress and sedentary lifestyle of modern living contributes its share. Eating the right fats such omega 3 oil, olive oil, coconut oil, eating stir fried foods, eating dairy such as butter, cheese, sour cream, raw foods such as nuts or seeds, eggs (lightly cooked or raw), organic grass-fed meats, fish and limiting grains is the key to a healthy life. The bottom line is don’t worry about eating cholesterol but worry about eating the right kinds of fats!

Fats that heal and fats that kill

Do these dictums sound familiar? Eating fats makes you fat. If you’re a heart patient then you should eat a low fat diet. This is far from the truth. Fats have got a lot of bad publicity in the media without any scientific backing. Not too long ago the medical establishment considered all fats in the diet very bad for health.  But now the premise has changed- not all fats are created equal, there are fats that heal and fats that kill. Let us take a closer look!

Fats are made up of several different classes of fatty acids (an organic molecule). Naturally occurring fats are classified into three types- saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Two fatty acids belonging to the class of polyunsaturated fatty acid are deemed essential for health, those are linoleic acid and alpha liolenic acid. Not all fats are essential, but these essential fatty acids are like vitamins in that they cannot be made by the body and a lack of either one of them will cause disease. Essential fatty acid deficiency is part responsible for a host of degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease and inflammatory ailments. In the fat phobic times that we exist, essential fatty acids are collectively the number one missing nutrient in an average person’s diet. The essential fatty acids are a component of every cell membrane, a primary source of reserve energy fuel, and the building blocks for the body numerous eicosanoids, a hormone like chemical. Eicosanoids are like power brokers of the body- they can lower blood pressure, raise body temperature, open or constrict bronchial passages, stimulate hormone production and sensitize nerve fibers. The production of these vital eicosanoids is solely dependent on dietary fat.

Fatty acids also are identified by the families to which they belong. Families use the word omega for its descriptor. Omega is used to designate unsaturated fatty acid families only. Saturated fats do not have a omega designation. The omega families consist of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9. Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid) are essential, and have the strongest power to generate eicosanoids. Omega-9 (oleic acid) is not essential as the body can make its own. The secret to real good health is keeping a dietary balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, just having one without the other creates a serious harm. Indian diet today tends to be rich in omega-6 fats such as safflower, sunflower and corn oil and virtually no omega-3 fats that are obtained from flaxseed oil and cold-water fish.  To prevent an omega-6 overload, using omega-9 fats can serve as an excellent option for cooking.  Omega-9 fats are found in olive, peanut, sesame seed, almond, macadamia, hazelnut, and avocado oils.

Omega fat imbalance isn’t the only way in which dietary fats endanger us. Consumption of trans fatty acids or trans fats that do not belong to the naturally occurring fats, are by far a major health hazard. A whole lot of research has shown that trans fats causes  weight gain,  high blood sugar, increased LDL (bad cholesterol), lowered beneficial HDL (good cholesterol) and raise the overall risk of coronary artery disease.  Trans fats are produced by a man made processes called hydrogenation or partial hydrogenation. In this process liquid oils such as soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, safflower are pumped with hydrogen to increase the degree of saturation thus making them resistance to degradation due to heat damage or oxidization. Most people still innocently believe that margarine made by the process of hydrogenation is a better substitute for butter and fall victim to heart disease. All processed food that have a long shelf life such as chips, cookies, crackers, cakes, breads, cereals, heat and serve foods, bhujia mixes, prepackaged mixes and almost all vegetable oils contain partially hydrogenated oils i.e trans fats. Further, high heat used for deep frying foods changes the molecular structure of fats no matter which oil is used. Such type of fat consumed also turns into a health threat. Thus, stir fried food is a better option. Oils from peanut and coconut can handle high heat better and can be used for stir frying.

Many believe that trans fats are equivalent to saturated fats, they are not. Trans fats do not behave like the saturated fats in the body. The popular theory that saturated fats are bad for health is simply false. We consume predominantly three types of saturated fats: stearic acid, palmitic acid, and lauric acid. It is well established that stearic acid has no effect on blood cholesterol levels. In fact, stearic acid found in high amounts in animal fat is converted to a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid by the liver. This is the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil. Also the practice of calling animal fats saturated is wrong and misleading. None of the naturally occurring fats and oils are made up of only saturated or unsaturated but rather a mixture of various fatty acids. Ghee for example is primarily made up of 62% saturated fats, 28 % monounsaturated fat, 4% polyunsaturated fats and .02 % cholesterol and has tremendous importance in ayurvedic medicine for its healing properties.

What about raised triglyceride (fats) levels is then blood? Here the culprit is not fats but sugar or starchy foods. Sugar is the real villain, if possible completely avoid it. Sugar in the body is broken down and reassembled as fat called triglycerides. These fats narrow arteries, impair blood flow and increase risk of stroke and heart attack. Thus, the take home message- avoid  sugar and starchy foods at all cost, avoid foods with trans fats (all kinds of processed foods), do not consume fried foods and make sure the diet contains omega-3 fats and  remember ghee and coconut fat are not the enemies but our friends!

Magnesium: dear to our hearts

Quick quiz: What is the first treatment given to heart attack victims in the emergency rooms of many top, cutting-edge American hospitals? If you think it is some fancy drug with an unpronounceable name, think again. The first line of defense in such cases is a basic element of nature that every school-age child learns about in Chemistry class: Magnesium.

Magnesium touches almost every aspect of our health and is the most important mineral for the heart. Three hundred different enzymes in the body depend on magnesium for their production. Magnesium also produces and transports energy, helps transmit nerve signals, relaxes muscles, and is necessary for the synthesis of protein. Magnesium deficiency is associated with 22 different health conditions including heart disease, type II diabetes, blood clots, nerve problems, mood disorders, migraines, liver and kidney disease. Yet, most people fail to consume magnesium as much as needed. Furthermore, very few cardiologists prescribe it routinely. Is it then a wonder that heart conditions are so rampant? An organization called the International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium (SDRM) is dedicated to Magnesium research in all branches of life science and medicine. The society’s goal is to increase awareness, collaboration and exchange of information on magnesium, and puts forth a science journal called “Magnesium Research”.

The three most important things that one needs to know about Magnesium and heart disease are:

1) Magnesium prevents muscles spasms of the heart blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack (myocardial infarction). Heart attacks cause permanent damage to the heart muscle. Intravenous magnesium given as soon as possible after a heart attack may provide the best protection in that situation. Also, magnesium’s ability to neutralize the heart-damaging effects of catecholamines (by-products of stress-induced adrenaline and cortisol) can prevent many side effects of heart attack such as arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm). Magnesium is the primary treatment for ventricular arrhythmia and congestive heart failure (a weak heart that is unable to empty blood after each heartbeat). A severe heart rhythm disturbance called atrial fibrillation can be caused by magnesium deficiency. Angina, a heart condition characterized by chest pains due to insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle, strikes less frequently with magnesium supplementation. Magnesium deficiency is also implicated in mitral valve prolapse: a disorder in which the mitral valve fails to close off one of the heart chambers during contraction. This can be frequently heard as a heart murmur with a stethoscope. Modern medicine has no treatment for mitral valve prolapse. Finally, with magnesium the body keeps a better balance of potassium - another mineral that is vital to the heart.

2) Magnesium prevents calcium build-up in cholesterol plaque in the arteries, which can lead to clogged arteries (atherosclerosis). Magnesium supplementation prevents artery-blocking clots by not allowing platelets to clump together in the blood. Good cholesterol (HDL) goes up and bad cholesterol (LDL) goes down thanks to magnesium.

3) Magnesium prevents muscle spasms of peripheral blood vessels, which can lead to high blood pressure. Obstetricians are familiar with the use of magnesium for hypertension in women during childbirth; unfortunately cardiologists or even family doctors are unaware about the importance of magnesium in treating hypertension. With magnesium therapy, blood vessels that are constricted become relaxed, thus causing blood to flow more freely and helping to lower high blood pressure.

Almost all people who suffer from some heart ailment would benefit from magnesium tremendously. A dose of 400-1000mg divided into 2-3 parts daily helps anybody who wants to improve heart health. Several kinds of oral magnesium supplements are available. These are salts of magnesium such as magnesium oxide, magnesium orotate, and magnesium taurate. Magnesium sulphate found in magnesium oil is best for absorption through the skin (transdermal magnesium replenishment).

If magnesium is so important why hasn’t everyone heard about it? And what about doctors, whose first duty is to help patients?  Dr. Carolyn Dean, an expert on magnesium health from the United States says that “doctors generally do not learn about nutrition or nutrient supplementation in medical school because they are studying the disease, not wellness”. To make things worse, pharmaceutical companies are only interested in patentable drugs and not natural therapies that provide little profit.

Without proper supplementation, magnesium deficiency is unavoidable. Crops are grown in soil that has become deficient in magnesium due to utilization of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The body expends most of its meager supplies of magnesium to cleanse itself of pollutants and other toxins. Perspiration and stress drain magnesium from the body. Use of drugs such as diuretics, birth control pills, insulin, corticosteroids, nicotine, antibiotics depletes magnesium even further. Processed junk food forms about 35% of the average person’s diet today, and is completely deficient of magnesium. Finally as we get older we absorb less nutrients including magnesium from food.  A diet consisting of raw unheated nuts, seeds and seed butters along with green leafy vegetables, whole grains such as buckwheat, millet, rye, oats, amaranth and quinoa are some of the sources of magnesium. A high quality mineral rich sea salt also helps.

A word of caution: excessive levels of magnesium can be harmful especially if certain kidney problems prevent the mineral from being excreted. High levels of oral magnesium supplementation can result in diarrhea and interference with calcium absorption. Individuals with kidney disease must take magnesium supplements under medical supervision. Some important drugs that have interactions with magnesium are diuretics, tetracycline antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs. Blood tests are the best way to determine the need for magnesium.

Thyroid: the wonder gland

Is this you? You are always tired, even without too much exertion. Perhaps you are prone to frequent infections that seem to last forever. Or maybe you often feel depressed for no meaningful reason. Your sex drive is minimal or non-existent. Your blood tests show high cholesterol. You suffer from multiple allergies, diabetes or arthritis. You are troubled by dry skin, rough hair or brittle nails.  If you are a woman, pre-menstrual syndrome and/or painful periods is something you have resigned yourself to. If some or all of the above apply to you, the common cause could be related to the functioning of your thyroid: a butterfly shaped gland situated in the front of the throat below the Adam’s apple in men, and the corresponding area in women.   

The thyroid gland is responsible for producing thyroid hormone. This critical hormone controls metabolism: the process by which the food we eat is transformed into energy. Every organ, every tissue, every cell in the body is affected by this hormone; remove the thyroid gland and all metabolic activity is dramatically reduced. Thyroid regulates the rate at which the body utilizes oxygen, controls the rate at which various organs function and the speed with which the body utilizes food. It also functions as a thermostat responsible for production of much of the body’s heat.

There are several kinds of thyroid diseases:  Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), Hyperthyroidism (high thyroid function), Goiter (enlargement of thyroid gland), Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (autoimmune disease) and Thyroid Cancer. Of these, Hypothyroidism is by far the most common, and has the most deleterious effects on its unfortunate victims.

Low thyroid is so severely under-diagnosed that it can be called an undeclared epidemic. Research in the United States has shown about 40% of that country’s population is hypothyroid.  To quote Dr. Richard Shames, MD, a world-renowned expert on the thyroid gland, even when Hypothyroidism is diagnosed, it often either goes untreated, or is not treated optimally. To add to this conundrum, current laboratory tests routinely fail to flag this deficiency even when the patient shows clear symptoms. The range of symptoms is broad, contradictory and often very confusing to both patients and doctors (listed below).

Luckily, a simple test that can be done at home is remarkably effective in detecting this condition. For five consecutive days, take your body temperature in the armpit upon waking up, but before doing any activity or movement. This test is called the “basal temperature test”. The average of the five readings should lie within the normal range of 97.8 to 98.2 Fahrenheit. A lower reading strongly suggests low thyroid function. Men and post-menopausal women can do the test anytime, but pre-menopausal women should do it after the 2^nd or 3^rd day of the menstrual period.

Treating Hypothyroidism is straightforward: one simply takes the hormone. This can be done effectively, inexpensively and safely. There are actually several kinds of thyroid hormones:  T4 (the storage hormone), T3 (the active, energy-giving hormone), T2 (has an important role in metabolism), T1 (widely believed to affect brain function), and Calcitonin (an hormone which keeps the calcium in your bones). Most of today’s doctors, upon reaching a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, prescribe a synthetically manufactured form of thyroid (Synthroid, Levoxyl) that only contains the T4 component. This is incomplete as the other vital components of the thyroid hormones are missed. Natural or Desiccated Thyroid, which is derived from the desiccated thyroid gland of some animal, provides a far superior alternative. It contains the same hormones that your own thyroid would produce (T4, T3, T2, T1 and Calcitonin), and works better in treating the broad range of symptoms. It should be noted that thyroid therapy does not produce instantaneous results. Most symptoms will subside between one and two months after the onset of therapy. The proper starting dosage will vary with age and size of the patient, but a rule of thumb for adults is to start with 1 “grain” (60 mg) and increase by an equal amount every two weeks till the symptoms are eliminated.

The following are the symptoms of Hypothyroidism. Patients may see only some of these:

Fatigue

Decreased sex drive

Candida (yeast infection)

Dry skin

Premature aging

Infertility

Constipation

Premenstrual syndrome

Frequent and prolonged infections

Hypertension

Headaches

Brittle nails

Birth defects

Mental disorders

Endometriosis

Diabetes

Multiple sclerosis

Memory impairment

Menstrual problems

Cancer

Nervousness

Heart attack and stroke

Hair loss

High cholesterol

Intolerance to heat

Nutritional imbalance

Muscle weakness

Low immune system

Overweight

Arthritis/gout

Low blood pressure

Depression

Osteoporosis

Joint/muscle pain

Heart palpitations

Cystic breasts/ovaries

Chronic fatigue

Intolerance to cold

Hyperinsulinemia