Not a day goes by today that we are not reminded of the need to lower our cholesterol levels. In the UK we are introduced to this spread on our toast and that yoghurt to go with it, each of which will lower our cholesterol as long as we behave in our overall lifestyle. A new industry has sprung up based on a cholesterol obsession fostered by orthodox medicine.

There are good reasons to be concerned about cardiovascular health. It is estimated that 2.6 million people in the UK have coronary heart disease. Many others are in the early stages but have not yet been diagnosed. Around a third of all deaths in both the UK and the US are associated with cardiovascular disease, mainly coronary heart disease and stroke. In the United States, about one-third of all adults over the age of 20 have hypertension (high blood pressure). Although men are at greater risk than women, we are told that in the UK slightly more women die of coronary heart disease than of cancer. That’s not to underestimate the scoop on cancer, but the statistics show just how great the threat of coronary heart disease is in much of the Western world.

The body needs cholesterol.

Reading or listening to industry advertisements for lowering cholesterol, one could be forgiven for not realizing that our bodies produce cholesterol naturally because they need it to function properly. Doctors will tell you that there are two types of cholesterol commonly called “good” and “bad” cholesterol. But that description of the two different types of cholesterol is also somewhat misleading because the body needs both.

There is certainly a benefit to lowering cholesterol levels, particularly in those with other risk factors, and establishing the optimal ratio of so-called “good” cholesterol to so-called “bad” cholesterol is even more significant for reasons I summarize below. . But too often, doctors prescribe statins to lower cholesterol levels and when they achieve that result, in the absence of other problems like diabetes or hypertension, they declare “Job done.” The problem is that the work has not been done as a new school of cardiology has begun to recognize, although unfortunately their thinking and approach has not yet caught on.

To digress for a moment, I would also criticize doctors who prescribe statins without making sure their patients take CoenzymeQ10 daily. Generally known in its abbreviated form as CoQ10, it is a vitamin-like substance that revitalizes the cells of the heart. It is a natural component of the electron transport chain that is essential for the function of the heart muscle (as well as for other organs with high energy needs, such as the liver and kidneys). Statins have the side effect of lowering CoQ10 levels and that can lead to heart failure, especially in elderly patients. My clinic prescribes CoQ10 on a regular basis in cases where doctors have not. I’ll come back to CoQ10 shortly, but let me get back to cholesterol.

The function of cholesterol

The liver produces the amount of cholesterol the body needs to carry out a number of functions, including building an essential membrane around our cells and repairing damaged cells. The liver must regulate cholesterol production according to the amount of cholesterol we take in from the food we eat. It used to be thought that eating too many cholesterol-rich foods, like eggs, was bad for us. Now it is understood that this is not the case. Similarly, lean red meat is fine, while fatty red meat is not.

Cholesterol combines with protein to allow it to pass through our circulatory system. This combination is known as lipoprotein (from the Greek “lipos” for fat). The liver sends low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol into our bloodstream to carry out essential functions, including cell construction and repair. It is classified as LDL -low density- because it includes mainly fat and little protein. It is the LDL or the so-called “bad” cholesterol that needs to be controlled, but each of us would be in serious trouble if we did not have the amount that our body needs.

Excess circulating LDL cholesterol, including excess individual cell needs, is or should be transported back to the liver by high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (to simplify the process a bit). HDL or the so-called “good” cholesterol includes mostly protein and not much fat. Cholesterol returning to the liver is converted to bile salt which serves to break down dietary fat in the small intestine as a final benefit before being excreted through the colon.

Where is the real risk?

What is very important is the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol because if there is more LDL cholesterol than HDL can carry, there is a risk that the excess LDL cholesterol will remain in the system and cause damage by being oxidized by free radicals. Although they sound like they might be a political movement, free radicals are, in fact, dangerous atoms within our metabolism that attack and damage enzymes and proteins, inhibiting and distorting normal cell function. They attack the LDL particles causing them to oxidize. When that happens, the oxidized LDL sticks to arterial tissue that has already been damaged and becomes inflamed, and in turn attracts blood-clotting elements that together form plaque and worsen the inflammation of damaged arterial walls. If the plaque becomes unstable, it can break off and cause a heart attack or stroke. Plaque stability is the most important factor and it is important to understand that it is the inflammation process that causes plaque to rupture. But it is also important to relax and open the blood vessels to improve blood flow and reverse the effect of plaque. Hence the importance of L-Arginine to which I refer below.

Therefore, cholesterol alone is not the problem. There are other factors at play and perhaps the most significant are:

• Inflammation of the arterial tissue.
• LDL oxidation by free radicals.
• Poor blood flow through the constricted vessels.

Address the true risk factors

Without inflammation, damage to the inner layer of the arterial walls, even high levels of LDL would not pose a risk. In fact, there are many patients with high levels of LDL cholesterol who live to old age. The process by which such damage occurs may not be fully understood, but it is associated with one or more of genetics, lifestyle (including smoking, lack of exercise, stress, poor diet, processed and microwaved foods, the chemicals and preservatives in our food), high blood pressure, elevated insulin, and toxins in the environment we live in.

Aloe vera, with its well-known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, is ideal for long-term defense against both the process by which arterial walls are damaged by inflammation and the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which is also responsible for the formation of license plate. have described previously. Aloe vera gel drunk daily will provide a level of long-term protection against such damage, as long as the gel is processed to preserve aloe vera in its purest form.

CoQ10 and L-Arginine

CoQ10 also has a protective influence. It circulates within LDL preventing oxidation by free radicals. It has the added benefit of increasing blood flow. Its importance for cardiovascular health cannot be underestimated. For some it is literally a lifesaver.

Equally important is L-Arginine, sometimes referred to as the “miracle molecule.” L-Arginine is an amino acid that the body needs to produce adequate amounts of Nitric Oxide which is vital for cardiovascular health. The nitric oxide produced from L-Arginine relaxes and dilates the blood vessels in the body, facilitating increased blood flow. In terms of cardiovascular health there can be nothing more important than that. Furthermore, the new school of cardiologists credits L-Arginine with the ability to block LDL oxidation by providing an antioxidant effect. That’s crucial for the reasons I’ve outlined above. Although this amino acid is available in nuts, meat, poultry, dairy products, and fish, L-Arginine supplementation is often required for a number of reasons. The first is the unfortunate deficiency of nutritional value in much of the food consumed in Western society. Second, we produce less nitric oxide as we age. Third, those suffering from type 2 diabetes, which is on the rise, are believed to have a lower conversion of L-Arginine to nitric oxide. Therefore, they need more L-arginine than can be obtained from dietary sources, as do those who already suffer from hardening of the arteries, or, to give the condition its technical name, atherosclerosis.

American cardiologists, Doctors Stephen Sinatra and James Roberts, in their groundbreaking book “Reverse heart disease now” I have this important message for all of us who care about cardiovascular health:

L-arginine is of value for the full range of atherosclerosis, from early signs such as high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction to advanced cardiac events. We believe it offers promise for plaque stabilization and reversal. It is inexpensive and non-toxic.

There’s an exciting new product on the market that takes this recommendation to a new level by adding a variety of key vitamins to an adequate daily dose of L-Arginine in addition to pomegranate, well known for its strong antioxidant properties (I’ve already explained why). is so important), red wine extract to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and grape skin for cardiovascular and immune system health, and berries that help neutralize free radicals (again I’ve already explained the importance of that).

Feel free to contact me for more information.

Your heart will thank you for taking L-Arginine and CoQ10 daily.