http://www.naturalnews.com/022553.html

(NaturalNews) Cholesterol seems to be one of those things that strikes
fear into the hearts of many, so to speak. But is the reputation that
this oily substance has acquired truly deserved? What is certain is
that the 'little knowledge' that the media often imparts means many
folks assume cholesterol is simply a 'bad' thing. Alternately, a good
number of us may have heard the terms 'good' cholesterol and 'bad'
cholesterol bandied about without knowing much about what this really
means. In fact it is a fairly safe bet that if you asked anyone on the
street for his or her instinctive response, if asked about
cholesterol, they would probably say that we simply need to 'reduce
it'.

The 'noddy-science' offered by marketing men to a generally
scientifically-naive public has led many people to believe that we
should replace certain food choices with specially developed products
that can help 'reduce cholesterol'. Naturally this comes at a price
and requires those who can afford it to pay maybe four or five times
what a 'typical ordinary' product might cost. But is this apparent
'blanket need' to strive towards lowering our cholesterol justified?
And, indeed, is it healthy?

For anyone who has had the official diagnosis of 'high cholesterol' in
their bloodstream, they may even have embarked upon a program of
medicinal intervention. In fact it is quite likely that they may have
joined the legions of long-term pill-poppers who are already lining
the pockets of the profit-oriented pharmaceutical giants.

But let's take a moment, now, to review some of the facts and
fallacies about the much-maligned substance: cholesterol.

First of all, cholesterol is a naturally occurring lipid. This means
it is a type of fat or oil and it is in fact an essential component in
creating and sustaining the membranes of the cells of all bodily
tissues. So this alone means we need cholesterol to survive! Most of
the cholesterol that is found in our bodies is actually naturally
manufactured within our own cells. However there is also an additional
contribution that we get from external 'nutritional' sources - the
foods we consume. In a typical diet providing around 400mg of
cholesterol per day from food sources, about half to two-thirds of
this amount is actually absorbed through the process of digestion. The
body will normally secrete about a gram (1000mg) of cholesterol per
day into the bile via the ducts, and approximately three-fifths of
this is then re-absorbed.

Where our tissues or organs are a particularly dense complex of cells,
which have closely packed cell membranes, there will naturally be
higher levels of cholesterol. The key organs that need, and contain,
these higher amounts of cholesterol include the liver, the brain and
the spinal cord - none of which would work well if we reduced
cholesterol too much!

In effect cholesterol plays an essential role in the development and
maintenance of healthy cell walls. It is also a critical factor in the
synthesizing of steroid hormones, which are a key factor in our
natural physical development. Cholesterol is used by the adrenal gland
and the sex glands to create these necessary hormones. As you may
know, hormones are important regulators of many control mechanisms
that occur throughout our bodies as we grow, develop and simply
function every day.

Being a lipid, cholesterol is fat-soluble, but it is not soluble in
blood. However it needs to be transported around the body to the
places where it can be utilized. This is why, in order to be moved
around, it must become 'associated' with certain lipoproteins which
feature a water-soluble (therefore 'blood transportable') coat of
proteins. There are two key types of lipoproteins that transport
cholesterol around the body: low-density and high-density variants.
The essential cellular function of cholesterol requires that
sufficient amounts are manufactured by specialized sub-systems (or
organelles) within the body's cells called the endoplasmic reticulum.
Alternatively, the cholesterol we need must be derived from our diet.
During the process of 'digestion and assimilation' of foods, it is the
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that carries dietary cholesterol from
the liver to various parts of the body.

When there is sufficient cholesterol for cellular needs, the other key
transport mechanism in this amazing 'logistics system' - high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) - can take cholesterol back to the liver from where
any unnecessary excess can be processed for excretion.

The 'noddy-science' of the so-called 'functional food' manufacturers
would have us believe that there is such a thing as 'bad' cholesterol
and 'good' cholesterol. This is, in fact, totally untrue. The
cholesterol itself, whether being transported by LDL or HDL, is
exactly the same. Cholesterol is simply a necessary ingredient that is
required to be regularly delivered around the body for the efficient
healthy development, maintenance and functioning of our cells. The
difference is in the 'transporters' (the lipoproteins HDL and LDL) and
both types are essential for the human body's delivery logistics to
work effectively.

Problems can occur, however, when the LDL particles are both small and
their carrying capacity outweighs the transportation potential of
available HDL. This can lead to more cholesterol being 'delivered'
around the body with lower resources for returning excess capacity to
the liver.

LDL can vary in its structure and occur in particles of varying size.
It is the smaller LDL particle sizes that can easily become 'trapped'
in the arteries by proteoglycans, which is, itself, a kind of 'filler'
found between the cells in all animal and human bodies. This can then
cause the cholesterol the LDL carries to contribute to the formation
of fatty deposits called 'plaques' (a process known as atherogenesis).
As these deposits build up, they restrict the arteries' width and
flexibility. This causes an increase in blood pressure and can also
lead to other cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks or
strokes.

The LDL itself is consequently sometimes referred to as 'bad
cholesterol', but you can now appreciate the fact that this is simply
incorrect. In fact LDL, HDL and cholesterol are all essential to our
health. However, it seems that it has become common for humans to have
a preponderance of 'unhealthily' small LDL particles, which can become
a precursor to heart and arterial disease due to the mechanisms
described. It is apparently healthier to have a smaller number of
larger LDL particles carrying the same quantity of cholesterol than a
large number of small LDL particles might transport, but for some
reason this is less common. This is an interesting area that demands
more research.

When LDL becomes retained by the glycol-proteins in the arteries it is
subject to being oxidized by 'free radicals'. This is when the process
can become health threatening. It has therefore been suggested that
increasing the amount of antioxidants in our diet might effectively
'mop up' free radicals, and consequently reduce this harmful
oxidation. Although the idea of consuming foods rich in antioxidants,
or even using supplements, is now widely promoted, the scientific
evidence for their efficacy still remains to be fully established.

Another point to consider is the occurrence of substances called 'very-
low-density-lipids' or VLDL, also known as triglycerides. VLDL is
converted to LDL in the bloodstream and therefore contributes towards
increased levels of LDL and to subsequent potential cholesterol-
related health problems. This is why triglycerides are usually
measured when a cholesterol test of your blood is undertaken.

The production of VLDL in the liver - which amounts to a combination
of cholesterol and low-density apolipoprotein - is exacerbated by the
intake of fructose. Fructose is the type of sugar found in many
fruits, it is also a component of sucrose and of the widely used food
ingredient high-fructose corn syrup. This implies that anyone whose
LDL or triglyceride levels are unduly high should cut back on those
sweet sugary snacks, and even on the sweeter, fructose laden fruits;
not simply reduce their intake of fatty foods!

Vitamin B3, otherwise known as niacin, on the other hand, actually
lowers the amount of VLDL, and therefore also LDL. In addition, niacin
helps to stimulate the production of helpful HDL, the lipoprotein that
carries excess cholesterol back to the liver for excretion. However,
in keeping with the best traditions of consuming 'all things in
moderation', currently recommended upper limits for daily intake of
niacin is 35mg, given that it can have toxic effects in larger
amounts. Even so, medical professionals have been known to prescribe
niacin in doses as high as 2g, up to three times a day, for treatment
of those with dangerously high blood cholesterol levels. Naturally you
should never self-medicate with high doses of niacin without taking
appropriate medical advice.

Niacin in the diet is typically derived from high protein foods
including liver and other meats, as well as significant amounts being
found in certain nuts and whole grains.

However one of the fashionable types of pharmaceutical drugs of recent
times, introduced to treat the apparently increasing incidence of high
cholesterol levels particularly in the West, are Statins. These drugs
work by interfering with the liver function and reducing the
production of LDL. But Statins are a questionable innovation on at
least a couple of accounts. Firstly they are not without side-effects:
they can, for example, lead to the breakdown of major muscular
material, which can ultimately overwhelm the kidneys and even cause
acute renal failure.

Statins also appear to reduce the body's natural levels of the vitamin-
like, cellular protection agent known as Co-enzyme Q10. This
benzoquinone plays an important role in cellular energy release,
particularly in hard worked areas like the lungs, liver and heart.
CoQ10 (as it is sometimes called) has also been shown to protect the
brain against neurological degeneration. But perhaps most
interestingly, with respect to cholesterol, CoQ10 also acts as an
antioxidant, particularly active in protecting the system against LDL
oxidation and the potential problems associated with this as described
above. So whilst Statins might provide a reduction in LDL per se, they
might also be causing more problems in the long-term. Naturally, as
with many modern drugs, they generally have to be taken for the long-
term by anyone who has been prescribed them.

What is particularly disturbing about Statins is, perhaps, the fact
that they may be seen as a 'quick fix' for unhealthily high LDL, and
consequently cholesterol levels throughout the body. They need to be
taken over a long period - which makes them very profitable for drugs
manufacturers. But they may also be prescribed without the over-
arching message that in order to address any cholesterol problem
'naturally', the sufferer must change their lifestyle and diet.
Statins can seem an easy option but may indeed merely be the beginning
of a process where the 'negative health pay-off' is simply delayed
rather than actively defused! That is not to say that in extreme cases
of high blood cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, there may not be a
useful role for Statin therapy when natural strategies fail or do not
prove effective, or feasible.

In truth, and in summary, cholesterol is an important and essential
substance that we need for health at a cellular level. It is most
likely that any imbalance in our cholesterol transport system comes
down to long-term poor dietary and exercise habits. Ensuring that we
consume some extra anti-oxidant foods, along with including niacin
rich foods, might well be of benefit. But it is perhaps most important
to recognize that deliberate and continued levels of activity and the
consumption of a healthful diet is a better solution than questionable
quick-fix drugs, if we ever are diagnosed with levels of cholesterol
and triglycerides that might give cause for concern.
About the author
Al G Smith MSc BSc - Has been working and teaching in the food related
sector for over 30 years and is currently a website publisher (http://
www.gonaturalandorganic.com) and Independent Representative for the
World's first extensive range of Certified Organic skin care and
cosmetics (http://www.saferalternative.com).