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Cholesterol... Problems and Solutions...

8/17/2004 12:00:00 AM

We are constantly being 'bombarded' with the need to lower our cholesterol and given warnings that if we don't, we could face dire consequences! If you feel your cholesterol is too high or you are currently on a statin drug then, it will be in your best interest to read today's newsletter.

I am sure you know this but there are two common forms of cholesterol. One of which is considered good, and that is called HDL and the other which is considered bad and is called LDL.

HDL cholesterol travels around in your bloodstream picking up excess cholesterol including LDL cholesterol and taking it back to your liver for reprocessing. Sort of like a garbage collector! Your HDL cholesterol must be as high as possible to ensure adequate 'housekeeping'.

LDL cholesterol may attach itself to your artery wall and create 'plaque' which can ultimately accumulate and create a blockage in your arteries resulting in a heart attack. Or it can cause a stroke if some of the capillaries in your brain become blocked and parts of your brain are starved for blood.

It is generally accepted that your LDL cholesterol needs to be as low as possible, but this message tends to be oversimplified and there is a tendency to look at total cholesterol which can sometimes be misleading.

But how low, is low?

The goal posts for cholesterol levels have been shifted at least twice over the last few years. The last time, just weeks ago! Are the new aggressively promoted levels warranted? Many Doctors and experts certainly don't think so. In fact there is a great deal of concern being raised by independent researchers and physicians that these new levels may actually be dangerous... for many reasons.

Cholesterol is a very important substance and is an essential precursor to your hormonal cascade and particularly your sex hormones. It can have a negative impact on your general health if levels are pushed artificially low. Excessively low levels of cholesterol are certainly proven to weaken your immune system and increase your chances of dying from an infectious disease.

So, if there are dangers associated with cholesterol levels being too low why are they being pushed so aggressively? I addressed one possible reason in our 30th July issue of Xtend-15sec-News. (You can find it in the archives). At that time we revealed that 6 of the 9 members of the USA National Cholesterol Panel has financial ties to the drug industry that is enjoying an unprecedented bonanza thanks to statin drugs which are being used to lower cholesterol. (More about these later.)

Are the drug companies behind the push for artificially low levels of cholesterol, even in individuals that were previously considered healthy? You must be your own judge on that question!

What about Triglycerides?

Ah... you don't hear so much about these, or homocysteine, or C-Reactive Protein! Nonetheless, elevated levels of any of these three substances are just as good an indicator of a potential heart 'event' as is high cholesterol. Excess levels of any one of these four indicators (the preceding three plus cholesterol) although serious and need to be addressed, don't necessarily mean that you are in a danger area.

However, combine high triglycerides with high cholesterol and you are a walking 'time bomb'! You may then ask yourself why is there not as much emphasis put on reducing triglycerides as there is with cholesterol, given that for many people a simple reduction in triglycerides is all that is needed to take them out of the danger zone?

Now, this is a question that I can easily answer without fear of contradiction. There is not an effective drug to reduce triglycerides, and so it tends to be ignored! However, triglycerides, unlike cholesterol, (80% of cholesterol is manufactured by your body) is easily controlled through diet. Rather than making an effort to advise the general public what to do in order to reduce this risk, the medical 'industry' has a tendency to take the easy route and write a prescription for a statin drug.

(To learn how to control triglycerides I would suggest that you read the weight loss report that I wrote. You can find it on our website under special reports)

What is a statin drug?

Many of our readers will know the answer to this, and I know many readers are currently taking the drug. I know this because we have many emails daily from people suffering the side effects of statin drugs and who are desperately seeking a natural alternative.

Very briefly a statin drug works on reducing the production of cholesterol in your body by blocking the action of an enzyme in your liver essential for the manufacturing process to take place. This process is fraught with dangers and it may excessively block an important natural bodily function!

A statin drug can force your cholesterol down to very low... and potentially dangerous levels. In fact, the new guidelines for LDL of 70 recommended by the 'US National Cholesterol Panel' can generally only be achieved though the use of statins because the body will not do it naturally as it will resist such a low level. This is why it is now being argued that healthy individuals should now be put on a statin drug so this low level can be achieved!

I won't go on any more about these drugs because it makes me mad as I can see millions of people suffering needlessly from the side effects. But... don't just take my word on this. Read an article by an investigative medical journalist about the truth of statins and then make up your own mind. You can access it by clicking here.

What are the natural alternatives to a statin?

There are a number of natural substances that have been proven effective in lowering cholesterol naturally. Some have been proven in double blind placebo clinical studies to be as effective as statin drugs but without the side effects and the depletion of the body's CoQ10 reserves.

For the last couple of years we have been manufacturing a natural cholesterol lowering product of which the main ingredient was Policosanol. This is an extract from sugar cane. (Doesn't affect blood sugar levels.) The results were spectacular on some people, good on others, mediocre on yet others and for some people it didn't work at all which is understandable. After all even the statins don't work on everyone!

Although it was an excellent product it was not one of our main ones. However, last year as the use of statins continued to increase we decided that it was time to develop a formula that could effectively compete with a statin drug but have none of the negative side effects and risks.

So, Prof. Dr. A. Munem got to work on developing a formula that would do just that. (For our recent subscribers who are not familiar with Dr Munem you can find his credentials on our website. He is one of the top bio-scientists in the world).

As Dr Munem pointed out... in order to have an effective and safe natural remedy you must be able to tackle the cholesterol problem from six different directions:

By reducing the production of cholesterol in the body. By reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract. By reducing circulating blood fats and dissolving cholesterol particles. By preventing cholesterol from hardening in the arteries. By increasing the excretion of bile acid which carries cholesterol. By reducing the oxidation of the cholesterol.

The bottom line is that after many months of research we have developed what is undoubtedly the world's most advanced natural cholesterol lowering product.

What's more, it seems that it may only need to be taken for 12 months and thereafter only intermittently, as it will normalize the body's production of cholesterol. What's more it won't artificially force levels down to less than what your body needs.

If you would like to know more about this product please click here.

One final note... if your cholesterol is only slightly elevated you may find that just our Total Balance on its own is sufficient to help balance it out. It does contain policosanol but at much lower levels than the new cholesterol lowering formula.

Because the issue of cholesterol is such a topical one at the moment you may wish to forward this issue to a friend who may benefit from it.

Until next time.

In good health,

P.S. Please pass this newsletter on to a friend. Thank you.