Does Cholesterol Really Cause Heart Disease?
I'm not as familiar with Homeopathy as I am with herbs, teas and essential oils for health and well being, but it is my hope to learn here and there as I go along. I am subscribed to Joette Calabrese's email newsletters and have been enjoying the information she presents in them.
Joette Calabrese is a homeopathic consultant with a variety of credentials after her name. In her most recent newsletter, she spoke about cholesterol, a topic everyone talks about and wants to lower. Other than the ads on TV sporting cereals and drug lowering choices, I've no idea what to think of cholesterol. I've mainly understood it to be "bad", but I couldn't tell you why. Other than a few pounds I need to shed, I'm very healthy and have not felt the need to understand my cholesterol levels. However, Ms. Calabrese, wrote a very informative article and since the article gives republishing permission, granted with it's copy right information intact, I wanted to share it with you guys.
HEY, WHAT’S YOUR CHOLESTEROL? By Joette Calabrese HMC, CCH, RSHom(NA) of HomeopathyWorks.net
It's about as casual and common a question as, "How's it going?" And because cholesterol is made out to be the dirty culprit responsible for high rates of heart disease, many stay on top of their cholesterol levels and try desperately to keep them below whatever the doctors are touting as the "now", new dangerous level.
Men of all ages can't even watch a TV hockey game without being prodded to: "Ask your doctor if Lipitor is right for you." Well, don't bother asking. The answer is "No!" Plain and simple.
Lipitor's website begins with the words, "If you have high cholesterol, you may not even know it."(1) Well, that's true. If indeed high cholesterol was the cause of heart disease, the reminder and warning might be appreciated, but what the mainstream media doesn't tell us is this:
---- Cholesterol is not a proven cause of heart disease.
Or this:
---- Diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol do not equate to heart disease or high cholesterol levels.
And this:
---- There is very little cholesterol or saturated fat in the arterial plaque that clogs.
How 'bout this?
---- Rates of heart failure have doubled since the advent of statin drugs. (2)
The truth is, cholesterol-lowering drugs (not cholesterol) cause more harm to the heart than elevated cholesterol levels.
Conversely, statins are know for the following:
---- They inhibit the production of coenzyme, Q10, which the muscles, including the heart need to function.
---- are know to cause heart failure.
---- are a depressant.
---- rob the mind of its cognitive ability.
---- have been shown to cause cancer.
Cholesterol is not the culprit it's made out to be. In fact, it is a wonderful thing.
Let me repeat: Cholesterol truly is a wonderful thing and necessary to many areas of the body, including the heart.
Did you know that cholesterol is: (3)
---- Made by almost every cell in the body?
---- A waterproofing mechanism that helps build cell walls, allowing the cellular function to proceed without impediment?
---- A powerful antioxidant, which helps protect against cancer?
---- A building block for hormones - particularly those that address stress, and regulate mineral metabolism, blood sugars, and sex hormones?
---- Necessary for brain function as well as the central nervous system?
---- Like an anti-depressant, only the real thing? It helps the body make use of serotonin; the chemical that helps make us feel mentally well.
So, if you're trying to catch cholesterol, you're going after the wrong perpetrator!
But wait a minute. What about the "good" vs. "bad" cholesterol debate? Maybe we shouldn't be up in arms against all cholesterol, but only the "bad" cholesterol?
Yes, this, too, is an ill-waged war.
The only thing "bad" about the "bad cholesterol," LDL (low-density-lipoprotein) is that it carries homocysteine along withthe necessary cholesterol, from the liver to the other areas of the body.
Homocysteine is an amino acid that we rarely hear about within the cholesterol debate.
Too much homocysteine can damage the arteries and the heart.
Instead of lowering cholesterol levels, endeavor to lower homocysteine levels, which run rampant when our body doesn't have enough vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid.
Unfortunately, this is all too often the case, since the body is ultimately depleted of these vitamins thanks to processed foods. B6, B12, and folic acid are destroyed by technologicaladvances, which are appealingly called "refined" and "processed." Think: white refined sugars, white flours, canning and heating processes, etc.
Let the case against cholesterol come to a close. It is a beautiful and necessary substance needed for healthy minds and bodies. As are saturated fats and cholesterol rich foods. What we don't need is a statin drug to cover up symptoms that don't necessarily point to disease in the first place.
So if you really want to arm yourself against heart disease and truly want to stop worrying about cholesterol levels, try these easy, safe, & delicious ideas:
---- Stock your refrigerator with free-range eggs and raw milk.
---- Don't be afraid of fat-soluble vitamins A and D and the butter and lard from which they are deliciously and naturally delivered.
---- Enjoy gourmet, nutrient dense foods such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and liver and organ meats from free range animals.
---- Find a friend who hunts, and stock your freezer with venison and bones for making genuine hearth-healthy bone stocks for your soups.
---- Eschew canned, processed fruits and vegetables as well as pasteurized dairy, especially ultra-pasteurized. Replace these with homemade or cottage industry provided sources.
---- Eat vegetables, but not in lieu of fatty meats and whole fat dairy products which are packed with homocysteine regulating vitamins: B6, B12, and Folic Acid. More importantly, include crispy, fermented vegetables.
It's really rather easy. Just eat like an old time farmer, ORlike a European immigrant, OR like a connoisseur seated at the finest restaurant in Paris, Rome, or Munich.
Then enjoy your meals knowing that your heart will love it. In fact, it might just have a love affair with genuine food.
References:
(1) www.lipitor.com 4.20.11
(2) www.westonaprice.org
(3) www.westonaprice.org
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This (e-zine) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information in this e-zine should be used only after consulting with your doctor or other health care professional and should NOT be considered personalized health care advice. This is meant for educational purposes only. We hope you will educate yourself thoroughly.
Copyright Homeopathy Works, 2009. All rights reserved. The information in this E-zine may be copied in its entirety but must have all copyright information included. The contact and creation information must be incorporated and only for a not-for-profit arrangement. An endorsement of this newsletter and support for subscription would be appreciated. Our goal is to promote the use of homeopathy in the home.
End of article
Fascinating! I’ve been learning more and more about fats and I truly believe trans fats have, more or less given, naturally occurring fats a bad name. Read my post, Are Hydrogenated Fats Giving Fats a Bad Name? I loved that she named coconut oil as a good source of fats, and I can tell that there has been a dramatic improvement in my “healthstyle” since using it for a year now! If you’re looking for a good source of VCO, I recommend this:
32-oz. - Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 quart
What did you learn from Ms. Calabrese’s article?
Joette Calabrese is a homeopathic consultant with a variety of credentials after her name. In her most recent newsletter, she spoke about cholesterol, a topic everyone talks about and wants to lower. Other than the ads on TV sporting cereals and drug lowering choices, I've no idea what to think of cholesterol. I've mainly understood it to be "bad", but I couldn't tell you why. Other than a few pounds I need to shed, I'm very healthy and have not felt the need to understand my cholesterol levels. However, Ms. Calabrese, wrote a very informative article and since the article gives republishing permission, granted with it's copy right information intact, I wanted to share it with you guys.
HEY, WHAT’S YOUR CHOLESTEROL? By Joette Calabrese HMC, CCH, RSHom(NA) of HomeopathyWorks.net
Photo credit: HomeopathyWorks.net
It's about as casual and common a question as, "How's it going?" And because cholesterol is made out to be the dirty culprit responsible for high rates of heart disease, many stay on top of their cholesterol levels and try desperately to keep them below whatever the doctors are touting as the "now", new dangerous level.
Men of all ages can't even watch a TV hockey game without being prodded to: "Ask your doctor if Lipitor is right for you." Well, don't bother asking. The answer is "No!" Plain and simple.
Lipitor's website begins with the words, "If you have high cholesterol, you may not even know it."(1) Well, that's true. If indeed high cholesterol was the cause of heart disease, the reminder and warning might be appreciated, but what the mainstream media doesn't tell us is this:
---- Cholesterol is not a proven cause of heart disease.
Or this:
---- Diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol do not equate to heart disease or high cholesterol levels.
And this:
---- There is very little cholesterol or saturated fat in the arterial plaque that clogs.
How 'bout this?
---- Rates of heart failure have doubled since the advent of statin drugs. (2)
The truth is, cholesterol-lowering drugs (not cholesterol) cause more harm to the heart than elevated cholesterol levels.
Conversely, statins are know for the following:
---- They inhibit the production of coenzyme, Q10, which the muscles, including the heart need to function.
---- are know to cause heart failure.
---- are a depressant.
---- rob the mind of its cognitive ability.
---- have been shown to cause cancer.
Cholesterol is not the culprit it's made out to be. In fact, it is a wonderful thing.
Let me repeat: Cholesterol truly is a wonderful thing and necessary to many areas of the body, including the heart.
Did you know that cholesterol is: (3)
---- Made by almost every cell in the body?
---- A waterproofing mechanism that helps build cell walls, allowing the cellular function to proceed without impediment?
---- A powerful antioxidant, which helps protect against cancer?
---- A building block for hormones - particularly those that address stress, and regulate mineral metabolism, blood sugars, and sex hormones?
---- Necessary for brain function as well as the central nervous system?
---- Like an anti-depressant, only the real thing? It helps the body make use of serotonin; the chemical that helps make us feel mentally well.
So, if you're trying to catch cholesterol, you're going after the wrong perpetrator!
But wait a minute. What about the "good" vs. "bad" cholesterol debate? Maybe we shouldn't be up in arms against all cholesterol, but only the "bad" cholesterol?
Yes, this, too, is an ill-waged war.
The only thing "bad" about the "bad cholesterol," LDL (low-density-lipoprotein) is that it carries homocysteine along withthe necessary cholesterol, from the liver to the other areas of the body.
Homocysteine is an amino acid that we rarely hear about within the cholesterol debate.
Too much homocysteine can damage the arteries and the heart.
Instead of lowering cholesterol levels, endeavor to lower homocysteine levels, which run rampant when our body doesn't have enough vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid.
Unfortunately, this is all too often the case, since the body is ultimately depleted of these vitamins thanks to processed foods. B6, B12, and folic acid are destroyed by technologicaladvances, which are appealingly called "refined" and "processed." Think: white refined sugars, white flours, canning and heating processes, etc.
Let the case against cholesterol come to a close. It is a beautiful and necessary substance needed for healthy minds and bodies. As are saturated fats and cholesterol rich foods. What we don't need is a statin drug to cover up symptoms that don't necessarily point to disease in the first place.
So if you really want to arm yourself against heart disease and truly want to stop worrying about cholesterol levels, try these easy, safe, & delicious ideas:
---- Stock your refrigerator with free-range eggs and raw milk.
---- Don't be afraid of fat-soluble vitamins A and D and the butter and lard from which they are deliciously and naturally delivered.
---- Enjoy gourmet, nutrient dense foods such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and liver and organ meats from free range animals.
---- Find a friend who hunts, and stock your freezer with venison and bones for making genuine hearth-healthy bone stocks for your soups.
---- Eschew canned, processed fruits and vegetables as well as pasteurized dairy, especially ultra-pasteurized. Replace these with homemade or cottage industry provided sources.
---- Eat vegetables, but not in lieu of fatty meats and whole fat dairy products which are packed with homocysteine regulating vitamins: B6, B12, and Folic Acid. More importantly, include crispy, fermented vegetables.
It's really rather easy. Just eat like an old time farmer, ORlike a European immigrant, OR like a connoisseur seated at the finest restaurant in Paris, Rome, or Munich.
Then enjoy your meals knowing that your heart will love it. In fact, it might just have a love affair with genuine food.
References:
(1) www.lipitor.com 4.20.11
(2) www.westonaprice.org
(3) www.westonaprice.org
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This (e-zine) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information in this e-zine should be used only after consulting with your doctor or other health care professional and should NOT be considered personalized health care advice. This is meant for educational purposes only. We hope you will educate yourself thoroughly.
Copyright Homeopathy Works, 2009. All rights reserved. The information in this E-zine may be copied in its entirety but must have all copyright information included. The contact and creation information must be incorporated and only for a not-for-profit arrangement. An endorsement of this newsletter and support for subscription would be appreciated. Our goal is to promote the use of homeopathy in the home.
End of article
Fascinating! I’ve been learning more and more about fats and I truly believe trans fats have, more or less given, naturally occurring fats a bad name. Read my post, Are Hydrogenated Fats Giving Fats a Bad Name? I loved that she named coconut oil as a good source of fats, and I can tell that there has been a dramatic improvement in my “healthstyle” since using it for a year now! If you’re looking for a good source of VCO, I recommend this:
32-oz. - Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 quartWhat did you learn from Ms. Calabrese’s article?
Excellent post. I love me some porkfat, and butter! So sad that the majority of the population buys the low fat hype...including my very own parents and extended family (who all think I'm crazy.) haha
ReplyDeleteSame here! I take a swab of shortening & eat it! Yummy!
ReplyDelete