Your high cholesterol level doesn’t really matter! Yes, that’s right. Read that again. In fact, if your cholesterol is low, you may want to keep reading.
For many decades, we’ve been told that high cholesterol foods increase our cholesterol levels and is the leading cause heart disease. But more current research and clinical evidence is pointing to the fallacies in this conclusion.
In fact, evidence is supporting this mind-blowing premise--people with higher levels of cholesterol actually live longer. This is backed by multiple studies which also conclude that low cholesterol levels may increase mortality rates.
According to Dr. Bowden, PhD, coauthor (with Stephen Sinatra, MD) of The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease—and the Statin-Free Plan That Will (Fair Winds Press, 2012), men over 65 and women of all ages are not helping their health by lowering their cholesterol levels. Low cholesterol, in fact, may actually cause more health issues than it prevents!
Higher levels of cholesterol are linked to FEWER incidences of various cancers, respiratory diseases and illnesses, mental health issues and gastrointestinal conditions. Yes, HIGHER levels!
Cholesterol is essential for multiple bodily functions. It’s critical for cells and cognitive function, and (this might shock you), cholesterol may play a protective role in preventing heart disease. Several studies have demonstrated that people with high cholesterol levels live longer than those with low levels. A meta-analysis that looked at 68,000 patients showed that higher levels of cholesterol also reduced incidence of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Low LDL levels increased likelihood of these age-related illnesses as well as infectious diseases.
The conventional view is that having high LDL cholesterol levels increases your risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. This newer research, however, suggests that total cholesterol is not such an extreme risk factor for all-cause or cardiovascular mortality, and this makes more of a difference the older people get. In fact, we should be mindful of optimal cholesterol levels in order for the body to function properly.
Another compelling fact that supports the theory that high cholesterol does NOT cause heart disease is that 50% of all cardiac events occur in people with normal to low cholesterol levels. Those odds of prevention through cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins, are as good as tossing a coin!
Cholesterol is responsible for many multiple bodily functions. At the cellular level, each cell membrane is comprised of cholesterol. In the brain, cholesterol plays a critical role in protecting the brain and creating brain cells. In fact, studies of patients with low total cholesterol levels (below 160) showed an increase in mental health issues, brain inflammation and cognitive decline.
Cholesterol is also needed for your body to create and utilize certain hormones and vitamins, such as vitamin D. We need cholesterol in our skins cells to make vitamin D from sunlight.
Looking deeper into the 30 studies in which this information is based, 12 of the studies found no link between high LDL levels and mortality. What’s even more compelling is that 16 of the studies actually showed that LOW LDL levels were linked with HIGHER mortality risk.
Nine of the 30 studies analyzed looked specifically at LDL levels’ influence on cardiovascular risk. Of these nine studies, 7 found no relationship between LDL levels and cardiovascular mortality and 2 found the opposite of what was anticipated, confirming that higher levels of cholesterol reduced the risk of dying from a cardiovascular event or cardiovascular disease.
So, if it’s not cholesterol, what could potentially be a greater risk factor for cardiovascular disease and myocardial events? Inflammation. Inflammation, in fact, is thought to be the root cause of nearly every chronic illness.
Inflammation is your body’s response to an infection or injury. It can spread throughout the body like fire, causing systemic damage. As your immune system fights toxins, pathogens and infection it releases chemicals and participates in multiple functions to try to reduce the damage and eliminate the invader.
In the case of heart disease, blood sugar spikes, high blood pressure, pathogens, pesticides, pollution and other toxins can cause damage to the endothelium, the lining of the arteries. Your body’s response is to fix it, so it will send LDL cholesterol to the point of injury to help heal the damage.
Systemic free radicals, however, may oxidize the cholesterol, which triggers further inflammation. The LDL develops into a thicker barrier over the wound and now becomes an arterial plaque. This might work to fix the damage if the plaque is stabilized. Although it may narrow the artery, the body’s innate ability to manage damage is evident here. When the plaque is unstable, however, it can burst and travel, causing blood clots, cardiovascular events, stroke and possible death.
The bottom line is it’s best to prevent the inflammation in the first place. Reducing inflammation involves eating foods that naturally help lower systemic inflammation, exercising, managing stress and weight, connecting with nature, detoxifying your body and environment (cleaning products, cosmetics, personal care products, toxic chemicals and pesticides, etc) and proper supplementation to support nutritional needs and optimal detoxification.
CoQ10:
CoQ10 helps your mitochondria do its job of supporting the cell, producing energy and transporting this energy throughout your system. As you age, however, your natural stores of CoQ10 are depleted. Interestingly, statins, like Lipitor and Crestor, are known to LOWER natural CoQ10 levels. Nutrient deficiencies, such as low levels of certain B vitamins also reduce CoQ10 levels. Various disease states and chronic stress can deplete your body’s natural CoQ10 resources, as well.
Aside from helping the body with energy on the cellular level, CoQ10 may also assist with reducing oxidative stress, which can prevent LDL oxidation.
Our MicroActive CoQ10 Enhanced with MicroPOQ + Shilajit is a triple-action heart health and cellular energy support formula specifically designed to fuel mitochondria and protect mitochondrial function while promoting biogenesis. This unique complex contains highly bioavailable forms which are universally absorbed with much higher effectiveness levels when compared to standard CoQ10 & PQQ alone. The combined ingredients are clinically-studied with results showing improvement in short-term memory, focus and cognitive health.
Glutathione:
Glutathione binds to harmful pathogens and toxins, forming compounds that can be escorted out of the body. It is the master antioxidant that fights free radicals and reduces oxidative stress.
Glutathione can be supplemented intravenously (IV infusion), or orally. IV glutathione therapy is inconvenient, not to mention costly, and must be repeated. Research comparing the benefit of IV glutathione with oral glutathione demonstrates that when oral glutathione is acetylated it provides significantly higher levels of glutathione on several markers. That's good news.
For a glutathione supplement to work, it must reach the cells. This means it has to pass unchanged through the entire digestive tract, into the bloodstream and finally be deposited into the cells.
Reduced glutathione is the form the body's cells produce, but when reduced glutathione enters the stomach via supplementation, it is degraded by stomach acids and never reaches the cells.
S-Acetyl glutathione, however, travels safely through the digestive system, and is transported unchanged by the bloodstream to be deposited safely into the cells. S-Acetyl glutathione has been demonstrated to pass through cell membranes more readily than reduced glutathione.
Our Glutathione GOLD consists of a patent-pending, acetylated form of glutathione. As a result, it is well-absorbed and more stable throughout the digestive tract than other available types of glutathione. Ingredient absorption and stomach acid resistance is further promoted by utilizing an enteric-coating process on the capsule ingredients. Lab results show that s-acetyl glutathione raised intracellular glutathione while having a positive impact on many oxidative stress biomarkers.
Nrf2 Pathway:
The Nrf2 pathway is responsible for regulating the production of antioxidants. When the body’s free radical off-balance warning signal is activated, Nrf2 is designed to spring into action, returning the system to balance. But certain conditions can inhibit the Nrf2 activation process.
Environmental conditions (such as smoking and air pollution) and biological conditions (like stress, high cholesterol or blood pressure) can cause more free radicals to be produced than the body can keep in check. The result is a condition known as oxidative stress. Many diseases may result from oxidative stress, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and ALS.
Our Nrf2 Boost contains well researched and highly bioavailable ingredients which activate the Nrf2 genetic pathway, promoting optimal cellular health. This pathway regulates the production of the body’s crucial antioxidant enzymes.
If you're worried about your inflammation levels, there is a test for it! This blood test is called hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein).
A large prospective clinical trial demonstrated less cardiovascular risk for patients with hs-CRP less than 2.0 mg/L.(1) More aggressive treatment strategies may be warranted in patients with hs-CRP of 2.0 mg/L or higher. According to research, hs-CRP testing is a more accurate predictor of cardiovascular risk than LDL cholesterol levels.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dietary-cholesterol-does-not-matter#bottom-line
https://www.capitalcardiology.com/cholesterol-level-not-matter/
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/inflammation-not-high-cholesterol-may-cause-heart-disease
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/6/e010401.full
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627095006.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6310874/
https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/82047
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.cir.0000053730.47739.3c