Cholesterol Alternative Treatments For High Cholesterol

Cholesterol

Alternative Treatments For High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a rising concern for people in modern countries. A high-fat diet along with limited exercise and activity are two significant risk factors for developing high cholesterol; even with aggressive pharmaceuticals, high cholesterol levels can be very stubborn. A growing problem, high cholesterol ranks high on the list of health concerns for modern human beings.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made by the liver. It is found in all parts of the body and is needed to produce hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids that help digest fat. The liver makes all of the cholesterol that is needed by the body, and the amount that is needed is quite small. Having high cholesterol simply means that there is too much cholesterol in the blood. Too much of this fatty substance produces plaque (fatty deposits) that build up on the walls of arteries (atherosclerosis) and puts one at a much greater risk of developing heart disease, the number one cause of death for men and women in the USA.

Cholesterol is carried by the blood and is attached to proteins. Once the lipid (cholesterol) is attached to a protein, a lipoprotein (fat-protein) is created. There are two basic kinds of lipoproteins - low density (LDL) and high density (HDL). Low-density protein is often characterized as the "bad" cholesterol because it is LDL that tends to form deposits on artery walls, while HDL, or the "good" cholesterol, helps clear extra cholesterol from the bloodstream. Thus, it is more desirable to have higher numbers of HDL (over 60) and lower amounts of LDL (under 40). The total blood cholesterol level of an individual should be under 200.

According to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, everyone over age 20 should have their cholesterol checked at least once every five years. An LDL cholesterol level of 160 is considered high, while an LDL of under 100 is ideal; an HDL level of 60 is considered desirable, while an HDL level under 40 is considered low.

The modern medical system recognizes that high cholesterol levels are usually caused by eating too much fat, especially saturated fat. Eating a lot of foods that contain saturated fats, such as meat, milk, and dairy products, will increase your likelihood of developing high cholesterol levels, as will living a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight. Women tend to experience rising cholesterol levels after reaching menopause, and some people have inherited higher cholesterol levels.

Many studies have been done by the modern medical system regarding cholesterol. High cholesterol has been shown to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease (cholesterol and fat being deposited in the walls of the arteries that supply the heart - this can and often does, lead to a heart attack). Numerous other studies continue to show how reducing cholesterol levels (especially LDL levels) reduces the risk of heart attacks or dying of congestive heart disease.

While no human being is immune from developing high cholesterol levels, it is known that people tend to have much lower cholesterol levels when they live in societies that do not consume a lot of animal products and get a lot of physical activity, such as in Africa. High cholesterol is also more common in men over age 45 and women older than 55. There are usually no outward symptoms of having high cholesterol, and a blood test is needed by the modern medical system to determine one's cholesterol status.

RISK FACTORS

There are many risk factors for high cholesterol. Many of the risk factors are under one's control and depend on lifestyle choices, but others are things that one cannot do very much about.

Heredity: One's genetic makeup largely determines how fast LDL is made and removed from the blood.

Weight: Being overweight may increase LDL levels.

Age: Risk increases with advanced age.

Smoking: Increases risk of high cholesterol.

Stress: Stress tends to raise cholesterol levels over a long period of time.

DRUGS

Doctors always recommend diet and exercise changes when one has a problem with high cholesterol. After about three months of lifestyle changes, physicians will offer medication to help lower cholesterol levels.

Statins: These drugs target LDL cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that controls the rate the body produces cholesterol. It also increases the ability of the liver to remove LDL cholesterol in the blood. Statins are the most popular of cholesterol-lowering drugs. One begins to see results after 6-8 weeks of normal consumption yet they come with many potential side effects, such as liver problems.

Bile Acid Suppressants: These drugs bind with bile acids in the intestines that contain cholesterol and aim to lower LDL cholesterol. The drug-bile acid combination is eliminated in the stool, so they cannot be used in people who have constipation problems. Available as powders or tablets, the three most common bile acid suppressants are cholestyramine, colestipol, and colesevelam. Side effects include constipation, nausea, gas, and bloating.

Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors - These are relatively new drugs that absorb cholesterol in the digestive tract. They reduce LDL cholesterol and come with minimal side effects, such as a swelling tongue.

Niacin: Niacin, or nicotinic acid, lowers total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and raises HDL levels when given in doses well above the normal daily requirement. Immediate-release niacin is available without a prescription and causes hot flashes, flushing, and a reaction with high blood pressure medicines. Ulcers, liver problems, and high blood sugar can also be found. Extended-release niacin is often tolerated better, but it comes with a much greater level of liver toxicity.

Fibrates: These drugs do not do much in lowering LDL levels and are reserved for people who have high triglyceride levels. Gallstones and reduced kidney function are side effects.

HERBS/SUPPLEMENTS

Red Yeast: A yeast indigenous to China, red yeast contains monacolin K, a natural form of lovastatin, which is a common cholesterol-lowering drug. It can be found in red yeast rice.

Psyllium: Reduces the ability of the small intestine to absorb cholesterol.

Guggulipid - Also known as guggul, this alternative increases the breakdown of LDL cholesterol in the liver. It is a standardized extract from the mukul myrrh (Commiphora mukul) tree.

Pantethine - Improves metabolism of fat and slows down the production of cholesterol by the liver.

Macadamia Nuts: A study showed men who consumed macadamia nuts as 15% of their total calorie intake (about 1.5- 3oz/day), their total cholesterol was lowered by 3%. Additionally, their LDL cholesterol dropped 5.3% while their HDL cholesterol rose 8%.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

According to traditional Chinese philosophy, there are four kinds of high cholesterol:

Damp Phlegm - characterized by "dirty" body materials collecting in vessels of the body

Blood Stasis - blood flow through the vessels becomes slowed or blocked

Spleen/Stomach Deficiency - excess levels of damp and phlegm generated from these organs

Liver/Kidney Deficiency - excess heat is generated by these organs, congealing body fluids

TCM practitioners recommend acupuncture combined with herbal treatments, which usually include Red Yeast Rice, garlic, and others. One remedy includes garlic, astragalus, polygonum, red ganoderma, cratageus, angelica, salvia, and white atractylodes, with garlic as the main ingredient.

AFRICAN HEALING

Traditional African healing sees elevated cholesterol levels as a blood purification problem. In fact, traditionally, the term "cholesterol" or any translation of it is simply not used or needed. Traditional African healers see "cholesterol" as a creation of the modern mentality and views rather than as a true health issue. When the medical system is talking about high cholesterol levels, according to African Healing, they are really mystifying a very basic pollution of the body.

On a global scale, the human body is designed to absorb nutrients and eliminate or reject waste, and this process happens even at the cellular level. Cells absorb nutrients and reject what is not needed (waste or pollutants), sending the unnecessary components back to the bloodstream for elimination. Normally, this waste is burned or expelled through respiration. When the amount of pollution that is in the blood is greater than the amount that can normally be expelled through respiration, the pollution builds up in the bloodstream, and the purity of the body is affected.

Once a buildup of waste/pollutants occurs inside the body, other organs speed up their functions (such as the kidneys and liver) to help clean the body. When the waste contamination is high enough that the other organs cannot keep the body clean, a serious buildup of blood contamination occurs. This buildup of contamination is what is seen by the modern medical system as "cholesterol".

The idea of a "good" cholesterol and a "bad" cholesterol, then, is also seen as a myth or creation of the modern medical system. "Depending on the diet, what is seen as waste is different," explained Master Naba, a Traditional African Master Healer and Priest. "The waste materials from animal products such as meat and milk are much different than the waste materials from vegetables and cereals. The waste from animal products is much harder on the body and causes more disturbance and pollution than the waste of a non-animal food source." It is because people in modern societies consume a lot of fat and sugar that this blood/body contamination problem (cholesterol) is seen as a lipid (fat) issue. According to African healing, high cholesterol levels are not related to fat, but rather to pollutants and contamination of the body.

"As long as a person is alive, their cells will produce waste regardless of whether he eats or does not eat. Some people eliminate more waste than others, and this is dependent on the individual's personal metabolism. When breathing is not enough to rid the body of the cellular waste, the skin becomes involved, then the kidneys," says Master Naba.

One key precursor to high pollution/cholesterol levels in the body is urine which is not clear.

"The modern medical system has educated people to think that having yellow urine is normal, but yellow urine is the first indicator that there is an increase in the quantity of waste in the body," explained Master Naba. If the body is functioning normally, one's urine will be clear. If the urine is not clear, it is in one's best interests to check the other organs of the body and make sure that they are all functioning normally and to reconsider what foods one is consuming. Cutting out sugar and animal products will help.

Because Traditional African Healing does not rely on invasive measures (such as drawing blood) for diagnosing, other non-invasive techniques are used to determine if one has a body contamination problem (high cholesterol). In Africa, one symptom of contamination is "akoura" - a person will feel a buzz throughout their entire body, much like how the ears feel when coming out of a very loud music concert. Another symptom is when one feels like ants are running inside of their body. A person's energy will also be affected - one will not have a constant energetic momentum, but rather their energy levels will fluctuate. A dry mouth can also be a sign of high contamination levels; when one feels full of water but still has a dry mouth, one should be concerned about the purity of their blood and body. One may also experience very subtle muscle spasms within the entire body.

The modern medical system claims that there are no signs of high cholesterol, but this is absolutely untrue. Perhaps it is because we have been educated to be removed from our owl body and are not in tune with ourselves that we do not notice these subtle changes and symptoms within our own skin.

To help ward off this problem, African healers suggest watching one's diet more carefully. Those who eat a lot of meat are more inclined to have waste and elimination problems; exercising moderation of meat and animal products in the diet will help. One should also avoid hydrogenated fats and animal fats. Eating a more natural and healthy diet will help give the body the chance to self-regulate and will eventually help rid the body of any waste that has built up. "Everything we eat stays in the body for a period of time. Some things that we eat can stay in the body for ten months before they are completely gone, so it is important to recognize this time factor," says Master Naba.

Treating high cholesterol using African herbs is fairly simple. One traditional treatment that is used for minor cases of contamination is a tea made from dry papaya leaves, lemon leaves, and fevergrass. For more stubborn or advanced contamination problems, one should take Ninika, a very powerful blood cleanser that not only helps remove toxins and pollutants from the body but also helps regulate hormones and normalize body functions. In serious cases, a stronger blood purifier may be needed and other organs may need to be healed.

Concerns about high cholesterol are growing each year in modern countries. How many cholesterol-lowering drug ads must we see before we realize that, not only is this a serious and common problem. but that the drug companies are reaping huge profits from our health issues? Alternatives are widely available, and they work. By modifying our eating habits and cleansing our blood and bodies regularly, we can remain healthy and strong.