Cholesterol is a steroid normally found in all body cells and plasma. It is the most abundant steroid in the body. Gonadal and adrenal hormones are produced from cholesterol.

Do you know the function of cholesterol in your body?
What can you do to lower cholesterol naturally? Are we a society deficient in statin drugs?
Why is your cholesterol high in the first place?

If your cholesterol is too high (a total cholesterol over 230), the problem is not the cholesterol, as your body has raised its levels in order to play some type of ESSENTIAL role(s) for your survival.

The cause of high cholesterol is high starch carbohydrate, hydrogenated fats and low thyroid function. Emotional and physical stress can also influence cholesterol levels.

In general, cholesterol is increased in most endocrine or organ hypofunction and decreased in most endocrine and organ hyperfunction.

New research has revealed that LDL or "bad" cholesterol inhibits the breakdown of fat in adipocytes, or fat cells, suggesting that it is a regulator of fat stores. If a person has elevated cholesterol levels, it is a sign that their body, emotions or intellect are subject to excessive stress.

The majority of excess cholesterol is manufactured in times of psychological stress and dehydration. Elevated LDL can be caused from the body attempting to produce hormones as cholesterol is a precursor to hormone production. In addition, those with low thyroid suffer high cholesterol.

Remember that cholesterol is necessary and healthy because it is involved in cellular repair and reducing inflammation; it is oxidized cholesterol that is unhealthy.

Increased triglycerides, in conjunction with decreased HDL, is a more significant factor for coronary artery disease than elevated cholesterol by itself.

In 1990, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that normal cholesterol was considered around 200. Today normal is considered 160! Individuals with cholesterol levels below 160 cannot make sex hormones.

So much has been written concerning the evils of increased cholesterol, however very little has been reported concerning decreased cholesterol. Decreased cholesterol can be normal for a vegetarian and some people with a genetic predisposition to decreased cholesterol.

In addition, individuals with cholesterol levels below 160 are associated with compromised immune system, ' risk of depression, anxiety, respiratory illness, stroke and brain-related deaths such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's. Individuals with low adrenal or hypoadrenic (Addision's disease) suffer low cholesterol. Low cholesterol is one of the signs of cancer (JAMA, Dec 1980).

Myths:

Cholesterol causes heart disease

Cholesterol is bad

Eating fat is unhealthy

High cholesterol is caused only from eating unhealthy foods

High cholesterol means you're unhealthy

Lowering your cholesterol is healthy

Cholesterol Tips:

Every hormone in your body requires cholesterol as a precursor

Approximately 80-90% of all cholesterol is made inside your body and does NOT come from the foods you eat.

Elevated cholesterol may be caused from:
" Consumption of too many refined carbohydrates/sugars.
" Congested liver
" Excess amounts of stress either physical, emotional, chemical, electromagnetic, psychological
" Hormonal imbalances
" Inflammation

Cholesterol is vital for:

A precursor to sex hormones, vitamin D, and bile production

A repair substance - repair molecule

Cell membrane integrity helping maintain proper permeability

Child development in mother's milk

Controlling free radical damage

Digesting the fats you eat

Female hormones. Women with higher cholesterol live longer.

Helping your cells receive serotonin

Side effects from statin drugs include:

Cataracts

Cognitive loss, dementia and memory loss

Deficiencies in fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K

Diarrhea, constipation, gas, nausea

Difficulty breathing or swallowing

Dizziness, fuzzy thinking

Elevation of liver enzymes - Liver damage

Headaches

Increased risk of cancer

Increased risk of suicide

Lack of energy

Muscle weakness

Pain and tenderness in muscles or joints

Rhabdomyolisis (serious degenerative muscle tissue breakdown)

Rashes, hives itching

Robs your body of CoQ10 enzyme which can increase your risk for heart disease

Suppressed immune system

What can you do to lower your cholesterol naturally?

Consume plenty of organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed beef and free-range poultry

Consider supplementing with:

o Biotics Beta-TCP to lower bile viscosity. This is one of the most important steps to take in high cholesterol.
o Biotics LipidSirt
o Omega-3 fish oil - Biotics EFA Sirt Supreme
o Pantethine, the coenzymatic form of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and cysteamine
o Reservertrol, an antioxidant found in red wine
o Tocotrienols - Delta and gamma tocotrienol were found to possess the greatest ability to inhibit cholesterol synthesis
o Vitamins C and E
o Vitamin D - BioD Mulsion Forte

Decrease the amount of refined grains, sugar, dairy, fast food and alcohol. These increase inflammation in excess = ' triglycerides which = ' cholesterol.

To reduce inflammation: eliminate trans fats, sugars, grains, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, stress, overcooked foods, excessive cardiovascular exercise and excessive alcohol consumption

Drink plenty of water. Bodyweight x .7 = the number of daily ounces to be consumed.

Natural products such as plant sterols and green tea extract can be used to prevent the absorption of cholesterol from the intestinal tract. Green tea extracts have a cholesterol lowering effect.

Eat more good quality fats (raw butter, coconut oil, avocados, extra virgin olive oil and wild salmon).

Identify what you feel stressed about. Reduce the amount of stress in your life by adding in daily meditation and create time for yourself to relax every day even if it's only 5 minutes.

Implement one change at a time. Gradual, consistent progress over time.

Lab testing to see where there may be hidden inflammation, specifically C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine. CRP is a protein that circulates in the blood, especially when there is inflammation in the body, including inflammation of the coronary arteries. CRP is a biomarker for systemic inflammation and a confirmed risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine is an excellent predictor of cardiovascular disease. An elevated homocysteine level is also a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease.

o Doctors are finding that CRP is a far more accurate indicator of a future problem with heart disease than cholesterol levels alone. The simplest way to lower the CRP level is to reduce inflammation in the body.

Turn the lights out by 10pm. Turn the television and computer off by 8pm. Get restful sleep.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paula_Owens

Cures for heartburn are plenty and easy to come by. Sometimes though, it can be a little confusing as to what works best. We are readily looking for the best methods to help us cure our discomfort of burning chest pain. In this article, I will be sharing seven simple cures for you to follow.

7 Simple Cures:

1) Fennel seeds. Put two teaspoons of fennel seeds in boiling water and make it as a tea. It will relieve and soothe you of any pain.

2) Ginger root. Eating ginger root helps in digestion and it relieves you from any discomfort.
You can stead it and steep it in tea.

3) Peppermint. Peppermint is great for digestion. All you have to do is to chew on the leaves.

4) Rhubarb. You can stew the rhubarb and add some sugar, because it is a little sour.

5) Eat raw vegetables. Eat smaller meals and add as many vegetables as you can. Also, add some fresh pineapple or papaya, which will help in digesting your food and neutralize your stomach acid.

6) Antacids. These are good only as a temporary relief. They may have some side effects. If you rely and use them too much, they can offer you some harmful mineral imbalances.

7) Don't eat before bed time. Make sure you don't eat anything for a couple of hours before going to bed. When you do go to bed, you could also try to elevate your pillow. This will keep your head raised and allow any stomach acid to lower in the esophagus.

In this article, I shared with you seven simple cures for heartburn!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Burt_Amadio

A blockage in the hearts arteries may cut off the blood supply partially to a portion of the heart. This can create a blood clot and stop blood flow in a coronary artery. This is called a heart attack. A heart attack is very life threatening. Irreversible injury can happen to the heart if medical help is not received soon or immediately.

It is very common for people to dismiss the signs of a heart attack.

Recognizing the signs of a heart attack can save your life. Some of the signs of a heart attack are squeezing, pain in the chest, uncomfortable pressure, pain that spreads to shoulders, neck, or arms, and the pain can be mild or intense.

Some people may feel lightheadedness, nausea, shortness of breath, paleness, sweating, and fainting. Anxiety, nervousness, increased or irregular heart beat and feelings of imminent doom may also occur. Not everyone will experience all of these symptoms at once and not everyone will have the same symptoms. If you have more than one of these symptoms it is best to seek medical attention. Call emergency don't wait around, it could be your life at stake.

Angina is a protest from the heart that it isn't getting enough oxygen because of diminished blood supply. A heart attack is the most extreme state of oxygen deprivation, in which whole sections of the hearts cells begin to die for lack of oxygen. If the blockage in the arteries can be cleared quickly enough - within the first few hours of the onset of the attack - the permanent damage can be minimized.

Heart attacks that have no symptoms are called silent heart attacks. They are the most extreme case of a more widespread condition called silent ischemia. Ischemia is a chronic shortage of oxygen and nutrient bearing blood to a section of the heart. The cause of the ischemia is almost always atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the progressive narrowing of the hearts arteries from accumulations of plague. In most instances the reduction of blood supply creates a protest from the heart (angina).

The absence of pain doesn't mean that there is not damage. The heart has a built in reserve capacity. This allows it to handle so much scarring and damage from a heart attack and still need the needs of the body. However, another heart attack or ischemia even at a mild degree can be very fatal because the reserve is no longer there. Those who do survive another one could end up a cardiac cripple or disabled.

It is urged to get a screening for silent ischemia if you have great risk factors such as a smoker, diabetes, long history of high cholesterol, and so forth. The screening is a medical history and physical exam along with a cardiac stress test. The cardiac stress test is a workout using a treadmill while your heart functions are being monitored. It is very simple and painless. It is always good to learn if you are at risk for angina, atherosclerosis, silent ischemia, or heart attack.

Alternative Health Supplements offers a few all natural supplements to keep your heart health at its best. Heart Support Combo by Bell is made to help prevent heart attacks, stokes, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, and blanches low blood pressure. It contains wild garlic to regulate cholesterol, prevent blood clotting, and improve circulation. Its other all natural ingredients are beta sisterol, extract of black seed, celery seeds, dulse, and grape seed. It will make your heart functions improve and give you an over all sense of well being and health.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_A_Johnson

Coronary heart disease is often called coronary artery disease. A coronary artery is blood vessels, which are narrow tubes that carry blood to your heart. Your arteries can get built up with plague blocking the flow of blood and oxygen through them. Plague is a fatty substance made from cholesterol. It can happen in ay artery but it is much more serious if it is the coronary artery. Coronary heart disease can lead to very serious health risks such as angina and heart attacks.

If you are overweight or have diabetes you are more at risk of coronary heart disease. High blood pressure and high cholesterol will also put a person more at risk. Men and women can both get coronary heart disease and it can develop as a person gets older. It can also be a heredity disease.

Lowering your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure can reduce your risks of getting coronary heart disease and the same goes for cholesterol levels. Smokers are more at risk as well, nicotine raises blood pressure. After 2 or 3 years of not smoking your risk will be as low as the risk of someone who does not smoke.

Eating a healthy diet will lower the risk of coronary heart disease. Adding foods to your diet that are low in cholesterol and saturated fat will help reduce the risk greatly. Saturated fats are bad because your body turns saturated fats into cholesterol. Getting regular exercise can make your heart stronger. Exercise can also lower blood pressure. Taking an aspirin everyday helps prevent heart disease but there are risks of taking it every day. Ask your doctor if it is the right treatment for you.

Taking a vitamin supplement can lower a person's risk of having a heart attack. Vitamin E is really good for lower the risk. Alternative Health Supplements offers a product called Super Cardio Program; it combines two important steps for better cardiovascular health. The heart support has Coenzyme Q10, hawthorne extract, citrus bioflavonoid, and vitamin E to support the health of your heart. The artery support has folic acid, cayenne pepper, vitamins B1, B6, B12, and magnesium to maintain healthy blood flow.

Symptoms of coronary heart disease are most of the time very noticeable, but sometimes you can have the disease and not even know it. Chest pain or discomfort is the most common and noticeable of all the symptoms. The pain happens because there is not enough blood and oxygen getting to the heart. The pain will vary from person to person.

Symptoms may be very noticeable, but sometimes you can have the disease and not have any symptoms. There are two types of chest pain atypical and typical. Atypical is often sharp pain and will come and go. You will feel it in the left chest, abdomen, back, and arm. It is more common in women. Typical chest pain feels heavy or like someone is squeezing you. You feel it under the chest bone and the pain occurs with activity or emotion. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, heart attack, and fatigue with activity or feeling over exerted.

Treatments depend on your symptoms and how severe it is. Sometimes treatment can include one or more of the following; medicine, angioplasty, and a stent. By pass surgery could be required if heart attack was the symptom.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_A_Johnson