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Most of us have heard the alarming statements about high cholesterol. We’ve heard about ‘good’
cholesterol and ‘bad’ cholesterol. TV, radio, and magazines abound with warnings, touting various
cholesterol lowering drugs. We get the picture that high cholesterol can kill us. This is simply not
true!
Here’s some shocking news: scientific studies have proven again and again that higher cholesterol
means you will live a longer life. Studies have also shown that the statin drugs (cholesterol-lowering
drugs) have little or no benefit and cannot be found to prevent heart attack or stroke. The FDA and
pharmaceutical industry have pushed this information under the rug. Why? Well, Lipitor and other
cholesterol lowering drugs are billion dollar money makers. Lipitor alone rakes in 10 billion per year!
Let’s take a look at what cholesterol really is and the role it plays in heart
disease. Here we can see that cholesterol is a necessary part of bodily function.
Cholesterol serves five main functions.
1. It manufactures hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and cortisone.
2. It helps the liver to produce bile acids which are essential for digestion of fats
and getting rid of waste material.
3. Cholesterol is the building block for all of our bodily tissues by stabilizing
cell membranes.
4. It is part of the myelin sheath which coats nerve fibers, allowing the brain to
pass electrical impulses.
5. Cholesterol also has a positive effect on our immune system.
Scientific studies on the effects of cholesterol were performed mainly on middle
aged men, leaving out, for the most part, women, elderly, and children. We do
know that men with high cholesterol have a stronger immune system.
The origin of the good and bad cholesterol idea was explained by ex-drug
chemist Shane Ellison in his book, "Health Myths Exposed". 1 It originated from
the fact that LDL cholesterol has been discovered to be a part of the plaque
found on arterial walls. However, it does not make any difference if LDL is high
or low, it will still form plaque and damage arteries.
The role of plaque is much the same as many of our body’s functional responses to a problem.
When something is wrong, the body will find a way to protect itself. Plaque is a
natural band aid to protect the inner wall of a damaged artery. Therefore, good and bad cholesterol is
nothing more than a simplistic idea promoted to sell cholesterol-lowering drugs.
So, rather than focusing on cholesterol levels, we need to look at how heart
disease, or atherosclerosis, develops.
Damage to the innermost layer of the arteries will cause an inflammatory
process leading to heart disease. Once this occurs, our bodies, in their infinite
wisdom, will begin repairs. LDL’s, which are low density lipoproteins, will begin
to circulate into the damaged area. This attracts immune cells to the site.
These cells produce growth factors causing muscle cells to multiply and invade
the damaged area of the blood vessel. Then we have plaque, which is comprised
of LDL, immune cells, muscle cells, and debris from the initial damage. This
beginning damage can be caused by a number of things, such as:
*Free radical damage
*Infection
*Smoking
*High blood pressure
*Increased levels of insulin
*Increased levels of homocysteine
* Stress
*Lack of vitamin C
A qualified Iridologist can look at both the iris and sclera (white of the eye) to
determine if there is a build-up of plaque in veins and arteries. The following
picture which shows an opaque white encircling the border of the iris is one
indicator of such a condition.
This could be plaque that consists of cholesterol, calcium, or lipids. The serum
cholesterol that runs through your veins is not the culprit here. Cholesterol
lowering medication targets serum cholesterol, not plaque. There is no reason
to lower your serum cholesterol, in fact, it is harmful.
The very lovely thing about iridology is that nerves send messages to the brain,
and ultimately to the eye, which reveal potential problems 5 to 20 years before
symptoms may occur. A qualified iridologist can help you prevent a serious
situation long before you arrive at the emergency room to learn that you have
blockage to your heart
However, there are natural methods to help remove excess plaque at the same
time that you are changing your diet, lifestyle, and taking supplements to
strengthen and protect your circulatory system. A few of the herbs that serve
to soften and dissolve plaque are stone root, flax, butcher’s broom, chickweed,
and hydrangea. In addition, vitamin B12 and folic acid will lower
homocysteine. Homocysteine has been shown to cause the initial damage to the
inner layer of arteries, which then results in plaque formation. We need to
both prevent the damage with vitamin B12 and folic acid, as well as protect by
removing excessive plaque that may already be in evidence.
High cholesterol is protective rather than detrimental, and
lowering your serum cholesterol can be dangerous!
1.The information in this article is condensed largely from the book, “Health
Myths Exposed” by Shane Ellison, M.Sc.
Shane has a masters degree in medicinal chemistry. The findings from his
research are of paramount importance to all of us who want to live a long and
healthy life.
Get his free eBook at www.health-fx.net/eBook.pdf
To learn more about the inefficacy of cholesterol lowering drugs, specifics of
scientific studies, and other health myths, be sure to read Shane Ellison’s “Health
Myths Exposed”. You can go to www.health-fx.com or order the book from www.
amazon.com .
The information in this article is for educational purposes only; it is not meant to
diagnose or prescribe treatment. See your health professional regularly before starting any health
regimen.
