Worried about high cholesterol?

Breakthrough Discovery Lowers Cholesterol, Reduces Heart Attack Risk Safely, Effectively Without Dangerous Drugs or Harmful Side Effects

Discover The Truth About Cholesterol Your Doctor Hasn't Told You
A Special Report from Dr. Chris Hart Friday, July 06, 2012 If you're concerned about lowering cholesterol and keeping it low to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, then this report may be the most important thing you read this week. Here's why... Most of us have long known that excess cholesterol in the blood can lead to angina, heart attacks and strokes. But what often goes unreported is the fact that not all cholesterol is harmful. It's an excess of a particular type of cholesterol, called LDL cholesterol, that causes problems. Your body's cholesterol level can certainly be influenced by the foods you eat. However,simply cutting back on fat and cholesterol-rich foods is often not enough to protect you from danger. Why not? Because only 15% to 20% of your body's cholesterol comes from food; the rest is produced by your body, primarily the liver. Some of that production is determined by factors such as how much exercise you get and whether or not you smoke. But mostly, the amount of cholesterol in your body is determined by something you cannot control: heredity, your family, your parents. Your parents may have given you a body that creates high levels of cholesterol naturally. That's why simply changing your eating habits may only have a minor effect on your cholesterol level, and why it may be necessary to take additional steps to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your system.

Cholesterol Is Not a Villain

In fact, you can't live without it. Cholesterol is a wax-like, fatty substance that's essential for your good health. It's a basic material used to form synapses - the pathways your nerves and brain use to communicate; it's indispensable for healthy hormone production; and it regulates the function of every cell membrane in your body. While there is really only one type of cholesterol, most people think there are two. Here's why... Cholesterol is transported through your bloodstream by a substance called lipoprotein. There are two types that carry most of your cholesterol: one is called Low-Density-Lipoprotein (LDL), the other High-Density-Lipoprotein (HDL). When we talk about cholesterol, we tend to identify it by the name of the lipoprotein that carries it. That's why you'll usually hear it called "HDL cholesterol" or "LDL cholesterol." The cholesterol itself is

the same but the carrier is different. The different carriers make cholesterol play different roles in your body.

Debunking Cholesterol Myths

Because all the buzz we hear only talks about lowering cholesterol, we're conditioned to think that lower is better. In fact, that's completely wrong: "lower" can be very bad for you. What's truly important - much more than "lowering" total cholesterol - is maintaining a healthy balance between the HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the troublemaker because too much of it can lead to atherosclerosis, angina, heart attacks and strokes. You want your LDL cholesterol level to be as low as possible. HDL cholesterol is a good guy; it's your system's "garbage collector." It collects the body's waste materials (including excess LDL cholesterol) and carries them back to the liver for processing. You want your HDL cholesterol level to be at a higher level. The statin drugs doctors prescribe to lower cholesterol don't do anything at all to balance the HDL:LDL ratio. Statin drugs act by blocking the enzyme your liver needs to produce cholesterol, and this limits the total amount your liver can create. As a result, these dangerous drugs can artificially cause your cholesterol level to fall too low, and that also creates problems. Studies show that when total cholesterol levels drop below a certain point (which currently is 190 for men, 178 for women), there is a greater risk of bleeding (hemorrhagic) strokes and death from cerebral hemorrhage. In addition to this major danger, the cholesterol-lowering statins have other harmful side effects, too. None of these drugs are completely safe.

Why Do Doctors Love Drugs?

The simple answer is, "They're human." Doctors have only so many working hours in a day and try to spend most of them seeing patients. They rely on the medical establishment to keep them informed about effective treatments. Their information comes from:

Professional Associations, Medical Journals, Government, Other Doctors, Drug Companies.

Sadly, all of the first four sources are heavily influenced by number five, the drug companies. In fact, eight out of nine members of the special panel that established the current cholesterol guidelines have financial ties to the drug companies. I believe that's why natural, non-pharmaceutical treatments get so little attention from the medical profession: there's no powerful coalition of vested interests, high pressure sales people and huge

advertising budgets lobbying the medical establishment and promoting the benefits of natural treatments - even though some of those natural treatments may be superior to drugs. It's a rare doctor, indeed, who will even consider natural therapies - usually a doctor who has a special interest in them or has been personally influenced by a family member or an outspoken patient.

Is Natural Really Better?

Clinical studies have revealed a number of natural substances that lower LDL cholesterol safely, without side effects. Perhaps the most widely known of these is a natural extract from sugar cane and rice bran wax called Policosanol. It's been the subject of dozens of independent studies and trials, and Policosanol has been proven to safely lower LDL cholesterol even more effectively than some dangerous statin drugs. In one study, two groups of patients were first put on a cholesterol lowering diet for 6 weeks. Each group was given a daily dose of Lovastatin (20mgs) or Policosanol (10mgs) for 12 weeks. The patients who were given Policosanol experienced a greater reduction in total cholesterol, a greater reduction in 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol, and an increase in 'good' (HDL) cholesterol. In other words, the Policosanol did the job better than the statin drug - and without any harmful side effects.

Natural Nutrients That Outperform Drugs

In addition to Policosanol, I've found research on other natural nutrients that have been proven more effective than statin drugs in improving blood cholesterol levels. For example:

Guggulipid Extract, an herb used in India for over 2000 years, lowers cholesterol more effectively than any of the statins - with no harmful side effects. It also lowers triglycerides which are another major factor contributing to heart disease. And it can even help you lose excess weight. Phytosterols or beta-sitosterol, a substance found in plants, decreases intestinal cholesterol absorption by about 50%. Theaflavins, a group of compounds found in tea, have been proven to lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol - safely, without side effects. Oryzanol Rice Bran Oil helps reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides, helps convert cholesterol to bile acids, increases bile acid excretion and inhibits cholesterol absorption. Pumpkin Seed Oil contains anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids that help to lower LDL levels and increase HDL levels. It also helps in the prevention and treatment of bladder, prostate and urological problems. D-Limonene oil, a natural compound found in orange peel, helps to inhibit cholesterol production, dissolves cholesterol gallstones, and there is even evidence that it may inhibit the formation of cancer cells.

Lecithin Oil, a natural emulsifier that helps you excrete fat, inhibits cholesterol absorption and also helps to cleanse the liver.

Unique Formula Lowers Cholesterol Six Ways

There are several supplements on the market that can help you lower cholesterol, but only one is specially formulated to attack the cholesterol problem in six ways, safely, without side effects, as nature intended. That breakthrough product is Xtend-Life's Natural Cholesterol Lowering Formula. It combines safe, powerful, proven cholesterol lowering nutrients in a carefully prepared blend that not only lowers cholesterol, it improves your cholesterol balance. Here's how...

It reduces the production of cholesterol by your liver. This helps your body limit its cholesterol production so it doesn't make more than you need. It reduces the absorption of cholesterol in your digestive system. This helps your body reject excess cholesterol that comes from the foods you eat. It reduces circulating blood fats and dissolving cholesterol particles by creating more 'good' cholesterol - the 'garbage collector' that carries away the waste matter and excess 'bad' cholesterol in your blood. It prevents cholesterol from hardening your arteries by reducing or eliminating the plaque buildup that causes atherosclerosis. It increases the excretion of bile acids that carry cholesterol out of your body. And it inhibits the oxidation of cholesterol, so it doesn't have a chance to become harmful.

Lower Cholesterol Is Only Part of the Story

Besides lowering your total cholesterol level and improving your body's cholesterol balance, Xtend-Life Natural Cholesterol Lowering Formula offers other important heart-health benefits, too...

It lowers triglycerides which thicken your blood and increase the risk of the clotting and blockage that can trigger a heart attack or stroke. It helps clean Homocysteine out of your body. That's another leading cause (10%) of coronary deaths and an even greater percentage of strokes. And unlike statins and other cholesterol-lowering supplements, you won't have to take it forever - just long enough to let your body normalize its cholesterol production, then only intermittently thereafter.

Xtend-Life Natural Cholesterol Formula is a unique blend of 100% natural ingredients that lowers your cholesterol safely, with no harmful side effects. It won't force your cholesterol to dangerously low levels, as drugs can do. Rather, it helps your body find its own natural cholesterol balance and stabilize it at the levels that are right for you.

Does It Work for Everyone?

Unfortunately, no. Nothing works for everyone. (Even the statin drugs your doctor may prescribe work for only a percentage of people. But even when they don't work, I believe those drugs are still fraught with danger for everyone who uses them.)

How Safe is Lipitor?

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O.

If you have high cholesterol, chances are your doctor has already talked to you about the cholesterol-lowering drugs called "statins." Statins are one of the most frequently prescribed drug classes in the world - over five million people in the U.S. alone are currently taking them.
Doctors like statins because they work - and they work quickly and easily. But, as they say, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Yes, statins work - but at what price? Certainly, they are expensive in dollar terms - but I'm really talking about the physical toll these drugs can take on the body. We know some of the obvious side effects they cause in some people, like liver damage, sexual dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. But now a new study shows that statins can also have more subtle effects on the body - ones that can trigger a whole cascade of health problems down the road. Do statins' results justify their collateral damage? In this Finnish study, doctors researched the effects of the statin drug simvastatin (Zocor) and dietary changes on 120 men between the ages of 35 and 64. All of the men had high cholesterol (fasting serum concentrations between 232 and 309) that had previously been untreated. The men were randomly divided into two equal groups: one group was advised to continue following their usual diet, while the other group was advised to follow a Mediterranean-style diet. Specifically, the dietary intervention included keeping saturated fat intake below 10 percent of total calories, cholesterol intake below 250 mg a day, and increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, fruits, vegetables, and soluble fiber. Then each group was further divided into two subgroups that took either 20 mg of simvastatin each day or a placebo. They followed this protocol for 12 weeks, and then each subgroup "crossed over" to the other treatment. At baseline and at the end of each 12-week treatment period, the researchers assessed each participant's blood pressure, weight, and exercise frequency, as well as blood levels of cholesterol, insulin, and antioxidants. There's no denying that simvastatin was effective at reducing cholesterol levels. On average, the drug brought total cholesterol levels down 20.8 percent. In contrast, dietary intervention alone decreased total cholesterol by only 7.6 percent. Statin drug's surprising side effects lead down a dangerous road. But here's a revealing finding: simvastatin treatment also INCREASED fasting serum insulin levels by 13 percent, and DECREASED serum concentrations of important antioxidant vitamins by as much as 22 percent. Among participants in the dietary intervention group, blood tests revealed significantly lower serum levels of critical nutrients like alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and co-enzyme Q-10 while taking the

statin drug, compared to the period when they took the placebo. At the same time, glucose levels were not affected, suggesting a decrease in insulin sensitivity. We know that decreased insulin sensitivity leads us down a dangerous road: insulin resistance, which leads to Type II diabetes, and finally all the disease's associated conditions like kidney disease, heart disease, even blindness. But not getting the antioxidants you need could be equally troubling. We've learned so much over the past decade about antioxidants' critical role in good health; these nutrients help protect us from atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease - even cancer. You could argue that statin drugs protect us, too - by reducing cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease. But it seems like a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
The potential adverse effects of the entire class of these widely used drugs are particularly worrying considering that the new guidelines for treating high cholesterol, recently published by the US National Cholesterol Education Program, recommend treatment with cholesterol lowering drugs for a considerable portion of mankind --Uffe Ravnskov, MD, author of The Cholesterol Myths (New Trends, 2000)

Ok, so your cholesterol level comes down - but your insulin levels could go up and your body could be robbed of essential nutrients. Considering all of that, is the net effect of statins positive, negative - or just a very expensive wash? You have to make that decision for yourself, after weighing the options with your doctor. But consider that there are safe, natural ways to lower your cholesterol WITHOUT running the risk of insulin resistance, nutrient loss, or other dangerous side effects. If you have high cholesterol, give diet, exercise, and natural remedies a try before resorting to statins. You may have to be a little more patient; you may not see results as quickly and dramatically as you might by taking the drugs. But in the end, you'll know for sure that you're netting positive results for your heart - and for your overall health. "The potential adverse effects of the entire class of these widely used drugs are particularly worrying considering that the new guidelines for treating high cholesterol, recently published by the US National Cholesterol Education Program, recommend treatment with cholesterol lowering drugs for a considerable portion of mankind," states Uffe Ravnskov, MD, author of The Cholesterol Myths (New Trends, 2000).

However, there is currently no indication that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be following Europe's lead and look into the safety of the entire Statin class, despite the fact that they have been petitioned to do so by the consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen, among others. "These drugs may cause muscle damage by interfering with the body"s production and metabolism of Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone)," says Stephen Byrnes, PhD, author of Diet & Heart Disease : It's Not What You Think (Whitman, 2001). "This substance is crucial for the proper functioning of muscle tissue, which includes the heart." The statins that are currently available in the US are Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), and Lescol (fluvastatin).