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Cholesterol can be both good and bad, so it's important to
learn what cholesterol is, how it affects your health and
how to manage your blood cholesterol levels.
Understanding the facts about cholesterol will help you take
better care of your heart and live a healthier life, reducing
your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Some other factors that can effect you heart health are your
HDL / LDL profile, high-sensitivity C reactive protein (CRP),
and homocysteine.
The Cholesterol Family
Most health expert’s report a total cholesterol level
below 200 mg/dl is recommended. Yet, this alone does not provide
us with enough information. More importantly, the ratio between
high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) and low-density
lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) needs to be reviewed. A ratio
of 4:1 or better will improve your chances of lifelong heart
health.
The CRP Factor
CRP measures inflammation within the body, which is a valuable
predictor of heart disease. One recent research study proved
this. In a three-year study of more than 28,000 healthy postmenopausal
women, 122 of the women had a heart attack, stroke, angioplasty
or coronary bypass.
When comparing blood samples from these women to 244 similar
women who had no heart problems, those who started out with
the highest CRP levels were four times more likely to have
heart disease than those with the lowest blood level. That
was even true for women with undesirable LDL (“bad”
cholesterol) under 130 mg/dl.
How does CRP differ from cholesterol? While cholesterol tells
us about a person’s propensity to develop plaque, it
doesn’t tell us which plaque is likely to rupture due
to inflammation. Plaque that ruptures can lead to stroke and
heart attack, and whether a plaque ruptures depends on inflammation.
Unlike cholesterol, CRP provides us with this valuable information.
The Homocysteine Factor
Elevated level of homocysteine (a metabolite of the amino
acid methionine) has recently been identified as a risk factor
in heart disease. That’s because homocysteine can attach
to LDL cholesterol, making it stick to the artery wall, leading
to thickening and narrowing of the arteries.
Among the 15,000 doctors participating in the Physicians’
Health Study, those with an elevated homocysteine level had
a heart attack rate three times as high as those with lower
levels over a period of just 5 years.
What causes an elevated homocysteine level? One factor is
a deficiency in vitamins B 6, 12 and folic acid. That’s
because the enzymes that process homocysteine require these
B vitamins.
What To Do To Keep Your Heart Healthy
The first thing you should do is talk to your physician about
a blood work-up, including CRP, homocysteine, total cholesterol,
which includes both LDL and HDL numbers.
Clean Up Your Diet
• Cut the fat -- try not to use fat as a flavoring agent.
Instead of butter, use lemon juice and herbs to season vegetables.
Extra virgin Olive Oil is always a great choice.
• Reduce your meat consumption -- if you’re concerned
about getting your protein, try experimenting with different
soy & tofu products.
• Eat more phyto-nutrient-rich plant foods such as…
broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, etc.
• Increase your consumption of heart-healthy fish, such
as salmon and tuna.
• Choose leaner meats such as the loin, sirloin and
round. Cut any visible fat off the meat, and it’s a
good idea to remove the skin from poultry.
• Up your fiber intake by increasing fresh fruits, vegetables
and whole grains.
• Get enough essential fatty acids (e.g.: flaxseed oil,
fish oils, etc)
Maintain a Reasonable Body Weight
Believe it or not – if you are presently overweight,
even a modest weight loss can significantly reduce your risk
for heart disease, as well as other degenerative diseases.
So keep your body moving… walking, running, swimming,
or even bike riding are great ways to keep your heart healthy,
and keep off those extra pounds
Supplements That Can Help
• Garlic -- this valuable herb has a profound effect
on our circulatory system. It may lower cholesterol and triglyceride
levels in the blood, inhibit platelet aggregation (stickiness),
and increase fibrinolyisis, which results in slowing of blood
coagulation. Garlic has been found to be mildly antihypertensive
and provides noticeable antioxidant activity.
• Antioxidants -- to keep your ‘bad’ cholesterol
from being oxidized, which increases the incidence of heart
disease. Include antioxidants as Vitamin C, E, Grape seed
extract, Resveratrol, Alpha-lipoic acid, Beta-carotene and
Selenium.
• CoQ10 -- besides being an antioxidant, CoQ10 is a
powerful heart energizer that promotes healthy blood pressure,
improves valve function, lowers cholesterol levels, and boosts
energy output of your heart. The result? It keeps your heart
pumping efficiently. Plus, it hastens recovery after surgery.
Liver Enhancing Nutrients -- such as Milk thistle, Schizandra,
Artichoke, Dandelion, and PhosphatidylCholine. You need a
healthy liver to properly process cholesterol.
• MSM (methylsufonylmethane) – which is a naturally
occurring sulfur compound, is the one nutrient that is most
likely to lower CRP, the blood marker for inflammation.
• Vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid -- to maintain healthy
homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine levels promote
atherosclerosis by directly damaging the artery and by reducing
the integrity of the vessel wall. Elevated homocysteine levels
are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke and
vascular disease.
Vitamin B6 also provides additional cardio-protecting properties.
In addition to helping to lower homocysteine levels, it also
helps to inhibit platelet aggregation and lowers blood pressure.
• Niacin (as Inositol Hexaniacinate) -- this form of
niacin helps to lower blood cholesterol without causing any
of the usual niacin toxicity reported in scientific research
including uncomfortable flushing, headaches and stomachache.
It exerts a multi-factorial effect: it helps to lower LDL
cholesterol while raising HDL cholesterol, as well as helps
to decrease triglycerides and fibrinogen levels (fibrins are
a clot forming protein).
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Articles > How To Keep Your Heart Healthy
