The Mysterious Culprit

Everybody knows about the word “Cholesterol” and everybody believes that it has been the key culprit in cardiovascular disease. But is what we know fact? Or is it just something that we are told because this specific piece of information has been passed down to us from previous generations? Well the function of this article is to inform you readers that nearly half of all heart attacks or cardiovascular diseases occur in people with normal level of cholesterols, which would suggest that the cause of such troublesome problem is something else. So where exactly is the cause and who is the main culprit?

Well researchers have recently identified “culprits” in this mysterious illness. Notice that the word culprit is plural, so yes there is more than one factor in this crime scene. In fact, cholesterol is one of the factors that cause cardiovascular diseases, but it’s only dangerous when combined with its partner in crime, inflammation. Some of you might say WHAT?! We commonly know inflammation as the process in which a stream of Leukocytes (White Blood Cells) and chemicals that are unleashed by our immune system to fend off infections and damages.

However cholesterol wouldn’t be nearly as detrimental without the process of inflammation. Their combined forces

is thought to play a vital role in arteriosclerosis, the thickening and hardening of the artery walls. This happens when low-density lipoprotein (LDL) builds up in the arteries and clogs it. Because higher levels of low-density lipoprotein particles nurture health problems, they are often known as bad cholesterol.

The process in which this happens begins when high level of extracellular cholesterol is fount in the bloodstream, excess amounts of low-density lipoprotein begins to percolate into the inner walls of the artery. This immediately triggers an inflammatory response, which accelerates the accumulation of extracellular cholesterol in the arteries. This in turns causes a major production of inflammation and the cycle continues. After some time, the deposited cholesterols and hardens into what is known as “plaque,” which may rupture and lead to the blood coagulation that causes strokes and heart attacks.

Believe it or not, there is a way to prevent this process from occurring and it doesn’t require any medication with side effects. That’s right, there are ingredients that we can use in our daily cooking to prevent such a tragic event.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Germany revealed that Cynara Scolymnus may help decrease the chance of arteriosclerosis or any cardiovascular disease by a process of inhibition in which limits the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. The compound found in artichokes, cynarin, contributes to the prevention by increasing the amount of bile produced in the liver and increase the rate at which bile flows from the gallbladder.

Another source of prevention may be found in soluble fibers due to its affect on cholesterol absorption in the intestines. Binding soluble fibers onto cholesterol molecules allow it to be excreted easier. Soluble fiber may be found in grain (eg. Oats), legumes (eg. Peas), fruits (eg. Apples), and Vegetables (eg. Carrots). Because of its miraculous benefits, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allow products that contain soluble fiber to indicate “heart-healthy” on the label.

So what does this tell us? Sometimes even statins aren’t miracle bullets. Similar with cholesterol, inflammation should be kept in check by steps such as: sustaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and exercising. No one will love us better than ourselves.

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References:

http://www.progressivehealth.com/ch

olesterol-supplements.asp

http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/105/9/1135

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra043430

http://dropyourbloodpressure.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/low-cholesterol-diet-lower-high-blood-pressure.bmp

http://inflammation911.com/wp-content/uploads/inflammation_cells.jpg