Cholesterol is an essential building block of every cell in the body, required for all metabolic processes. It’s particularly important in the manufacture of nerve tissue, bile and certain hormones. Normally, the body produces about 50 % of a gram to one gram of cholesterol per day, depending on how much of it your body needs at that time. Generally, your body is able to produce 400 times more cholesterol per day than we’d obtain from eating 3,5 ounces (100 grams) of butter. The main cholesterol producers are the liver and the small intestine, in that order. Normally, they could release cholesterol directly into the blood stream, where it is instantly associated with blood proteins. These proteins, that are called lipoproteins, have been in charge of transporting the cholesterol to its numerous destinations. There are three main types of lipoproteins responsible for transporting cholesterol: Low density lipids (LDL), Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL).
Compared to HDL, which has been privileged using the name ‘good’ cholesterol, LDL and VLDL are relatively large cholesterol molecules; actually, those are the richest in cholesterol. There’s good reason for his or her large size. Unlike their smaller cousin, which easily passes through blood vessel walls, the LDL and VLDL versions of cholesterol are meant to take a different pathway; they leave the bloodstream in the liver.
The arteries supplying the liver possess a different structure from the ones supplying other areas of the body. They’re known as sinusoids. Their own, grid-like structure permits the liver cells to receive the whole blood content, such as the large cholesterol molecules. The liver cells rebuild the cholesterol and excrete it along with bile in to the intestines. When the cholesterol enters the intestines, it combines with fats, is absorbed through the lymph and enters the blood, in that order. Gallstones within the bile ducts of the liver inhibit the bile flow and partially, as well as fully, block the cholesterol’s escape route. Because of back-up pressure about the liver cells, bile production drops. Typically, a healthy liver produces over a quart of bile per day. When the major bile ducts are blocked, barely a cup of bile, as well as less, will find its method to the intestines. This prevents much of the VLDL and Cholestrerol levels from being excreted with the bile.
Gallstones in the liver bile ducts distort the structural framework from the liver lobules, which damages and congests the sinusoids. Deposits of excessive protein also close the grid holes of those arteries (see the discussion of this subject in the previous section). Whereas the ‘good’ cholesterol HDL has sufficiently small molecules to leave the bloodstream through ordinary capillaries, the bigger LDL and VLDL molecules are more or less held in the blood. The result is that LDL and VLDL concentrations start to rise in the blood to levels that appear possibly damaging to the body. Yet even this scenario is merely area of the body’s survival attempts. It requires the additional cholesterol to repair the increasing quantity of cracks and wounds which are formed due to the accumulation of excessive protein in the blood vessel walls. Eventually, though, the life-saving cholesterol starts to occlude the blood vessels and stop the oxygen supply towards the heart.
In addition to this complication, reduced bile flow impairs the digestion of food, particularly fats. Therefore, there isn’t enough cholesterol distributed around the cells of the body and their basic metabolic processes. Because the liver cells no more receive sufficient levels of LDL and VLDL molecules, they (the liver cells) assume that the blood is deficient during these kinds of cholesterol. This stimulates the liver cells to increase producing cholesterol, further raising the levels of LDL and VLDL cholesterol in the blood.
The ‘bad’ cholesterol is held in the circulatory system because its escape routes, the bile ducts and the liver sinusoids, are blocked or damaged. The capillary network and arteries attach as much of the ‘bad’ cholesterol to their walls as they possibly can. Consequently, the arteries become rigid and difficult.
Coronary heart disease, whether or not it’s caused by smoking, drinking excessive levels of alcohol, overeating protein foods, stress, or other factor, usually doesn’t happen unless gallstones have impacted the bile ducts of the liver. Removing gallstones from the liver and gallbladder can not only prevent cardiac arrest or stroke, but also reverse coronary heart disease and heart muscle damage. Your body’s reaction to stressful situations becomes less damaging, and levels of cholesterol start to normalize as the distorted and damaged liver lobules are regenerated. Cholesterol-lowering drugs don’t do that. They artificially reduce blood cholesterol, which coerces the liver to create much more cholesterol. However when extra cholesterol is passed in to the bile ducts, it remains in the crystalline state (versus soluble state) and, thereby, gets to be gallstones. Individuals who regularly use cholesterol-lowering drugs usually develop an excessively large number of gallstones. This sets them up for major negative effects, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol is essential for normal functioning of the immune system, particularly for that body’s response to the an incredible number of cancer cells that each person makes in the body every day. For all the health issues related to cholesterol, this important substance isn’t something we ought to try to eliminate from your bodies. Cholesterol does far more good than harm. The injury is usually symptomatic of other problems. I wish to emphasize, once more, that ‘bad’ cholesterol only attaches itself to the walls of arteries to avert immediate heart trouble, not to create it. This is confirmed because cholesterol never attaches itself to the walls of veins. When a doctor tests your levels of cholesterol, he takes the blood sample from a vein, not from an artery. Although blood circulation is a lot slower in veins than in arteries, cholesterol should obstruct veins a lot more readily than arteries, however it never does. There simply is no need for that. Why? Because there are no abrasions and tears in the lining of the vein that need patching up. Cholesterol only affixes itself to arteries to be able to coat and hide the abrasions and protect the actual tissue like a waterproof bandage. Veins do not absorb proteins within their basements membranes like capillaries and arteries do and, therefore, are not prone to this kind of injury.
‘Bad’ cholesterol saves lives; it does not take lives. LDL allows the blood to flow through injured arteries without causing a life-endangering situation. The theory of high LDL being a principal reason for heart disease isn’t just unproved and unscientific. It has misled the populace to believe that cholesterol is an enemy that has to be fought and destroyed at all costs. Human studies haven’t shown a cause-and-effect relationship between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. The hundreds of studies to date conducted on this type of relationship have only shown that there’s a statistical correlation between the two. There ought to be, because if there have been no ‘bad’ cholesterol molecules attaching themselves to injured arteries we’d have millions of more deaths from heart attack than finances. On the other hand, a large number of conclusive research indicates that chance of cardiovascular disease increases significantly in people whose Hdl decrease. Elevated Cholestrerol levels is not a cause of cardiovascular disease; rather, it is a results of an unbalanced liver and congested, dehydrated circulatory system.
In case your doctor claims that cutting your cholesterol with medical drugs protects you from cardiac arrest, you have been grossly misled. The #1 prescribed cholesterol-lowering prescription medication is Lipitor. I would recommend that you browse the following warning statement, issued on the official Lipitor site:
“LIPITOR�?? (atorvastatin calcium) tablets is a prescription drug combined with diet to lower cholesterol. LIPITOR is not for everybody, including those with liver disease or possible liver problems, and ladies who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. LIPITOR is not proven to prevent cardiovascular disease or cardiac arrest.
“If you are taking LIPITOR, tell your doctor about any unusual muscle pain or weakness. This may be a sign of serious side effects. It is important to tell your doctor about any medications you’re currently taking to avoid possible serious drug interactions…”
My question is, “Why risk a person’s health or life by giving him/her a drug that has no effect, whatsoever, in preventing the problem for which it’s being prescribed?” The reason why the cut in cholesterol levels cannot prevent cardiovascular disease happens because cholesterol does not cause heart disease.
The most important issue is how efficiently a person’s body uses cholesterol and other fats. Your body’s ability to digest, process and utilize these fats depends upon how clear and unobstructed the bile ducts from the liver are. When bile flow is unrestricted and balanced, both Low-density and high-density lipoproteins levels are balanced as well. Therefore, keeping the bile ducts open is the greatest protection against heart disease.