What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is described by most medical textbooks as a waxy fat-like substance found in some foods and also made by the liver. Although cholesterol gets a lot of bad press, cholesterol is absolutely necessary for life. Cholesterol is used by all living cells.
A Few of the Important Roles Of Cholesterol
All cells need cholesterol to maintain the structure of their cell membranes. Some important hormones are derived from cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for brain function and protects against depression. Cholesterol is so important that the body actually manufactures cholesterol. The body has a beautiful way of handling cholesterol to keep everything in balance. If there is not enough cholesterol it makes more. If there is too much cholesterol the body removes it. However when our diet contains too much saturated fat our system becomes overwhelmed with cholesterol and the elaborate system that the body uses for keeping cholesterol in check breaks down. Some of you may be old enough to remember “The I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy and Ethel are working in a chocolate factory. They are responsible for boxing up the chocolate as it comes down the conveyor belt. Every thing is fine and fun when the belt is moving at the right speed. However when the conveyor belt goes too fast they can’t keep up with all the chocolate. They start stuffing the chocolate in their mouths, aprons and pants to try to keep the chocolate from falling on the floor. This is what happens when we overload our diet with saturated fats. The cholesterol conveyor belt in our body starts moving too fast. The body is unable to package the cholesterol properly and the body starts looking to places to put the excess. One of the places the body put the excess cholesterol is on the blood vessel walls.Let’s take a little closer look at what goes on in liver which is the cholesterol processing plant of the body. When we eat fats, the fats are absorbed in the intestinal wall. Here the fats are packaged up in little transport submarines called chylomicrons (ky-low-my-crons). The fats cannot travel in the blood stream without these submarines because of the simple fact that oil and water do not mix. The fats are oil and the blood is primarily water. So in order for the fats to travel in the blood stream they have to be transported in submarines. Once in the blood stream the submarines take the fats to the tissues where they are needed. The fats are a good source of energy so if they travel by a muscle that is actively working and in need of energy the muscle snatches up the fats from the submarine. If there is not much activity going on the submarine transports the fats to the fat cells for storage. The fat and muscle cells are interested in unloading only the portion of the fat that they can use.
After the muscle and fat tissue takes off what they can use the sub goes to the liver for repackaging. The empty sub is reloaded with repackaged as a lipoprotein particles. The lipoprotein particles are a combination of lipid and protein. The submarines are then sent back into the circulation. This transport system allows fat molecules to be transported from the place where they are made (the liver) to the place where that are used, namely, fat and muscle tissue. Each time the submarine goes back to the liver to get repackaged, the lipoprotein contains less and less triglyceride. Eventually the LDL (low density lipoprotein, also know as the “bad” cholesterol) gets sent out for delivery. The LDL cholesterol contains very little triglyceride and is mostly cholesterol.
Why is Cholesterol Important?
Please keep in mind that the LDL particles are necessary for health and serve an important purpose. However the problems arise when the system gets overloaded with the LDL particles. If the liver is unable to process all the fats that show up at its door, the orphaned fats are free to roam the streets (blood vessels) looking for trouble. When the roaming LDL particles reach a certain concentration, the LDL starts to stick onto blood vessel walls. This then sets off a whole cascade of bad events that may eventually lead to heart attack and stroke.Once the LDL binds to the blood vessel wall they are susceptible to be oxidized. The oxidized LDL then starts to attract more LDL particles and the LDL cluster gets bigger and bigger. The next event that happens in this sequence of bad events is that the growing LDL cluster which I will call a lesion, sets off the inflammation alarms. The inflammation alarm causes the body to send in the soldier cells to try to take care of the situation. You know as well as I when the soldiers are sent into battle, even though they are well-meaning, the process of the battle causes damage to the area where the battle took place. The soldier cells that are sent in are called macrophages meaning large eating cells ("macro" = large; "phage" = to eat). The macrophages start eating the LDL but because there is so much LDL in these lesions the macrophages become what are know as lipid-laden foam cells. Thus these cells that were initially sent in to help the situation actually make the situation much worse. The growing lesion with the LDL and the foam cells becomes what is sometimes described as a pimple on the blood vessel wall. This gives a wrong picture because these plaques generally do not occur in one little area. These lesions occur more in streaks and cover long areas of the blood vessels. As the lesions get worse and worse they develop areas of calcification and develop into what are know as plaques. These calcium containing plaques make it possible for doctors to detect the presence of the plaques with some of the newer imagining techniques. The plaques are what cause narrowing of the blood vessel and start to cause blood flow problems as the artery becomes smaller and smaller. For many years doctors thought that the blood vessel continued to narrow until it was completely closed and this was what caused the heart attacks and strokes. We know now that these plaques grow slowly enough to allow the body to remodel the blood vessel (the blood vessel bulges out) or grows new blood vessels to by pass the narrow area to maintain blood flow. The greatest cause of heart attacks and stroke is when the blood vessel suddenly gets blocked. This occurs when plaques that are unstable suddenly burst. The contents of the lesion then attracts platelets and other chemicals that rapidly forms a clot which blocks the blood vessels. In summary the stable plaques that narrow the blood vessel wall are not as worrisome as the fragile unstable plaques. The body can compensate for the stable plaques but the fragile clots break off, clots form that break off and suddenly close off the blood vessel. before This is what is know as a heart attack.
What IS HDL? (Good Cholesterol)
The HDL cholesterol is known as the good cholesterol. These lipid particles contain little or no cholesterol. They contain the apolipoproten A. These particles actually serve to remove the cholesterol from the plaques and bring it back to the liver for processing or excretion.
What Should My Cholesterol Levels Be?
When your cholesterol is checked by your doctor the cholesterol that is measured is the total cholesterol, HDL and the triglyceride.
The LDL cholesterol is calculated from these values from the formula
LDL = TC – HDL – (TG/5).
LDL is LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”)
HDL is HDL cholesterol (“good cholesterol”)
TG = triglycerideTC is total cholesterol
LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)
Opitmal <> 190
HDL Cholesterol (mg/dl)
Low <40>60
Total Cholesterol (mg/dl)
Desirable <200>240
The LDL cholesterol is the cholesterol that attaches itself to the blood vessel walls and can cause heart disease. The LDL cholesterol is what we want to lower. The HDL is the “good cholesterol”. The HDL cholesterol attaches itself to the LDL cholesterol and brings it back to the liver for processing. Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body. Triglycerides in the blood come from the fats eaten in foods or made in the body from carbohydrates. If carbohydrates are not used immediately for energy, the carbohydrates are converted to triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be stored. Hormones regulate the release of triglycerides from fat tissue so they meet the body's needs for energy between meals.
For More Information: www.Cholestsure.net
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
How I Discovered Gingko and Ginseng
How I Discovered Gingko and Ginseng
Dr J Davies
I was complaining to a doctor friend of mine that I felt like I was getting old. My energy level was low. Going for a jog, which I used to enjoy, now felt like a chore. At the end of the day I felt exhausted. I was trying to eat right, exercise regularly but I still needed 6 cups of coffee to get through the day. I was gaining weight despite exercising and eating right. I knew that I had all the symptoms of adrenal burnout (chronic stress) but I just didn’t know what to do about it.
Conventional medicine has very few answers for the patient suffering from chronic stress. The really forward-thinking conventional physicians may suggest something like massage or yoga to help with stress but more often than not they prescribe an anti-anxiety medicine (benzodiazepine) which only blunts the feeling of anxiety but dose not address the real problem which is abnormal cortisol levels.
So I decided to pay a visit to my doctor (yes doctors do go to the doctor). This particular doctor is very knowledgeable on so-called “alternative medicine” and natural supplements. He suggested that I start taking gingko and ginseng. He told me that there were several studies that showed that gingko and ginseng were effective for the symptoms of stress overload that I was experiencing.
I started taking a liquid supplement with Siberian Ginseng and Gingko biloba.
This product started improving my symptoms right away. I felt noticeably calmer and more in control of my life. The constant chatter in my mind slowed down and I could deal with situations as they arose. I was multitasking was a champ. I had the energy to do the yard work that I was neglecting. I was able to jog with ease and without counting each step. I felt like there was no end to how far I could go. I called old friends that I hadn’t talked to in years. In short I was feeling like my old self again. Actually I was feeling better than my old self. I was felling like an even younger version of my old self.
Now when I see patients in my medical office complaining of symptoms consistent with adrenal fatigue I suggest these products. My patients experience the same relief that I experienced. My patients love these products.
I now offer the Natural Liquids products for sale on my website so I know that this is going to sound like a sales pitch but I am a doctor, not a salesman. Selling great products like these on the internet enables me to afford to provide low cost family medical care to middle class working families that cannot afford health insurance. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Dr J Davies
I was complaining to a doctor friend of mine that I felt like I was getting old. My energy level was low. Going for a jog, which I used to enjoy, now felt like a chore. At the end of the day I felt exhausted. I was trying to eat right, exercise regularly but I still needed 6 cups of coffee to get through the day. I was gaining weight despite exercising and eating right. I knew that I had all the symptoms of adrenal burnout (chronic stress) but I just didn’t know what to do about it.
Conventional medicine has very few answers for the patient suffering from chronic stress. The really forward-thinking conventional physicians may suggest something like massage or yoga to help with stress but more often than not they prescribe an anti-anxiety medicine (benzodiazepine) which only blunts the feeling of anxiety but dose not address the real problem which is abnormal cortisol levels.
So I decided to pay a visit to my doctor (yes doctors do go to the doctor). This particular doctor is very knowledgeable on so-called “alternative medicine” and natural supplements. He suggested that I start taking gingko and ginseng. He told me that there were several studies that showed that gingko and ginseng were effective for the symptoms of stress overload that I was experiencing.
I started taking a liquid supplement with Siberian Ginseng and Gingko biloba.
This product started improving my symptoms right away. I felt noticeably calmer and more in control of my life. The constant chatter in my mind slowed down and I could deal with situations as they arose. I was multitasking was a champ. I had the energy to do the yard work that I was neglecting. I was able to jog with ease and without counting each step. I felt like there was no end to how far I could go. I called old friends that I hadn’t talked to in years. In short I was feeling like my old self again. Actually I was feeling better than my old self. I was felling like an even younger version of my old self.
Now when I see patients in my medical office complaining of symptoms consistent with adrenal fatigue I suggest these products. My patients experience the same relief that I experienced. My patients love these products.
I now offer the Natural Liquids products for sale on my website so I know that this is going to sound like a sales pitch but I am a doctor, not a salesman. Selling great products like these on the internet enables me to afford to provide low cost family medical care to middle class working families that cannot afford health insurance. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Doctor Uses Engineering to Treat Arthritis
Osteoarthritis, also known as wear and tear arthritis, is often caused by unbalanced transfer of body weight across the joint. As a result, one area of the joint is required to take more of its share of the body weight. The uneven load distribution leads to breakdown of the cartilage in the over-loaded area of the joint. The cartilage breakdown is what causes the joint pain known as osteoarthritis.
“This is a biomechanical problem and therefore requires a biomechanical solution”, says Dr Jeffrey P Davies, physician and biomechanical engineer at St Luke’s Health Alliance in South Dennis. The 12 years Dr Davies spent conducting research at the Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory at Mass General Hospital and the five years he has spent as a family physician has inspired Dr Davies to research how biomechanical imbalances in joints lead to cartilage overload.
Dr Davies explains, “The cartilage overload sets off the viscous cycle that over-time ultimately leads to joint destruction. “It has always been my belief that if we can correct the biomechanical problems of the joint early on we can prevent the cartilage break-down that ultimately leads to joint destruction.”
“What is fascinating to me is that by making slight changes to the loading patterns of the ankle joint through the use of relatively simple foot orthotics, I can significantly affect the loading patterns of the knee, hip and low back,” says Dr Davies. “By correcting these imbalances we are relieving pain and this, to me, is very, very exciting.”
Dr Davies does caution that the pain relief is often not immediate. Dr Davies explains, “The biomechanical problems have developed over a long period of time. The body adapts to these biomechanical imbalances by lengthening and shortening ligaments and tendons, and by reshaping the bone. Simply putting a foot orthotic into the shoe does not immediately correct the problem. However once the biomechanics are corrected, the body will, over time, re-adapt to the now corrected alignment. The goal is to provide more uniform load transfer across the joint, less overload on the cartilage, less pain and ultimately preserved joint function. This technology gives us the opportunity to help many patients that, up to now, have thought that the only solution to their joint pain was to take acetaminophen and/or anti-inflammatory medication, limit their activity and wait until they were old enough for a total joint replacement.”
S.C is one such patient helped by this new technology. S.C. explains, “When I went to my primary care doctor with my knee pain he told me I had early osteoarthritis. He actually told me that arthritis was something that I would have to learn to live with; it was part of getting old. He suggested that I begin taking regular daily doses of pain medicine. I heard about the work Dr Davies was a doing through a friend. The analysis that Dr Davies performed was fascinating. After Dr. Davies reviewed the results of the analysis with me, I understood what was causing my pain. It made perfect sense. Dr Davies explained the treatment plan which consisted of foot orthotics, exercises and natural supplements. After just a few weeks I am now more active and almost pain free. I feel grateful that I have taken action to relieve my pain rather than becoming a victim to it.”
For more information visit www.Archatomics.com
“This is a biomechanical problem and therefore requires a biomechanical solution”, says Dr Jeffrey P Davies, physician and biomechanical engineer at St Luke’s Health Alliance in South Dennis. The 12 years Dr Davies spent conducting research at the Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory at Mass General Hospital and the five years he has spent as a family physician has inspired Dr Davies to research how biomechanical imbalances in joints lead to cartilage overload.
Dr Davies explains, “The cartilage overload sets off the viscous cycle that over-time ultimately leads to joint destruction. “It has always been my belief that if we can correct the biomechanical problems of the joint early on we can prevent the cartilage break-down that ultimately leads to joint destruction.”
“What is fascinating to me is that by making slight changes to the loading patterns of the ankle joint through the use of relatively simple foot orthotics, I can significantly affect the loading patterns of the knee, hip and low back,” says Dr Davies. “By correcting these imbalances we are relieving pain and this, to me, is very, very exciting.”
Dr Davies does caution that the pain relief is often not immediate. Dr Davies explains, “The biomechanical problems have developed over a long period of time. The body adapts to these biomechanical imbalances by lengthening and shortening ligaments and tendons, and by reshaping the bone. Simply putting a foot orthotic into the shoe does not immediately correct the problem. However once the biomechanics are corrected, the body will, over time, re-adapt to the now corrected alignment. The goal is to provide more uniform load transfer across the joint, less overload on the cartilage, less pain and ultimately preserved joint function. This technology gives us the opportunity to help many patients that, up to now, have thought that the only solution to their joint pain was to take acetaminophen and/or anti-inflammatory medication, limit their activity and wait until they were old enough for a total joint replacement.”
S.C is one such patient helped by this new technology. S.C. explains, “When I went to my primary care doctor with my knee pain he told me I had early osteoarthritis. He actually told me that arthritis was something that I would have to learn to live with; it was part of getting old. He suggested that I begin taking regular daily doses of pain medicine. I heard about the work Dr Davies was a doing through a friend. The analysis that Dr Davies performed was fascinating. After Dr. Davies reviewed the results of the analysis with me, I understood what was causing my pain. It made perfect sense. Dr Davies explained the treatment plan which consisted of foot orthotics, exercises and natural supplements. After just a few weeks I am now more active and almost pain free. I feel grateful that I have taken action to relieve my pain rather than becoming a victim to it.”
For more information visit www.Archatomics.com
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