What's your opinion on this article: Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease - High Cholesterol Message Board

linda115 · 05-28-2005, 07:13 AM

[url]http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/28/cholesterol_heart.htm[/url]

Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease
By Ron Rosedale, MD

Cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease or any disease. If it becomes oxidized it can irritate/inflame tissues in which it is lodged in, such as the endothelium (lining of the arteries). This would be one of numerous causes of chronic inflammation that can injure the lining of arteries. However, many good fats are easily oxidized such as omega-3 fatty acids, but it does not mean that you should avoid it at all costs.

Common sense would indicate that we should avoid the oxidation (rancidity) of cholesterol and fatty acids and not get rid of important life-giving molecules. Using the same conventional medical thinking that is being used for cholesterol would lead one to believe that doctors should reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by taking out everybody's brain.

In fact, cholesterol is being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that is there to repair damage.

The fixation on cholesterol as a major cause of heart disease defies the last 15 years of science and deflects from real causes such as the damage (via glycation) that sugars such as glucose and fructose inflict on tissues, including the lining of arteries, causing chronic inflammation and resultant plaque...

ARIZONA73 · 05-28-2005, 08:32 AM

It makes sense to me. I've always been somewhat skeptical of what we've been told about cholesterol. And that part about omega-3 fish oil is also true. All fats, even good fats, can become oxidized. That's why it is a good idea to take vitamin E with your fish oil. In fact, some fish oil capsules even contain a small amount of vitamin E for this purpose.

I don't think there's any doubt that, given the right conditions, various lipids, such as LDL and Lp(a) can become deposited as plaque and cause serious problems for many people. But the question is why? I don't think that cholesterol's purpose is to deposit as plaque in our arteries and ultimately kill us. It's not supposed to do this, unless conditions favor it. Chronic inflammation, and inadequate intake of vitamin C and other nutrients can lay the groundwork for the ultimate development of atherosclerosis. That's my opinion. When we focus all of our attention on cholesterol control, we are merely targeting the messenger.

linda115 · 05-28-2005, 08:41 AM

ARIZONA,

What is the role of CoQ10 versus vitamin E in this scenario?

ARIZONA73 · 05-28-2005, 10:35 AM

Linda,

Try to think of CoQ10 as your heart's spark plug. A sufficient supply of this vital enzyme is essential to the proper functioning of the heart muscle. In fact, the highest concentration of CoQ10 can be found in the heart muscle. If a person's level of CoQ10 becomes depleted to dangerously low levels, in can lead to congestive heart failure.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant. It easily penetrates the LDL molecule and can help prevent it from becoming oxidized. It can help prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid and forming free-radicals, even after you've ingested them.

CoQ10 is present in the bloodstream, where it circulates with other antioxidants. As it circulates, it combines with vitamin E to help prevent lipid peroxidation. It also protects vitamin E itself from free-radical destruction.

Last, but not least, EVERYONE PLEASE HEAR THIS:

It turns out that CoQ10 molecules in the bloodstream are actually TRANSPORTED BY THE LDL cholesterol!! Yes, you've heard right.

linda115 · 05-28-2005, 11:20 AM

Thanks for the explanation. You made it simple and easy to understand. I have just given my husband one Vit. E and one spark plug.