Cholesterol-fighting drugs known as statins can also help control blood pressure, researchers from the Warwick Medical School said in a news release.

In a study of 828 patients, doctors found that blood pressure dropped in all patients on statins, but the effect was even greater in those with high blood pressure.

But the benefit was not as great as the reduction from drugs meant to reduce blood pressure, and the researchers said using statins could mean lower doses of high-blood pressure drugs.

What you haven't been told about cholesterol-lowering statin medications such as Lipitor is that it can have the following side effects:

Muscle pain and weakness
Neuropathy
Dizziness
Cognitive Impairment

and........Heart Failure.

We are currently in the midst of a congestive heart failure epidemic in the United States--while the incidence of heart attack has declined slightly, an increase in the number heart failure cases has outpaced these gains. Deaths attributed to heart failure more than doubled from 1989 to 1997.13 (Statins were first given pre-market approval in 1987.) Interference with production of Co-Q10 by statin drugs is the most likely explanation. The heart is a muscle and it cannot work when deprived of Co-Q10.

Cardiologist Peter Langsjoen studied 20 patients with completely normal heart function. After six months on a low dose of 20 mg of Lipitor a day, two-thirds of the patients had abnormalities in the heart’s filling phase, when the muscle fills with blood. According to Langsjoen, this malfunction is due to Co-Q10 depletion. Without Co-Q10, the cell’s mitochondria are inhibited from producing energy, leading to muscle pain and weakness. The heart is especially susceptible because it uses so much energy.14

Co-Q10 depletion becomes more and more of a problem as the pharmaceutical industry encourages doctors to lower cholesterol levels in their patients by greater and greater amounts. Fifteen animal studies in six different animal species have documented statin-induced Co-Q10 depletion leading to decreased ATP production, increased injury from heart failure, skeletal muscle injury and increased mortality. Of the nine controlled trials on statin-induced Co-Q10 depletion in humans, eight showed significant Co-Q10 depletion leading to decline in left ventricular function and biochemical imbalances.15

Yet virtually all patients with heart failure are put on statin drugs, even if their cholesterol is already low. Of interest is a recent study indicating that patients with chronic heart failure benefit from having high levels of cholesterol rather than low. Researchers in Hull, UK followed 114 heart failure patients for at least 12 months.16 Survival was 78 percent at 12 months and 56 percent at 36 months. They found that for every point of decrease in serum cholesterol, there was a 36 percent increase in the risk of death within 3 years.

actually I read that cholesterol was beneficial to us in repairing veins etc... maybe even healing damaged neurons!!!! many drugs..chemicals foods strip nerves of their protective coating... so cholesteral lowering drugs... hinder the bodies ability to repair itself...

here's an article that is relevant...
What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is not a fat, but rather a soft, waxy, "fat-like" substance that circulates in the bloodstream. It is vital to life and is found in all cell membranes. It is necessary for the production of bile acids and steroid hormones and Vitamin D. Cholesterol is manufactured by the liver, but is also present in all animal foods. It is abundant in organ meats, shell fish, and egg yolks but is contained in smaller amounts in all meats and poultry. Vegetable oils and shortenings contain no cholesterol.

Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood, so your liver combines it with special proteins called lipoproteins to “liquefy� it. The lipoproteins used by the liver are either very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL). (VLDL cholesterol is metabolized in the bloodstream to produce LDL, or low-density cholesterol.)

Note: HDL is called the "good cholesterol" because HDL cholesterol particles prevent atherosclerosis by extracting cholesterol from arterial walls and disposing of them through the liver. LDL cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol, because elevated LDL cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Thus, high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol (high LDL/HDL ratios) are considered by most doctors to be risk factors for atherosclerosis, while low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol (low LDL/HDL ratios) are considered desirable.

It is important to note that the liver not only manufactures and secretes LDL cholesterol into the blood, it also removes it. To remove LDL cholesterol from the blood, the liver relies on special proteins called LDL receptors that are normally present on the surface of liver cells. LDL receptors snatch LDL cholesterol particles from the blood and transport them inside the liver. A high number of active LDL receptors on the liver surfaces are associated with the rapid removal of LDL cholesterol from the blood and low blood LDL levels. A deficiency of LDL receptors is associated with high LDL cholesterol blood levels. But it is also crucial that the cholesterol which has been stored in the liver by the LDL receptors be regularly "flushed" to make room for “new� deposits, or the process comes to a standstill, thus causing levels to soar in the bloodstream.

In point of fact, the liver is responsible for over 80% of your cholesterol level. Diet accounts for less than 20%
The Cholesterol Theory of Heart Disease

According to the cholesterol theory of heart disease (and despite all that you may have heard, it is only a theory), LDL cholesterol in the blood combines with other substances such as cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood) to form arterial plaque, which attaches itself to the inner lining of the arteries. Over time, cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries, a process called atherosclerosis. Arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscles are called coronary arteries. When coronary arteries are narrowed by atherosclerosis, they are incapable of supplying enough blood and oxygen to the heart muscle during exertion. Lack of oxygen to the heart muscle (ischemia) causes chest pain. Also formation of a blood clot in the artery can clause complete blockage of the artery, leading to death of heart muscle (heart attack). Atherosclerotic disease of coronary arteries (coronary heart disease) is the most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for about 750,000 deaths annually.
Causes of High Cholesterol

Again, according to the cholesterol theory of heart disease, both heredity and diet have a significant influence on a patient's LDL, HDL and total cholesterol levels. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia is a common inherited disorder whose victims have a diminished number or nonexistent LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells. The resultant decreased activity of the LDL receptors limits the liver's ability to remove LDL cholesterol from blood. Thus, affected family members have abnormally high LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. They also tend to develop atherosclerosis and heart attacks during early adulthood.

Diets that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol decrease the LDL receptor activity in the liver, thereby raising the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood. Saturated fats are derived primarily from meat and dairy products and according to most doctors can raise blood cholesterol levels. Some vegetable oils made from coconut, palm, and cocoa are also high in saturated fats and are on the medical "no-no" list. On the other hand, most vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fats. Unlike saturated fats, unsaturated fats do not raise blood cholesterol (again according to the theory) and can sometimes lower cholesterol. Olive and canola oil are high in monounsaturated fats, which may have a protective effect against coronary heart disease. Unfortunately, some vegetable oils are converted to saturated fats during a process called "hydrogenation" which can be required for food processing.

Note: the concept that you might have to flush cholesterol stored in the liver to make room for new cholesterol coming from the bloodstream did not make its way into the cholesterol theory of heart disease.
How Low

On May 15, 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP) issued major new clinical practice guidelines on the prevention and treatment of high cholesterol levels in adults, lowering the target optimum level for LDL to less than 100. This was the first major update of the NCEP guidelines since 1993. The NCEP has predicted that the new guidelines will increase the number of Americans requiring treatment for elevated cholesterol levels (from 52 million to 65 million) and will nearly triple the number of Americans who will need to take cholesterol lowering drugs (from 13 million to 36 million).

But for many doctors, 36 million people under experimental drug therapy are not enough. Many “experts� are now pushing to set target limits for LDL to less than 80, which would mandate that tens of millions more Americans be on moderate to high doses of statin drugs for the rest of their lives – despite the fact that these drugs are known to cause significant liver damage.
The Studies

And, of course, there are the usual assortment of FDA approved double blind studies to back these conclusions. In the past 10 years, clinical trials have “conclusively� demonstrated that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces heart attacks and saves lives. The benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol include:

* Reducing the formation of new cholesterol plaques

* Eliminating existing plaques

* Preventing rupture of existing plaques

* Decreasing the risk of heart attacks

* Lowering the chance of strokes.

So what’s my problem? Quite simply, that cholesterol doesn’t cause plaque to accumulate on arterial walls. If it did, why doesn’t anyone ever have clogged veins – only clogged arteries? Think about that for a moment. If high levels of cholesterol promoted the formation of plaque and its accumulation on arterial walls, then why doesn’t it accumulate on the walls of veins? And the answer is – because the problem is centered in the walls of the arteries, not in the cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream.
Challenging the Theory

To understand what I’m talking about, it’s first necessary to understand the beneficial role that arterial plaque plays in the human body (yes, beneficial), because therein lies the key to understanding a key role that cholesterol plays. So what is the role of plaque? It is “repair cement� for arterial walls. That is to say, if there is any damage to the arterial wall, your body will whip up some plaque from the cholesterol, calcium, and fibrin in the bloodstream to repair the damage before the arterial wall develops a leak and you bleed to death internally. Cholesterol isn’t part of the problem, it’s part of the solution – to a different problem.

With that in mind, let’s now look at some of the basic assumptions of the cholesterol theory of heart disease.

* Does eating a high cholesterol diet automatically lead to heart disease? Absolutely not. Look at the results seen on the Atkins Diet.

* Does eating a high saturated fat diet automatically lead to heart disease? Again, absolutely not. Consider the traditional Eskimo diet, probably the highest saturated fat diet in the world because of all the whale and seal blubber consumed. And yet Eskimos on that diet have virtually no heart disease – until they shift to a modern Western diet. The same positive results are seen with the Atkins diet with its high consumption of saturated fats. (Both diets, however, are associated with different problems long term. Eskimos, on the traditional diet, for example, have an extremely high rate of osteoporosis because their diet promotes high acid levels in body tissue.)

* Does lowering cholesterol in the diet automatically reduce cholesterol levels in the bloodstream? Not necessarily.

* Does lowering cholesterol in the bloodstream reduce the formation of new plaques? In many cases it does, but not necessarily for the reasons promoted. The primary reason may be that you’ve minimized the ability of the body to effect repairs. You haven’t got rid of the problem – merely the ability of the problem to manifest one particular set of symptoms.

* Do the statin drugs (Advicor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol and Zocor) reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke? Yes, but as we will discuss shortly, probably not because of their ability to lower cholesterol, and not without significant side effects.

An Alternative Theory

I would like to propose now the “arterial damage� theory of heart disease. Quite simply, it says that since your body produces arterial plaque in response to arterial damage, excessive plaque build-up and the concomitant hardening and narrowing of the arteries is the result of excessive damage, scarring, and inflammation in the arterial walls. And why only the arteries and not the veins? Because, as we shall see shortly, arterial walls contain muscle tissue that is particularly susceptible to damage. Veins contain much less muscle tissue and are less likely to suffer damage.. So what causes damage or inflammation to the arterial walls? Well, among other things.

* High homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced as a normal byproduct of the breakdown of methionine (from proteins), which is an essential amino acid acquired mostly from eating meat. Homocysteine generates superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, both of which have been linked to damage of the endothelial lining of arterial vessels. Studies have shown that too much homocysteine in the blood is related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

* Too much Omega-6 fatty acid in the diet. The body converts linoleic acid, the primary fatty acid found in bottled vegetable oil, to arachidonic acid. The Cox-2 enzyme then converts the arachidonic acid to the hormone-like prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and to the cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), all of which promote inflammation in the body in general, and in the arterial walls in particular.

* Eating high levels of meats and animal fat from grain fattened animals saturates the body with large amounts arachidonic acid. As a point of interest, the high levels of arachidonic acid found in most meat are accumulated from the conversion of Omega-6 fatty acids present in the grains used to fatten them. That means that only minimal levels of arachidonic acid are found in range-fed beef. Iif you can find it, range-fed beef is far healthier for you than the more common grain-fed variety.

* High acid diets. Diets high in meat, sugar, grain, and starch raise acid levels in body tissue – thereby making it hard for the body to clear the lactic acid that builds up in muscle tissue from normal muscle activity. This is a particular problem for arteries since the arterial wall contains muscle tissue (again, veins do not) so that the arteries can be contracted to even out blood pressure when changing position (from lying down to suddenly standing up, for example). The problem is that when the acid doesn’t clear, it irritates, inflames, and scars the muscle tissue in the arterial walls.

* High levels of circulating immune complexes in the blood. Circulating immune complexes (CICs) are created when you eat complex proteins (usually from wheat, corn, and dairy) that cannot be digested thoroughly. They make their way into the bloodstream, where they are treated as allergens by the body and combined with antibodies, thus forming CICs. When the number of CICs climbs beyond the ability of the body to eliminate them all, they are deposited in the body's soft tissue, including the arterial walls, thereby triggering attacks by the body’s immune system, which results in inflammation.

* Inflammation in general. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker — a substance that the liver releases in response to inflammation somewhere in the body. Studies indicate that men with high levels of CRP have triple the risk of heart attack and double the risk of stroke compared to men with lower CRP levels. In women, studies have shown that elevated levels of CRP may increase the risk of a heart attack by as much as seven times. The statin medicines (Advicor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol and Zocor) reduce levels of CRP. This may be more significant in accounting for the ability of these drugs to statistically lower the incidence of heart disease than the role these drugs play in lowering cholesterol levels.

Solutions to Lower Cholesterol Levels

* Avoid trans fatty acids like the plague. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (the trans fatty acids) are the number one killer in the modern diet.

* Optimize the liver. Do a periodic liver flush that includes the use of lipotropic herbs such as dandelion root to flush accumulated fats and cholesterol from the liver and gallbladder.

* Lower homocysteine levels. While there is a considerable amount we do not know about homocysteine, we do know how to use nutritional supplements to reduce homocysteine levels. This is done through three independent routes: (1) using folic acid with vitamin B-12, (2) using trimethylglycine (TMG), and (3) through B-6. The first two work through a process called methylation, and the B-6 through transsulfuration. Such a combined approach can normalize homocysteine in 95% of the people studied.

* Optimize Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios by eliminating bottled vegetable oils found in your supermarket, except for olive oil, and supplementing with fish oil and flax seed oil, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Much of the problem with inflammatory disorders actually stems from a lopsided imbalance in dietary intake of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and the resulting cascade in pro-inflammatory activity. The ideal ratio is roughly 1 to 1; however, over the past 30 years, people from industrialized countries have replaced much of their dietary saturated fat (on the mistaken advice of their doctors and the media) with vegetable oil omega-6 fatty acids. Ratios of 20 to 1 and 30 to 1 are now not uncommon. From a biochemical standpoint, this sets the stage for major arterial inflammation. (See the October 21, 2002 newsletter.)

* A good antioxidant formula that contains OPCs, can help repair damage to arterial walls.

* Proteolytic Enzymes. This is one of the most important things you can do. The regular use of proteolytic enzymes can help eliminate CICs from the body, reduce overall inflammation, dissolve accumulated plaque, and repair arterial scar tissue. Although the evidence is purely anecdotal at the moment, we have seen extraordinary results using detox levels of this formula.

Conclusion

So, is there anything to worry about with high cholesterol levels? Yes, sort of.

* High cholesterol levels are indicative of other problems – sort of like the canary in the coal mine. Among other things, they can be a warning signal for:

o Liver problems

o Dietary imbalance

o High acid levels

o Chronic inflammation, which may be a factor in the onset of Alzheimer’s and cancer in addition to heart disease

* High cholesterol levels and high levels of saturated fat in the blood "thicken" the blood. If the arteries are wide open, this is not a problem. But if the arterial walls have been narrowed or hardened, the thickened blood significantly increase the odds of a heart attack or stroke. Of course, there are a number of natural ways to thin the blood. Gingko biloba is a blood thinner, as is garlic, as are Proteolytic Enzymes (particularly nattokinase).

The trick, of course, is to take care of the problem, not the warning signal. Artificially suppressing cholesterol levels with statin drugs is a bit like feeling good about your car because you’ve disconnected your warning lights. Not very bright.

And if you’re desperate to lower cholesterol levels without subjecting yourself to the side effects of the statin drugs, supplement with niacin and policosanol. Policosanol is a natural supplement made from sugar cane. It works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of cholesterol, as well as being a powerful antioxidant that prevents LDL oxidation. Clinical studies show that policosanol is as effective as prescription drugs in lowering cholesterol levels, without their dangerous side effects. And, in addition, it reduces the inflammatory response in the arterial wall.
Just for Fun - Questions for Your Doctor

Remember, the cholesterol theory of heart disease is only a theory – a theory that is increasingly being discredited. For those of you who enjoy tormenting your doctor, or if you just want to see them get flustered and angry, be sure and ask them the following questions.

* If cholesterol is the main culprit in heart disease, why don’t veins ever get narrowed and blocked?

* If high cholesterol foods are responsible for raising cholesterol levels, then why do people on the high-cholesterol Atkins Diet experience such a significant drop in cholesterol levels?

* Why do Eskimos who eat a traditional diet of almost pure saturated fat (whale and seal blubber) have almost a zero incidence of heart disease?

* If the liver is responsible for regulating up to 80% of my cholesterol levels, why would I want to take statin drugs for lowering cholesterol – considering that the number one known side effect of statin drugs is liver damage?

Enjoy!

http://www.jonbarron.org/newsletters/04/5-24-2004.php

I'd probably surmise that if your cholesterol is high... ( they have found a correlation between people with high stress levels and high cholesterol)

then most likely the body is hard at work repairing all the damage this stress may have caused...

the 'good cholesteral' is the control that takes over when the much maligned bad cholesterol has done it's job...

The human body is well designed with checks and balances to heal itself... messing around with it.. messes the body's ability to heal itself..

Just like some anti - inflamitories ... inflamation is the body's way of allerting and creating the conditions for the relevant repair mechanisms where to go to and do it's job... just like a fever is another signal that the body is working hard to repair itself... true you need to cool the patient down when he get's overheated.. just like an engine...

Completely wrong...Most people with high cholesterol have high amounts of fatty triglycerides and bad cholesterol, and normal amounts of good cholesterol. This will in turn lead to artherosclerosis, Ischeamia, and a myocardia infarction (a heart attack).

http://www.imaging.robarts.ca/~gep/Researc...stsProjects.htm


I keep thinking that saying that high cholesterol causes vascular disease is like saying a high white cell count causes immune deficiency...

http://adams.mgh.harvard.edu/Reeves/workingresearch2.htm

CNTF and Lipid Metabolism

We have found that CNTF stimulation of mouse precursor oligodendrocyte MOP cells induces a dramatic increase in intracellular lipid storage droplets and robust incorporation of these newly synthesized lipids and fatty acids into the membrane of MOP cells. These findings indicate that CNTF has a profound effect on lipid homeostasis and suggest that CNTF may control the activity of the sterol inducible serum response element (SRE) binding proteins (SREBPs), which have been shown to be key regulators of genes responsible for both endogenous lipid biosynthesis and extracellular uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) via up-regulation of the LDL receptor (ldlr) gene Click for Brown and Goldstein Laboratory. Taken together, these data provide supportive evidence for our proposal that CNTF exerts its promyelinating effect in rodent models of MS by regulating endogenous and exogenous mechanisms for controlling lipid homeostasis.
The significance of up-regulation of lipid metabolism and the potential therapeutic value this has for demyelinating diseases such as MS is as follows: Decades of research, most significantly from the laboratory of Brown and Goldstein, have shown that the SREBPs are critical regulators of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. Numerous other laboratories have contributed to a remarkable understanding of the biochemical and biophysical properties of the myelin membrane. These studies are summarized as follows: 1) In the CNS, the myelin sheath is an extension of the oligodendrocyte membrane and its synthesis as well as turnover of the myelin sheath requires a constant source of myelin-specific lipids and proteins for its synthesis. Cholesterol, which is highly enriched in myelin membranes is a particularly important membrane constituent because it provides fluidity and contributes to formation of “Rafts�, which are regions of the plasma membrane enriched in receptor molecules such as the LDLR. The cerebrosides galactocerebroside and sulfatide are specific for myelin and constitute nearly 70% of the myelin membrane and it is well established that these myelin membrane lipid components are critical for synthesis and homeostasis of the myelin sheath. 2) Although cholesterol can be synthesized de novo using intracellular biosynthetic pathways, an alternative source of cholesterol as well as other myelin membrane lipids is through an extracellular uptake pathway where it is taken up by cells via endocytosis of LDL by the LDLR. The LDLR is a cell surface trans-membrane protein that mediates the uptake and lysosomal degradation of extracellular LDL. Similarly, sphingomyelin, which is the building block component of galactocerebroside and sulfatide, can be brought into the cell via LDLR-mediated uptake of LDL. Although it is unclear the factor or factors which promote loss of lipid homeostasis in oligodendrocytes, it is clear, at least from our studies, that CNTF can promote the up-regulation of lipid homeostasis.


,, and further study...

CNTF and Lipid Metabolism

We have found that CNTF stimulation of mouse precursor oligodendrocyte MOP cells induces a dramatic increase in intracellular lipid storage droplets and robust incorporation of these newly synthesized lipids and fatty acids into the membrane of MOP cells. These findings indicate that CNTF has a profound effect on lipid homeostasis and suggest that CNTF may control the activity of the sterol inducible serum response element (SRE) binding proteins (SREBPs), which have been shown to be key regulators of genes responsible for both endogenous lipid biosynthesis and extracellular uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) via up-regulation of the LDL receptor (ldlr) gene Click for Brown and Goldstein Laboratory. Taken together, these data provide supportive evidence for our proposal that CNTF exerts its promyelinating effect in rodent models of MS by regulating endogenous and exogenous mechanisms for controlling lipid homeostasis.
The significance of up-regulation of lipid metabolism and the potential therapeutic value this has for demyelinating diseases such as MS is as follows: Decades of research, most significantly from the laboratory of Brown and Goldstein, have shown that the SREBPs are critical regulators of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. Numerous other laboratories have contributed to a remarkable understanding of the biochemical and biophysical properties of the myelin membrane. These studies are summarized as follows: 1) In the CNS, the myelin sheath is an extension of the oligodendrocyte membrane and its synthesis as well as turnover of the myelin sheath requires a constant source of myelin-specific lipids and proteins for its synthesis. Cholesterol, which is highly enriched in myelin membranes is a particularly important membrane constituent because it provides fluidity and contributes to formation of “Rafts�, which are regions of the plasma membrane enriched in receptor molecules such as the LDLR. The cerebrosides galactocerebroside and sulfatide are specific for myelin and constitute nearly 70% of the myelin membrane and it is well established that these myelin membrane lipid components are critical for synthesis and homeostasis of the myelin sheath. 2) Although cholesterol can be synthesized de novo using intracellular biosynthetic pathways, an alternative source of cholesterol as well as other myelin membrane lipids is through an extracellular uptake pathway where it is taken up by cells via endocytosis of LDL by the LDLR. The LDLR is a cell surface trans-membrane protein that mediates the uptake and lysosomal degradation of extracellular LDL. Similarly, sphingomyelin, which is the building block component of galactocerebroside and sulfatide, can be brought into the cell via LDLR-mediated uptake of LDL. Although it is unclear the factor or factors which promote loss of lipid homeostasis in oligodendrocytes, it is clear, at least from our studies, that CNTF can promote the up-regulation of lipid homeostasis.

Animal demyelination model and CNTF


The most commonly used rodent model to study demyelination is one in which animals are immunized with components of the myelin sheath which results in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). However, because we have hypothesized that the demyelination observed in MS is initiated by a disorder in lipid homeostasis we have chosen to use a copper chelator (cuprizone) model, which causes profound demyelination in the CNS but does not induce a T- and B-cell autoimmunity response. Copper is an essential trace element for several metalloenzymes including copper/zinc-dependent superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD1) and the copper-dependent ferroxidase ceruloplasmin, which play critical roles in metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and protection against oxidative stress. Inclusion of 0.2 % cuprizone (bis-cyclohexanone oxaldihydrazone, a copper chelator) in the diet of 8 week-old mice produces massive demyelination in several regions of brain, most prominently in the cerebellar peduncles and corpus callosum.


If cuprizone is withdrawn from the animal’s diet after demyelination, remyelination is initiated where by 6 weeks of recovery myelin levels return to near-normal levels.


The cellular basis for this remyelination during and following the cuprizone-induced metabolic challenge may involve recruitment of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells because these cells have been shown to proliferate and invade the demyelinated areas and following cuprizone withdrawal.

Would the cholesteral levels have been elevated during the 6 weeks or remyelination?????

Too bad it does...Cholesterol is what causes artherosclerosis.

High cholesterol is BAD for you.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jht...ntifier=3030450


Can there be 2 types of LDL cholesterol... the heat damaged.. therefore chemically altered LDL that has a negative effect on the body.( transfatty acids).. and an OK ones like the naturally accuring animal fats and coconut fats...

As I've read articles on the benefits of coconut oil.... Lauric Acic

http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition...oil_healthy.htm

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/coconut_oil.html

Abstract

Coconut oil has a unique role in the diet as an important physiologically functional food. The health and nutritional benefits that can be derived from consuming coconut oil have been recognized in many parts of the world for centuries. Although the advantage of regular consumption of coconut oil has been underappreciated by the consumer and producer alike for the recent two or three decades, its unique benefits should be compelling for the health minded consumer of today. A review of the diet/heart disease literature relevant to coconut oil clearly indicates that coconut oil is at worst neutral with respect to atherogenicity of fats and oils and, in fact, is likely to be a beneficial oil for prevention and treatment of some heart disease. Additionally, coconut oil provides a source of antimicrobial lipid for individuals with compromised immune systems and is a nonpromoting fat with respect to chemical carcinogenesis.



"ABSTRACT

The coconut is called the tree of life for it has been providing us, humans, food and drink, materials for housing, fuel and many industrial uses. And its medicinal uses are many and varied. The latest medical potential of products of the coconut first identified by Jon Kabara and others in the 70s, is the anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activity of its medium chain fatty acids, particularly lauric acid (C12:0) in its monoglyceride form (monolaurin or ML).

The first clinical trial ever of ML was on 15 HIV-infected patients reporting regularly at the San Lazaro Hospital, Manila who, never having received any anti-HIV medication, were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: 7.2 g ML, 2.4 g ML and 50 ML of coconut oil daily for 6 months. The San Lazaro Hospital Team was led by Eric Tayag.

Viral, CD4 and CDS counts, complete blood counts, blood lipids and tests for liver and kidney functions were done at the beginning of the study and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. In one patient, the viral load was too low to count.

By the 3rd month, 7 of the patients (50%) showed reduced viral load and by the 6th month 8 patients (2 receiving 7.2h ML, 4 receiving 2.4 g ML and 3 receiving, coconut oil had a lowered viral count. The CD4/CD8 counts showed a favorable increase in 5 patients. There were no serious side effects observed.

Three patients developed AIDS on 3rd month of therapy when their CD4 count dropped below 200. One of these three, who was in the coconut oil group. died 2 weeks after the study. The two other AIDS patients were in the 2.4 g ML group; one recovered fully on the 6th month and the other showed a rapid return towards normal CD4 and CD8 counts."

http://www.doh.gov.ph/SARS/coconut_oil.htm

http://www.biblelife.org/saturated_fat.htm

Proof Saturated Fats Are Healthy
News You Can Use

This web site will prove that eating red meat and natural animal fats while restricting
carbohydrates is not only healthy but will prevent and cure many diseases.

and...is there a point?

http://www.biblelife.org/saturated_fat.htm

Proof Saturated Fats Are Healthy
News You Can Use

This web site will prove that eating red meat and natural animal fats while restricting
carbohydrates is not only healthy but will prevent and cure many diseases.

Saturated fats do not cause heart disease and never did.
The unhealthy fats are corn, cottonseed and soybean oils.

Artherosclerosis

http://www.fi.edu/brain/fats.htm#fatsbuild

Brain Blockers-Trans Fats


The human brain now faces a challenge never before encountered in its thousands of generations of development. During the past century, something has become fundamentally different with many of the fats we now consume. Modern food processing techniques have actually altered a basic building block of the brain. And not for the better.

Trans fatty acids found in foods like french fries, margarine, potato chips and anything else with partially hydrogenated oil disrupt communication in your brain. Trans fatty acids are rarely found in nature and are mostly man made.

By modifying natural fats, we have altered the basic building blocks of the human brain – weakening the brain’s architecture. And, like unstable buildings that come apart in an earthquake or storm, poorly structured human brains are failing to cope with the mounting stress of modern life

http://homodiet.netfirms.com/
Cholesterol is required for many dozens of chemical synthesis pathways and the fact that it is made indicates that it is needed. There is no need to fear cholesterol.
One of the most surprising facts about cholesterol is that there is no relationship between the blood cholesterol level and the degree of atherosclerosis in the vessels. If a high cholesterol really did promote atherosclerosis, then people with a high cholesterol should evidently be more atherosclerotic than people with a low. But it isn't so.

"actually I read that cholesterol was beneficial to us in repairing veins etc... maybe even healing damaged neurons!!!! many drugs..chemicals foods strip nerves of their protective coating... so cholesteral lowering drugs... hinder the bodies ability to repair itself..."

Yes, that's what I initially read too, that it's good in certain amounts, but not when it gets too high. I'm so worried because people who eat right and exercise still get high cholesterol levels which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. If they shouldn't be taking these statin cholesterol-lowering meds like Lipitor, I wonder what an alternative treatment would be?

I heard too that people, despite eating right and exercising, still have high levels of cholesterol in major part because of heredity. And as people know, some hereditary conditions can be very dangerous.

what I sense is that the cholesterol created from transfatty acids... create artherosclerosis... as they are mutated fats..chemically altered by heating etc... that the body is tricked into letting into it's system... as it mimics the true fats.. animal fats that it is designed to use...and once it has let it in it's proverbial door... just like our horror stories of letting in false prophets.. boogey men.. decievers... it has to work out a way to deal with it or succumb... if the body is stressed out ... overburdened with other polutants.. and viruses... it may be too busy to check out or notice that these fats were not what they expected so consequently ... it tries to rebuild.. restore the body using faulty fats.. hense the vascular diseases etc...

But if we think of it ... the human body has always survived on animal fats.... so is designed to use it... so theoretically animal fats are good for the body... organic meats that is... chemicals...antibiotics... hormones.. etc that the body hasn't been able to metabolize or excrete yet...gets stored as fats..in fats... so our adulterated meats..fed on our poluted soils..feeds... medicated for assisted... boosted growths... is not really healthy fat... so our body is exposed to this... hense maybe it is a good idea to avoid quite a few fatty cuts of meat...





here's some more info I gathered on statins...

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/comments/r...p?entry_id=2453


Comments to: Statins May Cause Nerve Damage

Posted on May 17, 2006, 7:26 pm
by eugene A. Vis

I used statins. Now hAVE severe neuropathy. Son also took lipator for several years. Now has same leg weakness and muscle pain as I do.



Posted on May 17, 2006, 10:19 pm
by Croft Woodruff

And why not? The brain (a high site for cholesterol) and nerves require cholesterol to function. Cholesterol is the raw material for hormone production, vitamin D synthesis, and maintains the integrity of cell membranes.



Posted on May 18, 2006, 12:04 am
by Dr. H.H.Nehrlich

Although I am fully aware of the dangers of writing about conspiracies, it seems to me that we are in the midst of a truly remarkable global genocide experiment. It now includes us whities.

Posted on May 18, 2006, 1:44 am
by Warren Wells

Simvastatin (Zocor) injured me as follows:
1. Myopathy: Left leg, very painful limp (intermittent failure of left leg to support body
weight); Skeletal muscle damage from left hip down-no joint pain; Bladder smooth
muscle damage requiring the use of a catheter for urination (some 2000 times since Dec 2004); Damage to liver, heart, lungs, kidneys and other parts of body unknown;
2. Serious and disabling loss of energy, sleepiness, personality change, resulting from prescription drug inhibition of CoQ10;
3. Zocor combined with Coumadin in my opinion caused blinding ocular hemorrhage.



Posted on March 13, 2007, 12:19 am
by Andrew Patterson

Do statin drugs block any of the fat soluble vitamins from absorption/metabolism?



Posted on March 13, 2007, 11:25 am
by Admin

Yes Indeed. See:

Statins and Vitamin D Deficiency - Another Blow
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2006...nother_blow.htm

Increasing the probability of congestive failure due to CQ10 deficiency created from Statins was not enough, here is more bad news...

Vitamin D deficiency states will increase your risk of prostate and breast cancer and auto immune diseases like MS and rheumatoid arthritis. Not to mention all the neurological diseases due to low levels of cholesterol in the brain! This is in line with all the comments on the various statin posts. Yet the public at large is oblivious to the dangers from this class of drugs - what's worse is that statins are one of the biggest cash cows for the pharma Mafia and as such will continue to be promoted by industry shills. Who of course along with their benefactors will be rubbing their hands all the way to the bank. Not to mention the extra revenue from the generation of all the additionally created diseases!

For a comprehensive link summary see: Bad News About Statin Drugs

Chris Gupta

http://www.gdx.net/home/assessments/melato...ide/index3.html


Cardiovascular Disease

A decrease in melatonin causes increased nighttime sympathetic activity, which in turn appears to increase the risk for coronary disease. One study found that patients with coronary heart disease had nocturnal melatonin levels five times lower than in healthy controls. Investigators surmised that lower levels of melatonin may act to increase circulating epinephrine and norepinephrine, which have been implicated in damage to blood vessel walls. Atherogenic uptake of LDL cholesterol is accelerated by these amines at pathophysiological concentrations.82

Research conducted on laboratory rodents has shown that melatonin treatment exerts the beneficial effect of increasing the HDL/total LDL cholesterol ratio, perhaps by enhancing endogenous cholesterol clearance mechanisms.83 Specific binding sites for the melatonin agonist 2-[125I] iodomelatonin have been discovered in the heart (and lungs) of various animals.84 In addition, melatonin seems to inhibit platelet aggregation. Platelet aggregation plays a significant role in the progression of cardiovascular disease.85

Trans-fats are vital to the body, but too much will cause artherosclerosis. Too much of anything can cause problems.

Maybe just naturally accuring Trans-fats...not the artificial kind...

"Chemically, trans fats are made of the same building blocks as non-trans fats, but have a different shape. In trans fat molecules, the double bonds between carbon atoms (characteristic of all unsaturated fats) are in the trans rather than the cis configuration, resulting in a straighter, rather than kinked, shape. As a result, trans fats are less fluid and have a higher melting point than the corresponding cis fats.

"Foods containing artificial trans fats formed by partially hydrogenating plant fats may contain up to 45% trans fat compared to their total fat.[4] Baking shortenings generally contain 30% trans fats compared to their total fats, while animal equivalents such as butter and lard contain 3%. Those margarines not reformulated to reduce trans fats may contain up to 15% trans fat by weight.[5]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat

have you heard of... interesterified fats..???

..When I first started reading it ... I thought it was a typo!!!!



Trans fats alternatives now in the firing line
Trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) have been in the firing line from health professionals in recent years because the evidence clearly shows that they are as harmful for your health as saturated fats raising LDL (bad) cholesterol, lowering HDL (good) cholesterol and contributing to heart disease. New York City restaurants are now banned from using them and many producers of commercial products such as cookies, crackers, pies, doughnuts, and French fries are abandoning them.

A popular alternative for the food industry has been interesterified fats. Interesterification which rearranges the position of individual fatty acids on the fat molecule to generate a stearic acid-rich fat is fast becoming the method of choice to modify fats in foods that require a longer shelf life because this process hardens fat similar to oils containing trans-fatty acids.

But interesterification can alter metabolism in humans reports a new study. In fact these fats may actually be more detrimental to human health than the fats they replace according to Prof K C Hayes and colleagues from Brandeis University with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and published online in Nutrition & Metabolism. They found that interesterified fats raise blood glucose (20% in a month) and depress insulin. Furthermore, like trans fat, they still adversely depress HDL-cholesterol.

[PROF HAYES]
Professor Hayes

The researchers compared trans-rich and interesterified fats with an unmodified saturated fat, palm olein, for their effects on blood fats and blood glucose. Thirty volunteers consumed all three diets in random rotation over four-week diet periods.

‘In this study we discovered that trans fat also has a weak negative influence on blood glucose. The newer replacement for trans, so-called interesterified fat, appears even worse in that regard, raising glucose 20% in a month,’ said Hayes. ‘This is the first human study to examine simultaneously the metabolic effects of the two most common replacement fats for a natural saturated fat widely incorporated in foods. As such, it is somewhat alarming that both modified fats failed to pass the sniff test for metabolic performance relative to palm olein itself,’ noted Dr Kalyana Sundram.
– Nutrition & Metabolism 4 (3), 2007, doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-4-3 and Brandeis University news release

http://ginews.blogspot.com/2007/03/gi-news-briefs.html

thanks everyone for a very interesting read !!!! guess I have to have a talk with my cardio. ( and take some things off here to talk to him about )

- note : back in the eighties 2 wee lone doctors was published stating that the cause of most ulcers was NOT caused by stress or bad diet but rather a bacteria.

ha here it is -


What Causes Ulcers?
For almost 100 years, doctors believed that ulcers were caused by stress and spicy foods. Then, in 1982, two doctors (Barry Marshall and Robin Warren) made a great discovery. They discovered that a certain kind of bacteria lives and grows in the stomach. And these bacteria were causing most ulcers.

The type of bacteria is called Helicobacter pylori (say: hel-ih-koh-bak-tur pye-lor-ee).

Yes... at first they were ridiculed... and now they are heroes...

Hulda Clarke is being ridiculed for daring to suggest that cancer to can be caused by similar style bacteria or flukes... ( remember.. some times untreated ulcers... advanced cases of these H pylori infestations could lead to cancer too!!!

http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/c...p;pp=12&n=1

it's the one my dad caught before they discovered how easy it is to spot and cure!!!!


eek check this article about gall stones!!!!

http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp

Thank you, Lt. Ripley; I'm glad you found the thread interesting. I knew someone who was dieing of stmach cancer. I asked them one question "Have you ever eaten yogurt?" His response was "I hate the stuff." I thought to myself "Nuff said."

I do believe the bacteria is h. Pylori, and from what I've read in the past, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus found in yogurt actually fight many kinds of maladies. They are called probiotics because they favor the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the body and related to the stomach:

"Because probiotics can decrease the presence of carcinogens in the intestines in several ways, they may prove helpful for preventing cancer. One important study suggests that in the soy-rich Japanese diet that seems to prevent breast cancer, it is the abundance of the probiotic Bifidobacterium in some soy products that is at least partly responsible for the powerful preventive effect."

One shocking thing I found about probiotics is the following:

"One double-blind, placebo controlled trial found that some strains of active-culture yogurt, eaten over 8 weeks, help lower LDL cholesterol and normalize blood pressure.Serum triglycerides were also lowered in a controlled animal study."

Lt. Ripley, it looks like Yogurt is a wonder food, which I plan to eat more of.

thing is, Cancer can be caused by ANYTHING that damages cellular DNA. All it takes is for one cell to be damaged, and then growth can be uncontrolled (no apoptosis).

http://www.hiddenmysteries.com/xcart/produ...=436&page=1



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

Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease

http://www.byedr.com/medicine/3683-1-byedr.html