On Wed, 27 Aug 1997, John C. Pavao wrote:

> I'm curious about people being interested in lowering their cholesterol.
>  Everything I'm reading lately says that cholesterol production is a
> reaction to damage to blood vessels caused by free radicals, such as the
> kind found in vegetable oils and caused by sugar consumption.  Actively
> trying to lower the cholesterol level is just treating a symptom, isn't it?
>  Seems to me that the focus should be removing all processed foods from the
> diet.  Lower cholesterol should follow.

There is an ongoing debate in the medical community as to whether
elevated LDL cholesterol is a marker for coronary heart disease
or a cause of it.  There is some evidence for both views.

Anyway, it seems to me there are a number of things to consider.
Why is the LDL level elevated in the first place?  This is a
function of two things: the rate at which it is produced and the
rate at which it is used or eliminated.  If for some reason these
two rates are out of balance, the stuff accumulates in the blood,
where it is susceptible to oxidation and accumulation on damaged
arteries.  Use of antioxidants should reduce the oxidation risk,
especially those antioxidants, such as curcumin, that are
specifically effective at inhibiting lipid peroxidation.
Prevention of arterial damage requires a favorable balance of
series 1 and series 2 eicosanoids, which is expedited by keeping
insulin levels down and having adequate production of GLA.  An
adequate supply of methyl donors such as B-12 and folic acid also
lowers levels of homocysteine, which is believed to be implicated
in arterial damage.

To be eliminated from the body, the cholesterol is bound to bile
salts which are absorbed by the feces, particularly the soluble
fiber residues.  If it is not absorbed by the feces, it is
reabsorbed by the liver and eventually dumped into the blood.

So, the trick appears to be producing what you need and getting
rid of what you don't need.

Todd Moody
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