HealthBeat News

Author: Wellness Club

  • My Uncle The Drug Pusher

    Uncle Sam Allows, Even Helps Fuel A New Generation Of Opiate Addicts

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    While our government wages a ruinous and futile “War On Drugs” and wastes time and resources with an undeclared war on vitamins and natural supplements” and sends armed swat teams to raid the sellers of such dangerous things as raw milk it is turning a blind eye to – and even supporting – the efforts of Big Pharma to turn America into a nation of opiate addicts.

    A recent analysis by The Associated Press paints a disturbing picture of an explosion of prescription drug abuse over the past decade:

    Nationwide, pharmacies received and ultimately dispensed the equivalent of 69 tons of pure oxycodone and 42 tons of pure hydrocodone in 2010, the last year for which statistics are available. That’s enough to give 40 5-mg Percocets and 24 5-mg Vicodins to every person in the United States.

    A group called The Alliance For Natural Health expanded on this AP article bringing some information of their own into the picture – tying together the various financial and other conflicts of interest that exist between the drug companies and our government agencies that are supposedly responsible for our safety and well-being:

    As Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, pointed out in her 2004 book The Truth about the Drug Companies, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) employs more lobbyists in Washington than there are members of Congress. Since 2007, the group has spent more than $20 million annually on lobbying in Washington to see that its interests are protected.

    The DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) is supposed to set “quotas” of amounts of drugs that a drug company can manufacture and sell, so that these drugs do not flood the country and end up in the hands of addicts. Former DEA official Gene Haislip says however that DEA won’t block a drug company’s requests for a quota increase “if that company is supporting members of Congress who have the power to block the agency’s funding.”

    It looks like 20 million dollars a year buys a lot of support. A watchdog organization called OpenSecrets.org has compiled research showing how drug company money finds it’s way to Washington. Interestingly, the top two recipients of Big Pharma money in the years 2011/2012 are Barack Obama at $362,879 and Mitt Romney at $263,735.

    The OpenSecrets.org list of top 20 pharmaceutical / health care products recipients can be found here.

    Drug giant Pfizer was the largest “contributor” in 2011 / 2012, lining congressional pockets to the tune of $848,899. They are hardly alone in their largess though – a more complete list of the payoffs can be found here, on the OpenSecrets.org site.

    We have written about the drug-pushing tendencies of our government agencies before – The Drug Pushers in Your Neighborhood is just one of many articles to discuss the cozy relationship between Big Pharma and the FDA and other government regulators – but this latest information regarding the incestuous nature of relations between DEA, Big Pharma, and congress is particularly alarming.

    Is there any doubt that as long as this unrestricted lobbying is allowed to buy congressional favor we will continue to be a nation in trouble?

     

    Sources:

    http://www.anh-usa.org/big-pharma-whistles-and-dea-comes-running/

    http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20120405_ap_painkillersalessoararoundusfueladdiction.html?c=r

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gPwb6NNjRK5X1NR3XKLO4B5PJu6g?docId=3d8960c42a3a430ca5f6437ca964c857

    http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=h04

    http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.php?cycle=2012&ind=h04

  • Pets And Toxic Treats

    Onions, Chocolate, And Other People Treats Can Be Poison To Your Pet!

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    We often are asked questions about pet health, and even though we are not trained in the veterinary arts we do our best to provide a well-researched answer. Sometimes conventional veterinary medicine, like conventional human medicine, runs out of drugs to throw at a problem and pet owners turn to us for alternative solutions.

    Friends recently asked Dr. Myatt what she would do for what appeared to be an allergic reaction in one of their dogs. Dr. Myatt suggested Grape Seed Extract which she has used successfully in our own animals. Our Border Collie used to suffer from occasional asthma attacks, and Dr. Myatt would give the dog a Grape Seed Extract capsule in a ground meat treat for very prompt relief of this. A neighbor had a cat who was put on steroids for allergies and was still miserable. We suggested Grape Seed Extract and Fish Oil sprinkled over the cat’s food. Sure enough, this provided what our neighbor described as “miraculous” relief returning the cat from misery to it’s former happy affectionate self.  We told our friends of this, and sent them home with a few capsules to try.

    Being conscientious folk, they thought about what they were going to give their dog and remembered something troubling: There have been reports of dogs becoming ill and even dying after eating grapes, raisins, and sultanas. They emailed us, quite worried, to ask about this – and rightly so.

    Dr. Myatt explained that she was not aware of anything in grapes that should be toxic to dogs – in fact we have fed our own 3 dogs occasional grape treats without any ill effects.

    Grape Seed Extract should be quite non-toxic as the active ingredient is proanthocyanidin or pycnogenol. In fact, Grape Seed Extract has more of the active ingredient proanthocyanidins (“OPC’s,” are also called pycnogenols) than pine bark extract which also has a long history of safety and successful use in humans.

    Still, I wanted to be sure that we were not recommending something that could harm our friends or anyone’s pet, so I did more research. Please remember – we are not trained in the veterinary arts, so this must not be taken as veterinary advice. What follows is what I have discovered as I searched to find whether there was any fact to the reported Dog Poisonings By Grapes:

    Interestingly, this appears to be a relatively recent problem. The first cases of grape poisonings in dogs were reported in 1998, and it wasn’t until 2001 that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, Illinois had enough solid reports to issue a warning about this. Further, a thorough review of available literature, reports, internet bulletin boards and chat forums and other sources indicates that not all dogs seem to be affected, or perhaps that not all grapes cause the problem, or that perhaps it is dose-related in some way. There are any number of theories being postulated, from pesticides to GMO’s to bacteria and more.

    One theory that did seem to make sense is that some grapes and raisins may become infected with Ochratoxin A, a nephrotoxic compound produced by the black aspergillus species of mold. It is quite toxic to humans. While most people would not likely eat moldy grapes, many dogs might devour them, especially if they are “chow-hounds” like ours.

    The biggest risk for people is related to grape juice consumption. Small children are at highest risk since they occasionally consume comparatively large quantities of juice and raisins.

    The toxin is more likely to be found in grape products from southern locations. The mold that produces this toxin might not even be noticeable on a grape or raisin, and it may be that dogs are even more sensitive to this toxin than people. It might also be well to remember that even though mold can be washed off a food, the toxins produced by that mold usually cannot – a moldy item should be discarded.

    Our Grape Seed Extracts are pharmaceutical grade preparations, and do not contain Ochratoxin or any other contaminant!

    Along with all this research into grapes I came across a number of other things that we humans can eat but that are toxic to dogs, cats, and other pets.

    Some of these things include:

    Xylitol – a common and healthy sweetener for humans is very toxic to dogs and other animals.

    Chocolate which contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. (May also be sweetened with xylitol!)

    When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise.

    After their pet has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours.

    Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A 22 lb dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of an 8 oz package of cocoa powder or a 4 oz block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain up to ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell.

    Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than an 8 oz block of milk chocolate to be affected, though obviously, the smaller the dog the less it needs to eat to become ill.

    Onions and garlic are other dangerous food ingredients that cause sickness in dogs, cats and also livestock. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger.

    Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop hemolytic anemia, where the pet’s red blood cells become damaged.

    At first, pets affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea. They will show no interest in food and will be dull and weak. The red pigment from the damaged blood cells appears in an affected animal’s urine and it becomes breathless. The breathlessness occurs because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number.

    The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness.

    Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. A single ingestion of 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of raw onion can be dangerous and a 22 pound dog, fed 6 ounces of onion for several days, is also likely to develop anemia. The condition improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion

    While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.

    [As a side note, Dr. Myatt has successfully used garlic cloves in treating a large breed dog that was suffering from “Valley Fever” (Coccidioidomycosis – a respiratory disease common in Arizona) and was unresponsive to conventional antibiotics. Garlic has long been recognized as a potent natural antibiotic, and cleared this dog’s problems up very quickly.]

    Macadamia nuts are another concern. A recent paper written by Dr. Ross McKenzie, a Veterinary Pathologist, points to the danger of raw and roasted macadamia nuts for pets.

    The toxic compound is unknown but the affect of macadamia nuts is to cause locomotor difficulties. Dogs develop tremors of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to stand and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated.

    Dogs have been affected by eating as few as six macadamia nuts, while others had eaten approximately forty nuts. Some dogs had also been given macadamia butter.

    Luckily, the muscle weakness, while painful, seems to be of short duration and all dogs recovered from the toxicity. All dogs were taken to their veterinarian.

    Other potential dangers include:

    • The kernels (pits) of plums, peaches and apricots, and apple seeds (these contain cyanogenic glycosides which can resulting in cyanide poisoning)
    • Potato peelings and green looking potatoes
    • Rhubarb leaves
    • Moldy/spoiled foods
    • Alcohol
    • Yeast dough
    • Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine)
    • Hops (used in home brewing)
    • Tomato leaves & stems (green parts)
    • Broccoli (in large amounts)
    • Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars

    Avocados and dried beans are dangerous to pet birds. The skin and pit of avocados had been known to cause cardiac distress and eventual heart failure in pet bird species and uncooked beans contain a poison called hemaglutin which is very toxic to birds.

    This is not an all-inclusive list – there are likely other foods that we humans enjoy that are not so healthy for your pet. Perhaps the best advice is to limit human foods to rare treats if at all. After all, your beloved dog or cat did not evolve to eat what we eat – they are carnivores, and are designed to eat mainly raw meats and fats with occasional raw veggies. A more appropriate treat for Fido the pooch is a lump of raw beef or a knuckle bone and Fluffy the cat would be better with a raw chicken or turkey giblet…

    References and resources:

    Canine renal pathology associated with grape or raisin ingestion: 10 cases. J Vet Diagn Invest 17:223–231 (2005) http://www.jvdi.org/cgi/reprint/17/3/223.pdf

    ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_poisonsafe

  • Eat Meat And Die?

    Opinion By Nurse Mark

     

    Sigh… here we go again…

     

    The latest academic exercise in statistics massaging and manipulation is all over the news.

     

    Eating “Red Meat” will kill you!

     

    So says the sensation-mongering press, supported and encouraged by Big Agra – who of course would be happy to see us all increase our consumption of wheat, corn, soybeans, potatoes, and other Monsanto-ized, genetically-modified, Roundup-ready staples.

    The press is predictably trotting out all the usual vegetarian and vegan diet promoters such as Dean Ornish for their comments, and they are just as predictably chanting with a unified voice “see, we told you so – eating animals is eeeeevil!”

    Folks, I need to make a disclaimer here, because this article is going to generate all kinds of hate mail from vegetarians and vegans who will be offended that their beliefs are being questioned: I am not a doctor – and I have never played one on TV. Neither am I a statistician – nor have I ever played one on TV.

    I have no personal objection to anyone’s wishes to follow any diet that they want to, for whatever reason they want.

    Indeed, I am especially sympathetic to and respectful of those who say they are willing to follow a challenging-to-adhere-to and potentially mal-nutritive diet for “ethical” and “moral” reasons – just as long as they don’t try to impose their ethics and morals on me. I have a little more trouble with those who claim that vegetarian and vegan diets are nutritionally superior – yes, it’s possible to have a nutritionally complete diet that way, but it is tricky and a lot of hard work…

    I am getting a little tired though of the constant haranguing by successive groups of “experts” who are using statistically massaged retrospective studies that rely on peoples memories of what they ate some time in years past to try to tell me what I must eat in the future.

    Folks, let’s be honest – how many of you can remember exactly what you ate for dinner last Wednesday? I know I sure can’t!

    And then to ask people to remember not only what they ate at each meal in months and even years past, but to remember how large each specific serving size was? I sure couldn’t give you an honest answer!

    Further, this most recent “study,” titled “Red Meat Consumption and Mortality – Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies” and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine manages to do some additional sleight-of-hand in it’s interpretation and use of “data.”

    That “red meat” that they refer to as being so deadly? It turns out that it really isn’t the “red meat” you or I might be thinking of – which would be a nice juicy, grass-fed, free-range, cooked-rare beef steak. Nope, for the purposes of this study, “red meat” includes hamburger, bacon, sausage, salami, bologna, “and other processed meats.”

    Now, all those things may be tasty, and they may be distantly related to animal protein (can you say “pink slime” – also in the news recently? Yep, that would probably qualify as “red meat” for this study!) but they are not what I think of as healthy red meat. Further, these other pseudo-meat products are most likely filled with nitrates, nitrites, dyes, food colors, artificial flavors, hormones, antibiotics, and other not-so-healthy chemicals. Do we think this might have skewed their results just a little bit?

    Then there is the statistical magic of “controlling for variables” – that is, the researchers acknowledge that there are a whole bunch of things other than diet that can affect a person’s health and longevity – so they employ the statistical sleight-of-hand of “controlling for variables” to make these troublesome things go away and stop getting in the way of the desired study results.

    To be fair, the researchers in this study have done what researchers do best – they have solicited and gotten the funding grants that pay their continued salaries, and they have gathered and presented their information in a manner consistent with what those findings were intended to show. Let’s be honest; if you can’t produce work that appeals to those who foot the bills, well, the money dries up and you are out of work – right? If those who pay the bills want results that support their agenda then that is what the results had better support. (What – you thought those people work for free?)

    The press, on the other hand, have done what the press does best – that is, to sensationalize the reporting of this information. This is no different that the sensationalist reporting that gave us “Taking vitamins causes early death” articles following another recent “retrospective study” that relied on people’s memories of what vitamins they took in years past. The press know that truth and fairness are boring – and boring doesn’t sell newspapers (or radio or TV ads). So the press sells “excitement” and we get headlines telling us that  Red meat will kill you, or Vitamin use causes early death, or Pink Slime is taking over our schools…

    Here are my thoughts on this issue:

    Be vegetarian or even vegan if you wish – just don’t try to force your beliefs on me because I don’t believe it’s a healthy way to eat.

    I’m going to continue to eat a high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet, similar to the one that my caveman ancestors probably enjoyed. That means that my meats are going to be just as organically raised and free of hormones and antibiotics as they can possibly be.

    Mankind has spent millions of years climbing to the top of the food chain as a carnivore – I’m going to celebrate that by letting herbivores do the hard work of converting all that plant material into a nice, tasty, nutritious steak for me!

  • Dying For A Good Night’s Sleep?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Are you Dying For A Good Night’s Sleep?

     

    If you take even a few sleeping pills a year the answer may be “Yes!”

     

    To sleep, Perchance to dream… Has been the sometimes elusive goal of mankind for millennia. Most people will have trouble sleeping at some time or another – usually it’s temporary, and often related to a particular stress or upset. That is normal, and it won’t be a problem for long. Good sleep will return.

    For some others, sleep becomes an almost impossible goal – many become so desperate as to be willing to try almost anything to achieve a few hours of blessed unconsciousness. Michael Jackson comes to mind… he is resting now.

    Millions of Americans fall somewhere in between the two extremes – and for them a quick trip to the doctor and then to the drugstore to fill a prescription for sleeping pills is something that starts innocently enough but grows into a ritual that is ever-more difficult to escape. Yet escape they must.

    That’s because now in addition to the long-known problem of habituation, recent research has given us clear evidence that even infrequent use of sleeping pills results in a significantly increased risk of death and frequent or regular use of these drugs results in a massive increase in death risk, including risk of death from cancer!

    “Habituation” is a medical term which simply means that not only does the person find it increasingly difficult and even impossible to sleep without drugs, the drugs themselves must be taken in larger and larger doses to achieve the same effect.

    Habituation is an important effect to consider, because the study, reported in the prestigious British Medical Journal made the following points:

    • Patients receiving prescriptions for zolpidem, temazepam and other hypnotics [aka “sleeping pills”] suffered over four times the mortality as the matched hypnotic-free control patients.
    • Even patients prescribed fewer than 18 hypnotic doses per year experienced increased mortality, with greater mortality associated with greater dosage prescribed.
    • Among patients prescribed hypnotics, cancer incidence was increased for several specific types of cancer, with an overall cancer increase of 35% among those prescribed high doses.

    For those interested in further reading (this is a very dense article) the study, titled “Hypnotics’ association with mortality or cancer: a matched cohort study,” can be found here: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000850.full

    Fair warning – if you use sleeping pills, even occasionally, you are going to feel very alarmed and worried after you read that report.

    Here’s a quick breakdown of the numbers:

    People who used sleeping pills more than 132 times each year were FIVE TIMES more likely to die during the study period. To make that number of uses easier to understand, that 132 times a year works out to 11 times a month, or less than 3 times a week.

    People using between 18 and 132 doses each year were four times more likely to die. These are the people who only use a sleeping pill less than twice a month to 11 times a month – which is not very often!

    But here’s the most scary finding: Those people who only took 18 or less doses per year were still more than 3.5 times more likely to die than people who took no sleeping pills at all.

    Let’s say that again: according to the study, if you take as little as one or two sleeping pills a month you are statistically three and a half times more likely to die than someone who takes none.

    So what can you do if you are having trouble sleeping?

    First, it is well worth working with a doctor who understands sleep difficulties and is willing to look beyond the simple and easy “out” of just prescribing a sleeping pill. There are as many reasons for sleep problems as there are people who aren’t sleeping!

    Is the problem “primary insomnia” – the “I can’t slow my thoughts down and get to sleep” kind of insomnia? (This is the “Michael Jackson” kind of insomnia)

    Is the problem “secondary insomnia” – the “I come awake in the small hours of the night and can’t get back to sleep” kind of insomnia? (This is more common in older people and people with unstable blood sugar or hormone imbalances)

    Or, is it some combination of the two?

    Is sleep being interrupted by something like snoring, sleep apnea, muscle cramps or urinary frequency?

    Are there external factors like noise, light, a restless bed-partner, pets, too hot, too cold, or uncomfortable bedding?

    Are there internal factors like unstable blood sugar, mood or emotional disorders, or neurotransmitter or hormone imbalances?

    All these things must be considered and either ruled out, eliminated, or treated if healthy sleep is to be restored. The help of a good holistic physician can literally be a lifesaver!

    Dr. Myatt has a webpage where she discusses insomnia and some common recommendations here: Insomnia

    For those who just want to jump ahead to the “short course” here are some of our most effective supplements to promote healthy sleep.

    Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses of  B complex vitamins and magnesium (both found  in Maxi Multi) are particularly important for insomnia.

    Melatonin: this hormone decreases with age. Melatonin is a potent antioxidant that helps regulate Circadian Rhythms. It should be used in almost all cases of insomnia. Melatonin is also an an “anti stress” hormone.

    Some people complain that they tried melatonin and it didn’t work for them. We usually find that they tried it in a form that they swallowed, as a tablet. Melatonin is not well-absorbed this way, and we recommend that it be take sublingually – that is, dissolved under the tongue. This allows the hormone to enter the bloodstream more directly and without being altered by stomach acids. Rarely, others complain that melatonin helped them sleep, but left them feeling groggy the next day. If this occurs, try taking a smaller dose – a half or even a quarter-tablet to start with.

    L-5-HTP (5-Hydroxy-Tryptophan) 100 mg: 1 cap, 3 times per day, twice with meals and once before bed. Dosage may be increased to 2 caps, 3 times per day after 2 weeks if response is inadequate. L-5-HTP is a neurotransmitter precursor; most neurotransmitters decrease with age.

    Magnesium (amino acid chelate): 2 tabs, 45 minutes before bedtime. (In addition to what is contained in Maxi-Multi) Magnesium is a “calming” mineral.

    Lavender Essential Oil: Used as aromatherapy, lavender has a balancing, relaxing and uplifting effect. Apply several drops to a cotton ball or diffuser to help drift peacefully off to sleep.

    Here is a trick that was taught to me as a young Nurse by an old, very experienced European Nurse: It is common practice in some European hospitals to put a few drops of lavender oil on pillows to help relax patients and promote sleep. I know why lavender was held in such high value by our ancestors – it works!

    Kavinace – This is our “secret weapon” for treating insomnia. Kavinace potentiates GABA, one of the main inhibitory neurotransmitters. Higher GABA levels can relieve anxiety and promote restful sleep. Kavinace works amazingly well as a sleep aid and anti-anxiety formula for people who are low in GABA. Usually 1-2 capsules taken at bedtime (or better, a half-hour before bed) will promote a fine, restful sleep. Three capsules can be used, but may result in a “hangover” sleepiness or “just feeling too well-rested” the next day for some people. Yes, it really is that effective!

    Finally, there is a new product that we are trying with a few select patients: Lavela WS 1265 Lavender Oil Capsules.

    We have seen very convincing evidence in peer-reviewed medical journal articles regarding it’s effectiveness in reducing anxiety and promoting sleep, and there are very positive reports from those patients who have tried it. It is safe, well-tolerated, non habit-forming and non-sedating. It’s once-a-day dosing is convenient and effective.

    We are not actively stocking this product yet as we are still assessing it – but we have a limited number of sample packets available that provide 10 days of treatment – that is probably double what is necessary to achieve a good effect, from what we are seeing so far.

    We will not send these samples out to anyone who is not using the more proven sleep aids of both sublingualMelatonin and Kavinace – but if you are serious about getting a good night’s sleep and want to try a 10 day sample course of Lavela WS 1265 Lavender Oil Capsules then please request it when you order your Melatonin and Kavinace – we will of course ask you to please record and report back to us your experience with this new product.

    ‘Till tomorrow, Pleasant Dreams…

  • Cholesterol FastFacts

    Cholesterol: A FastFacts Look At An Essential Substance

     

    How much do you know about cholesterol?

     

    Though much-maligned by Big Pharma, cholesterol is essential to our life and health.

     

    Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals.

    • It is an essential component of our cell membranes where it builds and maintains cell membranes and establishes proper membrane permeability and fluidity for normal cellular function.
    • It plays a central role in many biochemical processes, such as the synthesis of steroid hormones.1
    • Cholesterol is synthesized in virtually all cells, and it is possible for significant amounts to be absorbed from the diet. In practice, most of the cholesterol in the body is synthesized internally; only some is absorbed in the diet.
    • Cholesterol is more abundant in tissues which either synthesize more, or have more abundant, densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord and brain.
    • About 20–25% of total daily production of cholesterol occurs in the liver which produces about 1 gram per day, in bile. Bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and released to help digest fats, is important for the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, and K. Other sites of high synthesis rates include the intestines, adrenal glands and reproductive organs.
    • Of the cholesterol released into the intestines in bile, 92–97% is reabsorbed in the intestines and recycled by the liver.
    • For a person of about 150 pounds, typical total body content is about 35 g, typical daily internal production is about 1 g and typical daily dietary intake is 200–300 mg in the United States and societies with similar dietary patterns.
    • Biosynthesis of cholesterol is directly regulated by the cholesterol levels present, though the control mechanisms involved are only partly understood. A higher intake from food leads to a net decrease in endogenous production, while lower intake from food has the opposite effect.
    • Cholesterol is the main precursor of vitamin D and of the steroid hormones, which include cortisol and aldosterone (in the adrenal glands) and progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone (the sex hormones), and their derivatives. It provides the basic structure of all the steroids.
    • In myelin, cholesterol envelopes and insulates nerves, helping greatly to conduct nerve impulses.
    • Some research indicates that cholesterol may act as an antioxidant.2
    • Recently, cholesterol has also been implicated in cell signaling processes, assisting in the formation of lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. It also reduces the permeability of the plasma membrane to protons (positive hydrogen ions) and sodium ions.3

     

    Despite the widely-proclaimed role of cholesterol in cardiovascular disease, some studies have shown an inverse correlation between cholesterol levels and mortality in people over 50 years of age ­ an 11% increase overall and 14% increase in CVD mortality per 1 mg/dL per year drop in cholesterol levels. In the Framingham Heart Study, researchers attributed this to the fact that people with severe chronic diseases or cancer tend to have below-normal cholesterol levels.4 This explanation is not supported by the Vorarlberg Health Monitoring and Promotion Program, in which men of all ages and women over 50 with very low cholesterol were increasingly likely to die of cancer, liver diseases, and mental diseases. This result indicates that the low cholesterol effect occurs even among younger people, and contradicts the previous belief that in older people lower cholesterol is an indicator of frailty occurring with age.5

     

    References

    1. 1.) Stryer, Lubert (1995). Biochemistry (4th ed. ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman & co.. pp. 280, 703. ISBN 0-7167-2009-4.
    2. Smith LL (1991). “Another cholesterol hypothesis: cholesterol as antioxidant”. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 11 (1): 47–61. doi:10.1016/0891-5849(91)90187-8. PMID 1937129.
    3. Haines TH (2001). “Do sterols reduce proton and sodium leaks through lipid bilayers?”. Prog. Lipid Res. 40 (4): 299–324. doi:10.1016/S0163-7827(01)00009-1. PMID 11412894.
    4. Anderson KM., Castelli WP, Levy D. (1987). “Cholesterol and mortality. 30 years of follow-up from the Framingham study”. JAMA 257: 2176–80. doi:10.1001/jama.257.16.2176. PMID 3560398
    5. Ulmer H., Kelleher C., Diem G., Concin H. (2004). “Why Eve is not Adam: prospective follow-up in 149650 women and men of cholesterol and other risk factors related to cardiovascular and all-cause mortality”. J Women’s Health (Larchmt) 13: 41–53. doi:10.1089/154099904322836447. PMID 15006277