Question: from Dee
I am 48 and have my cholesterol checked due to family history (father died with heart problems at 56, 18 months after his first heart attack). My latest reading is 6.4 (increasing from 5.8 2 years' ago). I am not sure I have enough information re cholesterol breakdown - all I know is that HDL is 2.4. I am semi vegetarian (eat fish occasionally), my weight is in proportion to my height, blood pressure normal.
One Doctor put me on Simvastin 10 mg and 75 mg aspirin but I was so ill with headaches, stomach upsets etc that I came off both meds. A second Dr has advised I do not need any drugs as he states my HDL is very high and counteracts the LDL - however, due to my family history, I am very concerned by the increase over the past 2 years, and feel confused by 2 different sets of advice. Can you advise please?
Answer: from Warren
Your second Doc is right. Your HDL is very high and does indeed offset any elevated LDL, or total cholesterol. Your first Doc was either being lazy or irresponsible by putting you on that medication.
High cholesterol rarely is the cause of death from heart disease. It is only one factor, and unless it is highly elevated it need not be much of a concern. When it is, then natural options such as our Cholest-Natural should be tried first. However, you don't even need our Cholest-Natural with your current figures.
To maintain good heart health there are four ‘markers’ that you should be aware of.
1. Cholesterol is easily measured and is reasonable in your case.
2. Triglycerides which are just as important as cholesterol. These can be kept in line by minimizing your intake of simple carbohydrates, processed foods and also taking Omega 3 fish oil on a regular basis. Note: when you have your triglyceride levels taken you must fast for at least 12 hours prior to the test.
3. Homocysteine. High levels of this are more dangerous than elevated cholesterol. It is often due to poor methylation which can be kept under control quite easily whilst you are young by the B vitamins. However, as you age the B vitamins are not so effective and you need a much more potent methylator such as SAMe (which is the best) or Tri Methyl Glycine. Homocysteine is also easily measured and should be done at the same time as the Cholesterol and Triglycerides. (Note: if you click here you can get more information about methylation and inflammation.)
4. Inflammation. This can be measured by testing your blood levels of C-Reactive Protein. Many forward thinking Doctors believe that inflammation is a much greater risk than elevated cholesterol…and indeed the evidence is there to support this contention.
In summary, I would not focus on your cholesterol levels as it is unlikely that this is what caused your Dad’s heart failure. Rather I would focus on ALL the main causes of poor heart health. If you do this I very much doubt that you will ever have a heart ‘event’ provided you combine this focus with a good diet and reasonable exercise.
Interestingly, if you focus on all the causes of poor heart health you not only do good things for your health but also for the rest of your body as all organs are interdependent. Additionally you help your brain and your general sense of wellbeing. For example, in the process of using SAMe to improve methylation you also help active serotonin which may otherwise be inactive. This in turn makes you feel better.
So, what it the answer? It is easy! Take a full daily dose of Total Balance Women’s Premium plus 2 soft gels of Omega 3 DHA. Total Balance addresses all the above issues. It even has natural cholesterol lowering bio-active nutrients as well.
Spend some time reading about the Total Balance Premium and click on the various links on the comparison tables and you will get a better understanding why this will help provide a sound foundation for good heart health for the rest of your days. You will also see how it will help with the general causes of aging such as free radicals, glycation and also DNA degeneration.
I have no doubt that if you follow such a protocol that the likelihood of having any heart issues in the coming decades will indeed be slight.
Reader Comments (11)
Hi Warren,
Here is a question I haven't seen anyone post yet but I'm sure they may like to know. I will be beginning a workout program for my upcoming law enforcement test. When I go to the gym I always see the guys that look like tanks! Some of the guys in the gym say they are on steroids. Now I know TB is no steroid, but I was wondering what benefits I would see from working out and being on TB? Will it help with recovery and such?
Thanks,
Alex
September 11, 2008 | Alex M
Hi Alex,
You certainly want to avoid the steroids. Some of these guys will regret it later on when they start paying the price which includes a negative impact on their love life.
When you start working out you dramatically increase the activity of free radicals in your body due to the extra intake of oxygen. This will largely be counteracted by the anti-oxidants in Total Balance. Additionally you put higher demands on all your organs and systems which requires additional nutrient intake.
The extra protein that many body builders take is only part of the equation. Your body needs other nutrients as well. Unless you are taking something like Total Balance your organs will rob nutrients from different parts of your body to enable them to continue to function properly.
I have been doing body building in a modest way for 45 years. Interestingly, my recovery time from a heavy work out is better now that it was 20 years ago. Although I cannot prove it I can only put it down to my daily supplement regime which was non existant 20 years ago.
September 11, 2008 | Warren Matthews
Dr Barry Sears is the autority in fish oil and fatty acid reaserch
September 11, 2008 | Aaron
Dr Sears has certainly done a lot of good valuable work in the area of fish oil. Unfortunately because of the way he markets his fish oil his product doesn't provide great value for money.
September 11, 2008 | Warren Matthews
What are your thoughts on Andrew lessman vitamins? They are supposed to be gentle on the stomach because it is in powder form inside a capsule.
September 11, 2008 | amy
Hi Amy,
All capsules unless they are liquid soft gels contain powders. The impact that the powders have on the stomach depend on what they contain. For example, Vitamin C as ascorbic acid is harder on the stomach as opposed to calcium ascorbate.
Unless the capsule is enteric coated the powders all get released in the stomach.
I have not studied these products in depth but at first glance they seem to be like many other heavily promoted products...over priced and very basic.
If you would like me to do a comparision on one of them please select one and let me know and I will arrange it. Thanks
September 12, 2008 | Warren Matthews
Thanks warren, i'm curious about their "Life Rx Multivitamin - Complete for Women by ProCaps Laboratories"
THe vitamins are advertised to be no acidic, and gentle and can be absorbed by the body easily. Instead, capsules are said to be hard to digest/disolve and doesn't fully get obsorbed. Does the TB capsules get digested easily? And what ingredients are used to bind them together? Thanks!
September 12, 2008 | amy
im been taking kadio clens and and total balance went to the hospital for my blood pressure and told the doctorim taking kardio clen he told me to stop because it might effcet my kidney should i stop it or not?
September 28, 2008 | youcef
Hi Youcef,
I have no idea how your Doctor has come up with that idea. I would suggest you ask him to explain why he thinks that. I think that he is 'shooting from the hip' without doing any research.
The problem with many Doctors is that they have had no training in the area of natural remedies. If he thinks there is some validation for his comments I would like to here them because we certainly have not seen any evidence to support his assertions.
All ingredients we use have a long and proven safety profile.
September 28, 2008 | Warren Matthews
Sorry Amy, for some reason I didn't see your last comment until now.
I had a look at the product you referred to and it says the following:
"As a comprehensive multi-vitamin-mineral supplement, consume the contents of one packet (7 capsules) with food - preferably a complete meal. Because this product is non-acidic and pH balanced, you can feel comfortable taking all seven capsules at one time with a meal. For more sensitive stomachs, simply divide the contents of one packet for consumption with food or meals throughout the day."
Honestly, the pH balance stuff is really quite a lot of nonsense. They contradict themselves by saying that if you have a sensitive stomach that you should divide the contents and have it throughout the day.
We don't use capsules for Total Balance as they are in tablet form and are only released in the upper instestine. Every batch is tested for disintegration using protocols set out in the British Pharmacopeia which is tougher than the US Pharmacopeia.
We list all the excipients in the ingredient pages. They are inert and well proven for both efficacy of disintegration and safety.
September 28, 2008 | Warren Matthews
This is a very informative and interesting post. There are many people who are dying because of heart attack and high blood pressure. Some doctors just give them medicines to "cure" their present condition, but in reality it doesn't. I think that it is better to guide their patients to have a healthy life.
July 20, 2009 | Dentists Fort Worth