Busting the Low-Cholesterol Diet Myth

A very interesting article about the misconceptions we have on cholesterol.  Take a look at Dr. John Briffa's article:

When I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, at the age of 9, one of the first dietary changes our family doctor recommended was to avoid eggs at all costs...

The truth is, thanks to misinformed (plain wrong!) advice like that, many people believe that eggs are bad for them because they contain high amounts of cholesterol. Consequently, millions of people are avoiding cholesterol- rich foods, like eggs, under the illusion that they’re ‘protecting’ their heart health.

Let’s face it, when we hear the word cholesterol we immediately think of clogged arteries, heart attacks, stroke etc... We rarely think of it in relation to good health and who can blame us, since the mainstream has left no stone unturned in their mission to make cholesterol arch villain number one!

Cholesterol is good for you!

Consider some of the following cholesterol-related facts — that you certainly won’t hear about from your doctor — and chances are you’ll change the way you view this essential building block...

To start with, cholesterol is absolutely vital for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy birth because it’s an essential component in cell membrane formation. It also plays a key role in the healing of wounds. These are just two of its many beneficial functions... and its virtues don’t end there!

In fact, the genetic disorder Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS) prevents sufferers from synthesizing enough cholesterol in their bodies. As a result, sufferers show symptoms like growth retardation, cleft palates, and deformities of limbs, mental problems like autism and depression, as well as major digestive disorders.

Guess how doctors typically treated SLOS before the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a cholesterol supplement?

With egg yolks — a rich source of cholesterol, which resulted in enhanced growth and brain development in many patients...

And let’s not forget that eggs are a highly nutritious food — packed full of vitamins and minerals. For example, they contain vitamins B12 and B6 and folic acid that help lower homocysteine levels — this is important as high levels are associated with heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s.

As if all this wasn’t reason enough for including more eggs in your diet, they also contain zinc which is essential for supporting your immune system; carotenes which offer vital protection against age related macular degeneration; sulphur which possesses anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant protection; and magnesium which helps fight everything from high blood pressure, migraines and atherogenesis (fatty deposits on arterial walls). Add to this mix vitamins A, D, E and K, iron, riboflavin, niacin, potassium and lipoproteins, and it’s not difficult to figure out why eggs are such a nutritious and healthy food.

At The Cholesterol Truth, our dedicated blog to exposing the REAL truth about cholesterol, we’ve already been dispelling many of the misconceptions people have about cholesterol and heart health. This week our contributing editor, Dr. John Briffa, questions the mainstream advice to follow a diet low in cholesterol... In fact, research shows that even for those with established cardiovascular disease... taking dietary steps to reduce cholesterol did nothing to reduce mortality rates or improve overall health.

more from here http://www.thehealthierlife.co.uk/natural-health-articles/heart-disease/low-cholesterol-diet-heart-disease-risk-67890.html

ANALYSIS-AstraZeneca faces testing year in cholesterol wars

For those taking Crestor as their maintenance medicine, take a look at this article:


ASTRAZENECA/CRESTOR (ANALYSIS)
* Pfizer's Lipitor patent loss spells new era of competition

* Astra hopes new guidelines, key trial will help fight-back

* Uncertainty over Brilinta adds to pressure on Crestor

* Crestor sales critical as other AstraZeneca drugs decline

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The patent expires later this year on the world's biggest selling drug, Lipitor, and it is causing a headache not just for maker Pfizer but also for arch-rival AstraZeneca.

Billions of dollars in sales of AstraZeneca's Crestor, a competing cholesterol medicine, could be at risk from Lipitor's demise.

Cheap copies of Lipitor, a $12 billion-a-year seller, are expected to hit the key U.S. market at the end of November and this year or next in Europe. So competition in an already tough market is about to ramp up massively.

AstraZeneca has a couple of rolls of the dice to make Crestor stand out from the crowd. But there is little room for error and any slip could increase pressure on the group to buy future sales growth through acquisitions, according to analysts.

With patents on other drugs expiring and the group facing setbacks with a number of new products, including delayed U.S. approval of key heart drug Brilinta, AstraZeneca needs Crestor to keep growing strongly if it is to achieve its goal of $28-34 billion in annual group sales between 2010 and 2014.

The group is awaiting the next move from U.S. regulators over Brilinta..

For now, all eyes will be on any revisions to the overall sales target with full-year results on Jan. 27, as well as signs that share buybacks will continue to flow in 2011, helped by the expected divestment of devices and dental implants unit Astra Tech.

$5 BILLION OR $9 BILLION?

For the moment, consensus forecasts from analysts suggest AstraZeneca will generate sales of $7.4 billion from the medicine in 2014, up from an expected $5.6 billion last year.

But there is a big gulf between bulls and bears, with forecasts ranging from a high of nearly $9 billion to a low of just under $5 billion, according to Thomson Reuters estimates.

"There are two significant risks to Crestor this year. The first is that we will probably have the appeal hearing on the Crestor patent decision, which I think everyone has forgotten about, and we will also have the results of the head-to-head study against Lipitor," said Jefferies analyst Jeff Holford.

AstraZeneca dodged a bullet last year when the U.S. patent on Crestor was upheld, ensuring exclusivity to 2016, but an appeal is likely to take place in the second half of 2011.

The company's head-to-head clinical study, which is expected to yield results just before Lipitor loses its U.S. patent, is a clear gamble for AstraZeneca -- but one it thinks it can win.

Past studies suggest high doses of Crestor are slightly better than high doses of Lipitor at reducing "bad" LDL cholesterol and far better at raising "good" HDL. Yet whether that translates into fewer clogged arteries remains to be seen.

Tim Anderson of Sanford Bernstein puts the odds in favour of a positive result for Crestor at 65 percent -- which would put blue sky between it and Lipitor -- but he thinks the downside risk outweighs the upside given already high expectations.

A negative result could hit Crestor in the same way that another negative trial undermined Merck & Co's cholesterol drug Vytorin, he said in a recent research note.

More from here: http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/ANALYSIS-AstraZeneca-faces-testing-year-in-cholesterol-wars-2011-01-21T104225Z

Dr. Michael Richman Featured in the Associated Press as Leader in Cholesterol Management and Advanced Lipoprotein Testing

Take a look at this news article on this study on cholesterol management.  Read on:

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael F. Richman M.D., F.A.C.S., founder of The Center for Cholesterol Management in Los Angeles, has been featured in the Associated Press (AP) for his groundbreaking approach to reversing the alarming increase in chronic diseases.
"It's a privilege to be recognized by mainstream media for the fight against  heart disease. One in two people die from heart disease every year, so it's critical that we all take notice," said Dr. Michael Richman, a cardiothoracic surgeon and leading expert on cholesterol management and advanced lipoprotein testing.
The recent Associated Press coverage of Dr. Richman, who is also the national heart health examiner for the Examiner.com and is the cholesterol expert for WebMD, is part of growing media attention of his practice, as evidenced by features on The Dennis Prager Show, Daily Buzz, KYMA, WFLA, WZTV and Southern California Life.
Dr. Richman's work is credited as standing above all other cardiovascular centers, as he performs the most comprehensive cardiovascular screening available in the United States. The recent Associated Press coverage detailed his approach of not only testing cholesterol levels the traditional way but also using NMR based advanced lipoprotein testing to identify everyone at risk.
"The results are clear – we're saving lives," said Dr. Richman. "By testing lipoproteins in this fashion we are alerting those who would otherwise be under the impression that they were healthy."
To do this, Dr. Richman uses the most comprehensive diagnostic testing performed by Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. (HDL Inc.) to detect risk factors predisposing patients to cardiovascular disease earlier than ever before possible. His recent string of national coverage is representative of the growing movement to individualize the appropriate therapy for patients before it is too late.

Read more from here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-michael-richman-featured-in-the-associated-press-as-leader-in-cholesterol-management-and-advanced-lipoprotein-testing-114450444.html

Doctor's New Release Debunks Prevailing Theories of Cholesterol’s Role in Heart Disease

Read this controversial article regarding cholesterol fighting medication and heart disease.  Read on:

Santa Ana, CA, January 25, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Millions of adults across the country take cholesterol-lowering medication, prescribed to help them fight the “silent killer” of cholesterol. The author says the drugs, one of the most profitable medications in the history of U.S. medication, will not protect them from the ravages of heart disease. In fact, his book systematically refutes prevailing theories – which have dominated mainstream medical thought for the last 40 years – that link diet and blood cholesterol levels to coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

The Cholesterol Delusion, published byDog Ear Publishing, traces the development of the Cholesterol Theory, Lipid Hypothesis and Diet-Heart Theory, pointing out where they are based on “faulty evidence and unscientific reasoning,” the author writes. The book goes even further, attacking the foundation of the “risk factor” paradigm that has dominated cardiovascular research as well as other medical research for decades. A glossary, appendices on how to read medical journal reports, and actual reports on a lipid research clinics trial and a heart study prove to be helpful tools in comprehending this complicated issue. This book, written for intelligent laymen, will open the eyes of anyone who has been told he has elevated levels of cholesterol that must be medically controlled.

Dr. Ernest Curtis earned his medical degree from the University of California – Irvine. He finished residencies in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology before entering private practice in Long Beach, Calif., where he’s been a doctor for more than 30 years.

See more: http://www.pr.com/press-release/292879

Mushrooms proven to boost immunity and fight disease

Another food that can help us lower our cholesterol.  Read this article:


Medically effective mushrooms are known as some of the most potent immune boosters and disease fighters. They act by increasing immune activity and immune cell numbers in the defence against viral infection and cancer. They have also shown cardiovascular protective effects, helping heart patients to avoid a recurrence or worsening of their disease. With their vitamins and minerals, they have additional effects on diabetes type II, and show anti-inflammatory properties.


In the mountain region of Ideate near Sao Paulo, Brazil, a regular part of the local inhabitants' diet was a mushroom known as "Cogmelo de Deus" or "Mushroom of God." Researchers noted that the locals were extraordinarily healthy, which they attributed to the consumption of this mushroom. The scientific name of the mushroom is Agaricus blazei Murrill, more commonly called the ABM mushroom. So potent is this mushroom, that one well-known rainforest herbal manufacturer uses it as the main ingredient in herbal supplements that have been credited with success against cancer and other diseases around the world.

Another potent mushroom is Coriolus versicolor. This mushroom is effective for acute leukemia along with stomach, esophageal, colorectal and lung cancers.

Shiitake mushrooms lower cholesterol and improve immune system function, and are beneficial in preventing high blood pressure and heart disease, controlling cholesterol levels, building resistance against viruses and fighting diseases such as Aids/HIV and cancers. Shiitake mushrooms are often available fresh and are very flavourful when used in cooking. If you cannot find them fresh, they are also available as a supplement.

Maiitake mushrooms are high in the polysaccharide compound beta-1.6-glucan, which naturally stimulates the immune system and lowers blood pressure. Maiitake is beneficial for obesity and diabetic patients, and may be best known for its cancer-fighting abilities.

The reishi mushroom can increase the production of peptides, called interleukins, which have direct effects on the inhibition of tumour growth. Reishi can have a number of other positive effects on the body such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral and cardiotonic.


Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi and some of its members including Cordyceps mycelium are commonly used in herbal medicine. The popular species in commercial products is Cordyceps sinensis, and Cordyceps militaris, which is a traditional herbal ingredient frequently used for tonic and medicinal purposes in east Asia. Cordyceps sinensis (dong chong xia cao) has been suggested to possess anti-tumour, immunostimulant and antioxidant activities.

Cordyceps promotes liver health, and has anti-diabetic effects. Researchers from the University of Macau, China, isolated a polysaccharide of molecular weight approximately 210kDa from cultured Cordyceps . This isolated polysaccharide, CSP-1, has a strong antioxidant activity and a hypoglycemic effect. Korean researchers reported cytotoxic effects on leukemia cells. Hong Kong researchers demonstrated that an ethanol extract of cultivated mycelium of a Cordyceps sinensis fungal mycelium has strong anti-tumour activity on breast cancer. Cordyceps help the body defend against infections and inflammation and modulate immunity.

Researchers from Taiwan noticed the stimulating effects of Cordyceps sinensis extracts on the secretion of testosterone; this effect is dose- and time-dependent . Extracts of the fruiting bodies of cultured Cordyceps sinensis have been shown to exert beneficial effects on the formation of the atherosclerotic lesion induced by oxidative stress with few side effects.

All mushrooms are available as supplements, as the amount necessary for consumption for health benefits would exceed the intestinal capacity. No major mushroom side effects have been mentioned in medical literature. The dosage of the mushrooms internationally as a supplement is recommended between 400- 600mg/day.

More from here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/218026/mushrooms-proven-to-boost-immunity-and-fight-disease