Cholesterol is only bad when you have too much
In my last article I explained how bad cholesterol (LDL) can damage your cardiovascular system and kill you. However, it is important to understand that even bad cholesterol is not of itself bad. It is only bad when there is too much of it and, in particular, when it is in the body in a quantity disproportionate to the good (HDL) cholesterol. As Professor John P. Cooke says, “Cholesterol itself is not bad. In fact, it is essential for life. Cholesterol is a building block for all cell membranes. It is also the precursor for sex hormones and other steroids that our bodies manufacture. It is only when cholesterol becomes oxidized that trouble begins.” (“The Cardiovascular Cure”, page 38).
What can ADNO do to prevent Oxidation?
ADNO (Arginine Derived Nitric Oxide) has been shown to be as effective as vitamin E at preventing oxidation , but at a much lower dose (Hogg et al., “Inhibition of Macrophage-Dependent Low Density”, Journal of Lipid Research, 36 (1993), 1756 – 1762). There is, of course, a risk of overdose with vitamin E, because it is fat soluble, but there are no such risks associated with ADNO. Further research has shown that ADNO supplementation reduces the tendency for immune system cells to stick to the walls of the arteries, even if you have high levels of bad cholesterol and harmful free radicals (Cooke et al., Antiatherogenic Effects of L-Arginine in the Hyperholesterolemic Rabbit, “ Journal of Clinical Investigation, 90 (1992), 1168-1172).
Even if you have left it too late for prevention, the Professor Cooke in his book (Ibid, page 22) opines, “NO melts away or shrinks plaque that is already there. Using animal models, we also found that L-arginine could get rid of, or shrink, plaque that had already built up in the vessels. L-arginine actually had the ability to melt away plaque. This occurred when the L-arginine was taken up in the vessels that had been damaged by plaque. The cells in the damaged vessel were able to use the L-arginine to produce more NO.”
Dangers of Too Low level of Cholesterol
Many people benefit for reduction of bad cholesterol, whether by diet, exercise, supplementation or drugs. However, a dangerous misconception is at risk of becoming generally accepted, which is that the lower our cholesterol the better. In my web-page ADNO I refer to research showing that L-arginine, which naturally addresses cholesterol and free radicals, out-performs statins. I also noted some of the recognized and serious side effects of statins. A new wave of statins, such as PCSK9 inhibitors is now being released. These are even more likely radically to reduce cholesterol. But it is not good for us to have radically reduced cholesterol. Low levels of cholesterol are associated with poor memory and, according to Dr Mercola, risk of:
- Violent behavior and aggression
- Depression
- Suicide
- Cancer4
- Parkinson’s disease
He refers to work by Dr. Stephanie Seneff (well worth reading), in which Dr Seneff concludes:
"Heart disease, I think, is a cholesterol deficiency problem, and in particular a cholesterol sulfate deficiency problem..."
The upshot is that excessive cholesterol is bad for the cardiovascular system, but having too low cholesterol is bad for the heart.
