Cholesterol is no longer a 'deadly food'? - 60 years of wrong dietary guidelines!

Stay away from eggs! Stay away from seafood! Stay away from red meat! In fact, stay away from any food which contain cholesterol. It will kill you and give you heart attack, remember? Oh wait, really? Isn't it considered the villain in our diet? The latest breaking news from USA dietary guidelines have now removed the warning of this 'deadly substance' from our diet. For the 1st time in the last 60 years or so, dietary cholesterol is no longer a bad nor deadly substance. I know how this sound, and almost everyone is confused! Is it bad? Or is it harmless? Or is it a vital nutrient for our body? Many years ago, our great grand parents used to consume tons of saturated fats and cholesterol in their diet for generations. Then approximately 60 years ago, major shift in dietary guidelines made us all think that cholesterol is bad and evil. And now it's considered harmless? That sounds like "We were damn wrong for more then 60 years!".

For years people have been led to believe that cholesterol is some kind of evil substance that somehow gets into the blood stream where it doesn't belong. Since everyone is being taught to fear cholesterol, we ought to know something about it. Today's post will therefore describe what it is, what it does in the body and the many factors which cause it to increase or decrease in the blood. I know for some of you readers out there, you have read my previous posts about cholesterol and heart disease, but let's say recap some of the 'in a nutshell' and fundamentals of this vital nutrient. Besides, it's a great day today with blue sky and lot's of sun! 

Now, let's talk a little bit about biology of this substance. Cholesterol, is actually a crystal of solid alcohol known as a steroid. It is absolutely essential to health and is located in every cell of the body, especially the brain. The body contains about 5 oz of cholesterol and only about 7% (one-third oz) circulates in the blood. Cholesterol is necessary in the membranes of cells where it regulates the exchange of nutrients and waste products. It is necessary in the growth and development of the brain and nervous system and acts as a conductor of nerve impulses. It is a necessary component in bile acids which promote the digestion of foods. Without cholesterol, complex fats could not be absorbed into the blood stream. And without complex fats, vitamins A, D, E and K, which are soluble only in fats, also could not be absorbed.  

Cholesterol is a necessary substance for the manufacture of adrenal, sex and pituitary hormones. And it is a necessary substance in the skin which is converted to vitamin D by sunlight and which produces a barrier in the skin, preventing water and other fluids from entering the body through the skin. By far, the major producer of cholesterol is the body itself. It is mainly manufactured in the liver and intestinal wall but it is also synthesized, when necessary, in every cell of the body except nerve tissue.

If you consume cholesterol in your diet, your body reduces its manufacture, if you don't consume dietary cholesterol, your body increases its manufacture. In other words, one's blood cholesterol level remains almost constant, whether one eats a little or a lot of dietary cholesterol. Bear in mind, your body will know how much of cholesterol to produce by the liver or gut, and day to day total cholesterol serum varies from time to time. As I mentioned earlier, doesn't matter if you eat 6 whole eggs a day, or lots of seafood, your body knows how much it need for cellular repair, brain functions, production of sex and stress hormones, conversion of Vitamin D, and other important bodily functions. Well, if you are concern about mood and sex, ensure you are you eating your fats and cholesterol regularly. And yes, drop the refined carbs and sugars.

Cholesterol and fat travel together in tiny little "taxis" composed of protein. Since cholesterol and fat are two types of "lipids," the little "taxis" are called lipoproteins. There are five kinds of lipoproteins. When a sample of blood is drawn and the cholesterol content of all lipoproteins is measured, the value is known as total cholesterol. It is this total cholesterol that the public has heard about over the years. However, in recent years, the media have been emphasizing two specific lipoproteins, namely, "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, HDL) and "bad" cholesterol (lowdensity lipoprotein, LDL). But "good" and "bad" are improper descriptors because all cholesterol is exactly the same. There is no such thing as good or bad cholesterol. 

When a person consumes food, the liver secretes bile acids into the intestine. These bile acids have heavy concentrations of cholesterol. About 50% of this cholesterol combines with ingested fats and the two are absorbed into the intestinal wall where they are loaded onto the largest of all lipoprotein particles. This lipoprotein delivers the fat to cells of the body and then heads for the liver where it is dismantled and its cholesterol is deposited. In the meantime, the remaining 50% of the bile acid cholesterol travels through the intestine and is excreted in the feces. Therefore, the body loses cholesterol several times a day through the digestive process. 

When a person consumes food containing cholesterol, that cholesterol's fate is identical to the cholesterol in the bile acids. Some of it enters the blood as a lipoprotein and the rest is excreted in the feces. Because cholesterol is used by all cells of the body and also is continuously lost in the feces, the body continuously manufactures it. Whether or not a person consumes cholesterol, the liver manufactures it, loads it and also some fats onto an LDL particle and sends the latter into the blood stream. When muscle or fat cells are in need of cholesterol, those cells completely absorb the LDL particles. When cells are not in need of cholesterol, the LDL particles return to the liver where they are dismantled. The above process occurs no matter what kind of food is consumed.

And now, check out what Steve Nissen said in USAToday. 

Steve Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, told USA Today:5 “It’s the right decision. We got the dietary guidelines wrong. They’ve been wrong for decades.” This message was echoed in Time Magazine, which recently reported that:

“[I]n the latest review6 of studies that investigated the link between dietary fat and causes of death, researchers say the guidelines got it all wrong. In fact, recommendations to reduce the amount of fat we eat every day should never have been made.”

Low-fat diets saw a real upswing in 1977, but according to research published in the Open Heart journal,7 led by Zoe Harcombe, PhD, there was no scientific basis for the recommendations to cut fat from our diet in the first place.

What’s worse, the processed food industry replaced fat with large amounts of sugar, While Dr. Harcombe shies away from making any recommendation about how much dietary fat might be ideal, she suggests that the take-home message here is to simply “eat real food.”

I have to say, it’s refreshing to finally see that message being repeated in the mainstream media. As reported by Time Magazine:8

“The less adulterated and processed your diet is, the more nutrients and healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates your body will get, and the less you’ll have to worry about meeting specific guidelines or advice that may or may not be based on a solid body of evidence.”

         abstract article : mercola.com

On 28th February 2015, marked an important day in the history of diet and health. The premier of Statin Nation II, to be screened in Central London, kudos to Justin Smith and his team for successfully completing this movie. There will surely be loads of truth bombs in this documentary. Be sure to watch part 1 prior to this new release, and I'm very happy as a fitness coach and health mentor, to celebrate the recent news about removal of cholesterol from dietary guidelines and released of Statin Nation II. 

 EMBRACE CHOLESTEROL, IT IS OUR FRIEND, NOT FOE 

References:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/10/new-dietary-cholesterol-advice/23174871/

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-BINDER/meeting7/docs/DGAC-Meeting-7-SC-1.pdf

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015.asp#overview

http://time.com/3702058/dietary-guidelines-fat-wrong/#3702058/dietary-guidelines-fat-wrong/

http://www.statinnation.net/statin-nation-ii/

Journals:

Seelig, R.A. Cholesterol, a brief review, Part I. United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable

Association Monthly Supply Letter, Washington, D.C., February 1977, 7

Miller, R.W. On being too rich, too thin, too cholesterol laden. FDA Consumer,

July/August 1981,1

Brown,M.&Goldstein,J.L. Lowering pi asm a cholesterol by raising LDL receptors.

New England journal of Medicine, 1981, 305,515

People with normal LDL receptor genes can acquire defect similar

to familial hypercholesterolemia. Internal Medicine News, 1987, January 15, 38

Glomset,J.A. Cholesterol metabolism. In The Heart Arteries and Veins. (Hurst, J. W.,

Ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1982,951

Peters, W.L. &Goroll, A.H. Theevaluation and treatment of hypercholesterolemia

in primary care practice. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 1986,1,183

Pinckney, C. & Pinckney, E.R. The Encyclopedia of Medical Tests. New York:

Facts on File, Inc.* 1982, 53

Vitale,J.J.&Ross, R.N. Critique of NIH report on lipid research. Consultant, March

15,1985,141

Maintaining fitness of a lifetime, and better health - Overtraining & Adrenal Fatigue (Part 10)

When we hit the gym or doing any form of exercise (workout), cortisol is not a common term being described by most people, including fitness professionals. But we have all heard about burning calories, losing weight, building muscles and getting fit. Doesn't matter which commercial gym you visit or join, big or small, it's primarily about weight loss or getting into a better shape, sort of. More then half of the so called personal trainers in these gyms don't even know what they are talking, let alone being examples of a taxed out adrenals with intoxicated gut and perhaps poor posture alignment too. Do you recall your trainer doing bench press and sit ups day in day out as if his life depends on it? Or those trainers who always advocate you to drink as much protein powders and train as often as you can? How many fitness professionals ever listen to their own bodies? The truth, extremely rare. Reason? Bulk up, six pack abs and bigger biceps and arms.

With more gyms opened from time to time, more fitness professionals and trainers are certified or born. We have so many more people wants to be fitness professionals  or personal trainers, but how many are actually into really helping their clients and not money driven, and 'walk the talk' type of role model? I have met personally tons of personal trainers who live on toxic commercial protein powders, energy bars, wheat and grains and processed foods. A walking toxic time bomb who advocates his or her clients to eat and live healthy and exercise more? 

The fitness industry is blooming, but is it focus more on profit or primarily helping clients to build health, restore better posture and losing fat and maintaining optimal fitness level in a long term sustainable way? With each gym opened, more people are getting fatter and sicker, the statistics should reflect otherwise. 

If only losing body fat and achieving good health is as simple as burning more calories then consumed, or 'joining a gym membership', my workplace and shopping malls would not have swamped with obese and seriously overweight, diseased homo sapiens. I recalled a recent banner advertised by a popular slimming centre in my place of stay, it says "Get a free trial kit of anti-obesity". That sums up the health and fitness industry which is evolving globally. 

In today's post, I will lay out the so called 'villain' cortisol stress hormone, how it can alter the stress pathway and response, and how it can directly impact your energy levels, brain functions and fitness level too. A certain amount of elevated cortisol and adrenaline enhances the memory and retention of emotionally charged material. However, the adverse effect of too much cortisol, though, is dramatic, particularly in the hippocampus, which is the part of our brain most susceptible to degeneration in the presence of excess cortisol. Other areas of the brain that are especially vulnerable to the ravages of cortisol tsunamis include the amygdala, plus the frontal lobes of the brain. The amygdala is especially affected by stress hormone release, since it's the part of your brain that records your fear response. The amygdala is also very quick to learn and very slow to unlearn. Too much stimulation of the amygdala can kindle unhealthy hypervigilance. 

Cortisol tends to have a bad reputation, but in fact, our body needs this hormone for various functions but it's important to recognize that this is all relative and that it;s all about complex interrelationships and balance. 

Chronically elevated cortisol secretion can rapidly lead to a situation of diminishing returns. In your body it leads to immune system impairment and tissue breakdown. If you are constantly driving with your pedal to the metal and running your engine too hot, doesn't it make sense that the central computer in your car might just try to adjust the idle by dialing it down? In blood chemistry tests of people with chronically elevated cortisol, it is often seen a functionally or clinically depressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) coupled with depressed T3 and T4 thyroid hormones.

SYMPTOMS OF CHRONICALLY ELEVATED CORTISOL

• Feeling tired even after sleeping well 
• Difficulty recovering from physical activity 
• Abnormal weight loss (through catabolism) or weight gain as a result of insulin resistance 
• Fatigue after meals mainly related to insulin resistance 
• Having chronically elevated fasting glucose and/or elevated hemoglobin A1C, both possible indications of diabetes/pre-diabetes 
• Excessive nervous energy 
• Sleeping poorly and feeling not well-rested in the mornings 
• Gastrointestinal symptoms related to impaired digestion 
• Adverse thyroid effects, such as depressed T3 together with possibly low TSH and/or low T4. One might also find elevated thyroid-binding globulin in cases of secondary low thyroid function. Both of these types of findings are commonly associated with chronic stress. 
• Experiencing neurodegenerative changes, such as chronic difficulty learning or remembering things 

Now, imagine, if you are constantly feeling tired throughout the day, and hitting the gym after work for some kind long cardio routine or perhaps RPM class, it is just a perfect recipe for shooting your adrenals and suppressing your immune system. With night time of elevated cortisol, your sympathetic nervous system is always switched on, and there is no way your para-sympathetic nervous system could calm down and enable your mind and body for deep REM sleep and proper repair and recovery.

Most people thought that a sudden weight loss after joining the gym or started an exercise program is a good thing. But, there are many cases where weight loss of individuals are due to catabolism, meaning, loss of muscle mass. That's of course is bad news, as your muscles are metabolic tissues, which in a way, determine the state or efficiency of your body's metabolism.

Excess cortisol effectively increases your blood sugar levels, too, even if you are eating a low-carbohydrate diet. It also decreases protein synthesis and increases protein breakdown, which can lead to muscle wasting. Remember, your heart is also a muscle, and muscle loss due to excess cortisol may be one reason why marathon runners are notorious for dropping dead due to heart failure.

Excess cortisol also invariably leads to neurodegenerative changes in the brain. You may notice you seem to be prone to tip-of-the-tongue syndrome, that is, "Now, what was I going to say?" Or you are constantly losing your car keys or you can never find what you did with your cell phone. Or you find yourself forgetting the name of someone you have known for years. This might seem a little bit funny or inconvenient, but if you don't catch these changes early, they may not be reversible. It is no laughing matter.

And, finally, excess cortisol suppresses immune function, interfering with healing and regeneration. It causes lymphatic tissue to shrink, subsequently diminishing lymphocyte numbers and function, and depresses production of the immunoglobulin SIgA, which is the first line of immune defense in your gut and lung tissue. 

Now, I would like to bring up the condition called Cushing's Disease. For some people, they may have heard before, especially a member in their family or friends is a sufferer or patient of this health condition. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), Cushing's disease is a condition in which the pituitary gland releases too much adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Although Cushing's disease is a pituitary disorder and not a primary adrenal disorder, it is one more way that one may experience significantly elevated cortisol levels in a manner that may require medical intervention. Cushing's disease is caused either by a tumor or other growth that enlarges the pituitary gland, leading to an excess of ACTH. Since ACTH stimulates cortisol production and release, the disease tends to cause pathologically excessive cortisol levels.

The NLM website lists many symptoms associated with Cushing's disease, including:

• Upper body obesity (above the waist) and thin arms and legs 
• Round, red, full face (moon face) 
• Slow growth rate in children 
• Mental changes, such as depression, anxiety, or changes in behavior 
• Fatigue 
• Headache 
• Increased thirst and urination 

Skin changes often seen include:

• Acne 
• Infections 
• Purple marks (1/2 inch or more wide), called striae, on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts 
• Thin skin that bruises easily 

Muscle and bone changes may include:

• Backache with routine activities 
• Bone pain or tenderness 
• Fat accumulation between the shoulders (buffalo hump) 
• Thinning of the bones, leading to rib and spine fractures 
• Weak muscles 

Women often have:

• Little or no sexual desire 
• Excess hair growth on the face, neck, chest, abdomen, and thighs 
• Menstrual cycle that becomes irregular or stops 

Men may have:

• Little or no sexual desire 
• Impotence 

Treating Cushing's disease typically involves surgery to remove the tumor if possible, which often results in a return to normal pituitary function. (However, it is possible for the tumor to grow back.) Some temporary hormone replacement therapy may be involved to aid recovery following surgery. I mention Cushing's disease here, since it can certainly impact the adrenals and cause pathologically high levels of cortisol production. If the above symptoms relate to you in any way, consult a qualified and knowledgeable licensed health care provider about ruling out Cushing's disease. 

Meanwhile, below are some of the tips for tackling high level of cortisol production. 

WHAT TO DO FOR SOARING CORTISOL?

The first step is one that you can't ignore, get your life stressors under control! Along with this are some other ways to help bring your cortisol levels back down to earth:

• Make stress management a top priority. 
• Follow an exercise plan that allows for high intensity and short duration. 
• Consider B vitamin supplements, such as vitamin B5 to help down regulate excessive cortisol secretion. 
• Take extra fish/krill oil, plus extra DHA to help modulate cortisol secretion. 
• Be sure you are getting enough magnesium. It's absolutely essential for effective physiological stress management. How much you need depends on your symptoms and your level of stress. 
• Incorporate drinking Tulsi herb daily/nightly

Maintaining fitness of a lifetime, and better health - Overtraining & Adrenal Fatigue (Part 9)

In today's post, we will discuss about the 'third eye'. The term 'third eye' was named historically and yes, it plays an important role in achieving and maintaining fitness, long term. This may be due to the fact that the pineal gland is a source of  DMT, which is commonly associated with visionary or mystical experiences. Also perhaps relevant is that the cells of the pineal gland, called pinealocytes, have characteristics that are strikingly similar to photoreceptor cells in the human retina. As some of you might have known here is more than one way to disturb your circadian rhythm, and one of the most common and least recognized is calcification of the pineal gland, the brain structure that produces melatonin. Fluoride is a major culprit. Remember what's in your toothpaste and tap water? 

The pineal gland is a pea-sized, pine-cone-shaped gland located deep within the brain where the two brain hemispheres join. Unlike the rest of the brain, though, it is not protected by the blood-brain barrier, which makes it especially vulnerable to dietary fluoride exposure. More than a decade ago, a researcher at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom found that fluoride deposits in the pineal gland accumulate with age and are associated with gland calcification. The author of the study, Jennifer Luke, wrote "There was a positive correlation between pineal fluoride and pineal calcium, but no correlation between pineal fluoride and bone fluoride". By old age, the pineal gland has readily accumulated fluoride and its fluoride-to-calcium ratio is higher than bone. This is one scary finding.

In the study, it was suggested by the author that the pineal calcification could be an indicator of decreased melatonin production and could become an indicator for circadian rhythm vulnerability and useful for assessing the need for melatonin replacement therapy. In fact, Luke and her co-authors thought that the degree of pineal calcification could be a better indicator of melatonin deficiency than measuring the amount of melatonin circulating in the blood. Furthermore, she said, the decrease of melatonin production, might lead to a disturbed circadian rhythmicity in the sleep-wake cycle, with the principal symptom being daytime tiredness. Other researchers have found evidence that fluoride-induced pineal calcification is a risk factor for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, insomnia, and melatonin circadian dysregulation.

It is important to be sure you are getting your vitamin D along with a relative balance of other critical cofactors, such as vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin K2. This can help balance vitamin D and its effects in the body and help avoid problematic nutrient imbalances. With all the hot press and hype concerning the near-miraculous benefits of vitamin D, an all-too-commonly overlooked fact is that no nutrient functions in a vacuum away from the need for other nutrients. Too much of one nutrient can create serious imbalance with others, and this may cause very real problems. bear in mind, there are two receptors of Vitamin A for every one Vitamin D receptor in a cell. Liver is the best source for this critical fat-soluble nutrient, but supplementing with superfoods such as fermented cod liver oil can do the job, too. Well, although I won't mention any specific brand and I will let you do your own homework.

Magnesium deficiency can additionally and very commonly lead to undesirable calcium imbalances. We are all far more likely to be deficient in magnesium than in calcium, and restoring healthy magnesium levels is critical for managing appropriate calcification of things in your body that are meant to be calcified and minimizing the calcification of things that were not meant to be calcified. As I've mentioned how critical this mineral is in previous post, it is needed for more then 300 different bio-chemical functions in the body. 

Vitamin K2 regulates calcification. Deficiencies in vitamin K2 (all too common nowadays due to the fact that most people fail to eat enough organ meats) can readily lead to calcification of soft tissues and inadequate calcium in the places where it most belongs in your bones and teeth! In fact, poor vitamin K2 levels can additionally make you prone to poor bone health and dental caries, as well as harden your arteries and calcify your heart muscle. Add these dietary fat-soluble nutrient imbalances to fluoride exposure, and you find your pineal gland over time in a delightful calcium-rich crust. It's real bad news, and most of the time, conventional doctors may end up misdiagnosed this specific condition.

SO HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT REVERSING OR AVOIDING PINEAL CALCIFICATION? 

Try these:

-Avoiding all sources of fluoride (including toothpaste, tap water, packaged, bottled or canned drinks, non organic teas, etc)

-Avoiding supplements with any form of calcium 

-Maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D3, together with its critical cofactors, vitamins A (retinol) and K2  (sun is your friend, spend more time outdoor)

-Taking magnesium L-threonate, which has specificity for the brain and by maintaining healthy intracellular levels of magnesium elsewhere in the body 

-Taking vitamin K2 (natural dietary MK-4 and supplemental/dietary MK-7) and/or adding more organ meats plus 100 percent pastured raw butter (if you can find). You may also opt for Grass-Fed Organic Cultured Ghee. 

If you are having melatonin-related circadian rhythm issues, avoiding fluoride makes good sense. There are a number of health problems associated with fluoride and none realistically linked to having too little of it. No human being living and breathing anywhere suffers from any sort of fluoride deficiency, this is absurd. This is a highly controversial subject, and you may hear from your dentist telling you that it's not safe and fluoride can prevent tooth decay. Tell that to the primitive tribes who don't even use fluoridated toothpaste for hundreds of years, and they have strong perfect set of teeth, with no dental cavity or decay. I recommend buying a water filtration system that can effectively do the difficult job of removing fluoride. Also, avoid fluoride-containing toothpaste, mouthwash, and other fluoride-containing oral care products as well as canned or bottled beverages and some of the non organic teas. Keep in mind, too, that fluoride may be a common component of certain medications as well. Just one example of a fluoride-based pharmaceutical is fluoxetine (also known by the trade names Prozac, Ladose, and Fontex), among close to about two hundred others. Yes, you read it right, fluoride found in the prescbribed drugs by your doctor. 

As I will not discuss on calcium supplements and Vitamin D3 (read my previous posts), it is critical to take note that both magnesium and Vitamin K2 is extremely vital in this case. Magnesium is another essential cofactor for calcium metabolism. It is much more common to be deficient in magnesium than in calcium. One form, magnesium L-threonate, is a form that is thought to be most active in the brain. Another way to ensure it is absorbed and utilized in the body effectively is by applying magnesium oil on your skin, and oral typical magnesium supplements sold in pharmacies are waste of money. 

This is one of the most important and most frequently overlooked calcium cofactors. It is incredibly important for reversing or avoiding calcification of your soft tissues, including your heart, cardiovascular system, joints, and pineal gland. Vitamin K2, which is found in animal-source foods or synthesized from bacteria also has a key role in improving cardiovascular health by preventing or even reversing arterial or heart related calcification; boosting bone health and density in children, post-menopausal women, and others; and supporting healthy, cavity-resistant teeth, more so than the plant-based vitamin K1, which is more primarily associated with blood clotting and less with bone health.

The MK-4 form of vitamin K2, found naturally in animal sources as opposed to synthetically from vitamin supplements, tends to be easy for most people to incorporate into their diet. It is found in grass-fed organ meats and is especially rich in butter and ghee made from the milk of exclusively grass-fed cows. The MK-7 variety is bacterially derived from a fermented form of soy called natto. But for guys and also children, you may want to be careful on the consumption of soy based foods, even though it is fermented. You know what I meant.

Pineal calcification isn't the only potential source of depressed melatonin production, of course. Depressed serotonin production, either through the neuroinflammatory suppression of hypothalamic output or through the deficiency of dietary tryptophan, can also lead to depressed melatonin production in some people. In this instance, one usually would exhibit symptoms normally associated with serotonin deficiency, for example, depressed mood, worry and anxiety, negative thinking, anger or aggressiveness, shyness or fearfulness, loss of pleasure in things one used to enjoy, and cravings for carbohydrates.  Stay tuned for next post. 

Journals/References:

http://www.icnr.com/articles/fluoride-deposition.html

http://www.lef.org/magazine/2008/8/Beyond-Sleep-New-Medical-Applications-for-Melatonin/Page-01

http://www.slweb.org/luke-1997.html