Cholesterol Myth Post #4

We are now in chapter 4 of 9 of the book, "The Great Cholesterol Myth", this chapter is titled; Sugar: the Real Demon in the Diet.  For those of you who like to cut right to the chase, here is this chapter's take-home point:  Sugar is a far greater danger to your hear than fat ever was.  In fact, after a closer look at sugar and ifs effects on our body, you will understand the link between heart disease, obesity, and hypertension.   It is SUGAR, that's the culprit in the American Diet, not fat.

The Hormonal Effect of Food
Our journey starts with one simple premise: Hormones control almost every metabolic event that goes on in your body and YOU control some of the most critical hormones through your lifestyle, with food, stress, and your activity levels.  Food may be the most powerful "Drug" you ever encounter because it causes dramatic changes in your hormones.  Over the years many mainstream dietitians and doctors preached to overweight people at risk of heart disease to simply reduce calories and saturated fats.  But all calories are not created equal.  Some foods significantly boost levels of a hormone that stores fat, while other foods do not, even when the calories are the same.  Not coincidentally, that fat-storing hormone also has some serious consequences for the heart.  The name of that fat-storing hormone?  INSULIN. Among insulin's duties is to store excess sugar (glucose) in cells.  Its sister hormone, glucagon, is responsible for opening up the cells and releasing stored glucose.  Together their main job is to maintain blood sugar levels (insulin).

Both insulin and glucagon are essential to health.  Without insulin, blood sugar would sky rocket and the result would be coma and death, a diabetics nightmare.  However, without glucagon, blood sugar would plummet and the result would be brain dysfunction, coma and death.  Interestly, insulin is the only hormone responsible for preventing blood sugar from rising too high, there are several other hormones that prevent it from going too low.  You could say that insulin is so powerful that it takes five other hormones just to counter balance its effect.

To see how insulin is supposed to work in the body, lets take a look at a metabolism that hasn't been "screwed up" yet by years of bad diet and sedentary living.  A kid comes home from school and eats an apple.  His blood sugar goes up slightly, as it always does when you eat food.  The pancreas secrets a little shot of insulin and the insulin goes to work rounding up the excess sugar in the kids blood stream and escorting it over to the muscle cells.  Which is dandy because this boy is now going to go out to play, or ride a bike, or do some other physical activity for which those muscle cells require fuel.  So far, so good.  The muscle cells welcome the extra sugar, which they use for fuel.  The blood sugar levels drop back down to normal and even go down a little bit because the muscles are eating it up.  Now the boy comes in for dinner.

Lets look at what most of us adults do. We wake up late, stress hormones coursing through our bodies.  (These stress hormones are an important factor in heart disease, more on that later).  These stress hormones signal the brain to fuel up for an emergency.  You grab a Starbucks sweetened latte and a "low fat" bran muffin.  Your blood sugar takes off like a rocket.  The pancreas says "uh-oh there is sugar all over the place" and produces a bucketful of insulin to take the sugar to your muscles.  Except the muscles aren't having it. "What do we need all of this sugar for?" they ask.  This guy then sits at a desk all day for work and when he goes home, he sits on the couch.  So the muscle cells resist the effects of insulin.  Insulin now has no choice, it takes the sugar to your fat cells.  Excess sugar and high insulin levels have serious consequences, especially on the arteries, heart, and blood pressure.

Next week: The insulin - cholesterol connection!  

Cholesterol Myth Post #3

Lets review some important facts:

• Cholesterol is the parent molecule for sex hormones (Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone) as well as Vitamin D and Bile Acids needed for digestion.  
• The only time cholesterol is a problem is if its oxidized (free radical damaged)
• Damaged, oxidized cholesterol sticks to the lining of the arteries (called Endothelium), and begins the process of inflammation.  
• The cause of true heart disease is inflammation.
• Inflammation is initiated by damage from free radicals, causing oxidation of cholesterol. 
• Free radicals develop as a result of various chemicals, such as, heavy metals like Mercury, Insecticides, Radiation, Toxins in our water, air and food supply. Not to mention if you smoke, your body gets a myriad of toxic chemicals.  
• Once inflammation of the arterial wall is started, your body's response is to send various white blood cells which eventually lead to the condition of plaque (fibrous scar tissue) 
• Remember sugar; well oxidation is only one of the conditions that cause inflammation.  Next we talk about how your body deals with sugar.  

So if cholesterol isn't the cause of heart disease, what is?

The answer is: Inflammation
The first thing you need to know about inflammation is this: It comes in two flavors.
You're probably familiar with one if them, but its the one you're less familiar with that's at the core of heart disease.
Let me explain.
Almost all of us have experience with acute inflammation. It happens every time you bang your knee, get a splinter in your finger, feel your aching back, shoulder or a rash on your skin, that's acute inflammation.
The other flavor of inflammation is:  Chronic Inflammation.
Acute Inflammation hurts, Chronic Inflammation kills.
Chronic Inflammation is much like high blood pressure, it has no obvious symptoms yet it is a significant component of virtually every single degenerative condition, including Alzheimer's, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, cancer, chronic liver and kidney diseases, and most especially heart disease.  So how exactly does inflammation happen and more importantly, what can we do about it?

One of the prime initiators of inflammation is oxidation.   If you've ever seen rust on metal, that is oxidation.  You're also familiar with oxidation if you've ever left apple slices out on the counter, exposed to air.  They turn brown: that's oxidative damage.  Going back to high school chemistry, electrons travel in pairs and orbit around atoms.  Every so often one of these electrons gets "loose."  The unpaired electron is known as a "Free Radical."  Free radicals "hit" on existing, stable pairs of electrons thousands of times a day, trying to find another electron to pair/bond with and meanwhile, inflicting enormous damage upon your cells and DNA, causing oxidative damage.

The free radicals that come from oxygen are the most deadly and damaging.  But there is help! Antioxidants are a class of substances, including certain vitamins, minerals, and many plant chemicals that help neutralize free radicals, soaking them up like little sponges, thus limiting the damage they can do to your body.

Tune in next week for more exciting info!

Like Us and Learn Series #2: The Great Cholesterol Myth

The main study linking high fat diets, cholesterol levels and heart disease was done by Dr. Ancel Keys, 60 years ago.  Known as the Seven Countries Study, Dr. Keys manipulated data taken from 22 countries and chose a selected 7 counties to prove his theory and further his own career.  At the time, Dr. Keys was a member of the Nutrition Advisory Committee of the American Heart Association and he managed to get his theories officially incorporated into the 1961 american Heart Disease dietary guidelines.

The battle for the diet of the American public was fought between the beef industry and the grain industry, big money was at stake.  The Fat Cat Ranchers were portrayed as peddling unhealthy, "High Fat, Artery-Clogging Foods" while the grain farmers were seen as the "good guys" on the side of science for the well being of the American people.  High Carb, Low Fat diets became the new mantra.

Think its a coincidence that the obesity and diabetic epidemics went into overdrive around the same time that we started pushing Lo-Fat, High Carb diets as an alternative to those containing more fat and protein.  Now, people think the Atkins Diet, which is a Low Carb, High Protein diet is a new idea.

The single dietary factor that has the strongest association with coronary heart disease is NOT fat, it is SUGAR!

"Spark" Post: Final Installment

How Does Exercise Keep You Healthier
1). It strengthens the cardiovascular system.
2). It regulates fuel by controlling our insulin levels.
3). It reduces obesity. Exercise burns calories and reduces appetite
4). It controls our Cortisol levels and reduces stress.
5). It lifts your mood and boosts motivation.
6). It strengthens your immune system. Regular exercise lowers your risk of getting cancer and illnesses.
7). It strengthens your bones and fights osteoporosis. In the U.S., more women die each year from a hip fracture than breast cancer.
8). It fosters Neuroplasticity.  That is, exercise strengthens and creates new connections in the brain.

"If you are not busy living, your body will be busy dying."

The next book Dr. Myren will be reviewing is called "The Great Cholesterol Myth" by, Jonny Bowden, PH.D., C.N.S. and Stephen Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C.

"Spark" Post #13: Dementia

There are different types of dementia.  The most common form, by far, is Alzheimer's Disease.  According to a 2000 census, about 4.5 million American's have Alzheimer's and that number is expected to triple, to more than 13.2 million as baby boomers enter old age.
The next most common form is Parkinson's Disease.  This disease effects the area of the brain that controls smooth muscle movement of the body, thus the classic tremors of Parkinson's.
Our biggest risk for Dementia is the set of genes we are born with, but our lifestyle and environment can either trigger or suppress those risks.
Two interesting studies have shown that you can significantly lower your risk of dementia with regular exercise, higher education and continued learning.

"Spark" Post #12: Aging and Cognitive Decline

It shows up in the little things first.  As the connections in the brain breakdown, you have a harder time calling to mind people and places you've known.  Everybody experiences this at some point,  but it is frustrating when this occurs.  This happens to most of us as we age, but the extent of this cognitive impairment can vary dramatically from person to person.  If this condition is left unchecked, it can become Dementia.  The good news, regular exercise not only keeps the brain from "rotting", but it also reverses the cell deterioration associated with aging, thus slowing cognitive decline.  A study of senior citizens found walking only 90 minutes a week significantly improves overall health and mental function.