The Cause of Heart Disease? NOT Dietary Cholesterol, Goverment finally admits

For 40 years Americans have been eating fewer eggs, butter and red meat with saturated fat and cholesterol because US government policy makers told us not to.  We were told that dietary saturated fat and cholesterol were bad for our health and caused heart disease.  Manufactured foods such as margarine, egg substitutes, and low fat products laden with sugar or high fructose corn syrup to make them palatable were touted as the healthy way to go.

 

I have been advising my patients for most of my practice to stay away from the manufactured foods and eat whole foods, including eggs, red meat and butter.  And now, the US government finally agrees with me.

 

In February 2015 the 572-page Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee was released.  Buried on page 91 it states, "...available evidence shows no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and serum (blood) cholesterol....Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption."

 

When the original recommendations were made in the 1960s and 1970s, the government policy relied on a kind of science called epidemiological or observational studies.  In these studies researchers follow large groups of people over many years.  However, these studies are limited in that they can only show an association between two things, and not that one causes the other.  Therefore a hypothesis can be formed from these studies, but it takes more rigorous studies to prove them.

There are still dietary guidelines in the current report that I don't agree with.  They continue to recommend reducing saturated fats, to the point of recommending that even lean meat be removed from the list of healthy foods, even though several recent meta-analyses have shown that there are no studies that prove that saturated fats cause heart disease.

And they continue to recommend limiting salt intake, even though in 2013 an authoritative study by the Institute of Medicine contradicted that recommendation.

While there may be a general correlation between high serum levels of cholesterol and heart disease, it is only oxidized cholesterol that leads to atherosclerotic plaque (hardening of the arteries).  High levels of non-oxidized serum cholesterol are actually protective and essential to life and all cells.  Studies of the elderly show that those with low cholesterol levels have higher death rates than those with high cholesterol levels.

 

We should be focusing on what oxidizes the cholesterol.  Inflammation in the arteries causes oxidation of cholesterol, platelet aggregation and atherosclerotic plaque formation.  Rather than focusing so much on the cholesterol levels, in our office we test Lp-PLA2 levels, a marker for inflammation and plaque in the arteries, and Cardiac C-reactive Protein, a marker for inflammation in the body.

 

What causes inflammation in the arteries?  The two most common causes are high blood glucose and insulin levels and high Homocysteine levels.  Anything else that causes inflammation in the body, such as autoimmune diseases, chronic infections, etc. can also increase inflammation in the arteries.

 

The increase of consumption of low fat, high simple carbohydrate diets high in sugar and processed grains has caused an explosion of pre-diabetes and diabetes.  The insulin levels rise to try and lower the blood glucose levels and try to drive glucose into the cells.  The cells start to become resistant to the high levels of insulin, and blood glucose levels rise. 

 

When blood glucose rises, it attaches to the proteins in a process called "glycosylation," which damages the protein and cells.  The amount of glycosylation in the body is measured by the Hemoglobin A1C.  If that level is elevated, is shows that damage is already being done in the body and in the arteries, even though it may not yet be considered full-blown diabetes.

 

When insulin levels rise, blood pressure rises, triglycerides and sometimes cholesterol increases, and it causes inflammation in the body and in the arteries.

 

Therefore, the recommendations by the government and the American Heart Association to cut down on dietary fat and cholesterol may have even worsened our health.  By cutting out meat and eggs, we have eaten more grains, pasta, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and polyunsaturated fats.  Over the past 50 years, Americans have cut saturated fat intake by 25% and increased carbohydrates by more than 30%.  However, well done studies are showing that a diet high in sugar, refined grains and polyunsaturated fats increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease much more than a diet high in natural fats and cholesterol.

 

Homocysteine is a non-protein amino acid, important in the synthesis of methionine and cysteine.  High Homocysteine levels can cause endothelial (cells that line the inner arteries) cell injury, causing inflammation and atherosclerotic plaques.

 

High levels of Homocysteine are caused by a reduction in three simple nutrients:  Folate, B-12 and B-6.  Today most of our processed foods contain these nutrients as additives.  Red meat and whole grains have higher levels of these vitamins.  However, around 40% of the population has a genetic defect which keeps the body from creating the activated form of these vitamins which are necessary to reduce Homocysteine.  This is a mutation of the MTHFR genes (See my blog from February to find out more about this mutation).  If you have a family history of heart disease, make sure you are tested for this mutation.

 

So what is my advice on reducing heart disease?

• Check inflammatory markers Lp-PLA2 and Cardiac C-reactive protein
• Check Homocysteine levels
• Reduce oxidation of cholesterol with high levels of anti-oxidants such as those found in SpringTree SuperMulti Plus.
• Balance insulin and blood glucose with a whole foods low carbohydrate diet.  Don't forget the natural fats--they balance blood sugar and give us energy in place of the carbs.  Also consider using SpringTree Glucose Balance
• Reduce Homocysteine levels with the activated forms of B-12, folate and B-6, called methylcobalamine. 5-MTHF, and P-5-P, as found in SpringTree Methylation Factors.
• Reduce inflammation with fish oil
• Reduce inflammation with proteolytic enzymes and herbs such as turmeric, found in SpringTree's Pain and Inflammation supplement.

SpringTree Supplements can be found at www.springtreehealth.com

 

Until we meet again,

Dr. Judi

Healing Chronic Inflammation Naturally: Protect Yourself from the Most Common Causes of Death

We have learned that acute inflammation assists the body's healing mechanism and should not be overly suppressed or it increases healing time.  However, long-term, chronic inflammation damages the body and causes, among other diseases, chronic diseases that are the most common causes of death:  heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, stroke and diabetes.

Medications do reduce the amount of inflammation but don't deal with the cause and have a high rate of serious side effects.  See my two previous blogs.

The following are steps that can be taken to deal with the causes of chronic inflammation.

1.  Look for the cause.  An elevated C-reactive protein or cardiac (hs) C-reactive protein is the most common sign in blood tests that there is inflammation in the body. Lp-Pla2 levels show inflammation in the arteries. Causes are varied and can include:

• SAD diet (standard American diet, high sugar, trans-fats, gluten, dairy, low nutrient diet)
• inflammed intestinal tract from poor diet, candida, food allergies, not enough good bacteria, parasites, etc.
• Psychological stress
• low grade infection, including gum disease and teeth infections, low grade infections causing chronic fatigue such as Epstein-Barr and Cytomegalovirus, or Mycoplasma Pneumonia and Chlamydia pneumonia which are associated with chronic joint pain, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases, etc.
• hormone imbalance including insulin, thyroid, and sex hormones
• weight gain--fat cells produce inflammatory cytokines
• allergies--both environmental/inhalant and food allergies
• environmental pollutants and toxins, heavy metals
• arthritis--often caused by one of the above

2.  Improve Your Diet.  Foods implicated to cause an increase in inflammation are:

• Processed foods including soda and fruit juice cocktails.  Processed foods tend to be high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and many chemicals.  Also be careful as well with the processed "gluten-free" breads and other products, as they also tend to be high in sugar and chemicals.
• White sugar, high fructose corn syrup, other sweeteners and flour products.  These turn into glucose quickly in the body, causing a rapid rise in blood glucose.  This causes insulin to rise which causes inflammation. 
• Polyunsaturated vegetable oils and Trans-fatty acids (Crisco, vegetable oil, corn oil, margarine, etc.). These have too much omega 6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory.  The trans-fats replace the healthy fats on the cell membranes and don't have the capacity to do the job of the omega 3 and 9 fats, and the cells cannot function to full capacity, causing inflammation.  They also increase free radicals which trigger inflammation.
• Excessive meat (in some situations too little meat can also cause inflammation).
• GMO (genetically modified) grains and gluten (cause inflammation in the intestinal tract); etc.

Above is Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory pyramid, eating mostly fruits and vegetables.  The only problem I have with this pyramid is that he puts grains on the second level.  Many people are allergic to various grains, especially since most grains (especially wheat and corn) are genetically modified.  This will increase inflammation in the gut.  Many people with insulin sensitivity will have their insulin rise when they eat grains, which also will increase inflammation.  It is important to determine if you have allergies or insulin sensitivity if you are eating grains.


The other concern I have is soy.  Many people are allergic to soy, and unfermented soy has some inflammatory effects.  If you eat soy, eat the fermented versions, such as fermented bean paste, miso, natto, real soy sauce, tempeh, pickled tofu, etc.



Some foods have anti-inflammatory effects.  Papaya and pineapple have proteolytic enzymes (papain and bromelain), which "digest" the inflammatory cells.  Salmon has omega-3 fatty acids which are used by the body to stop inflammation.  It also has astaxanthin which has high anti-inflammatory properties.  Tomatoes are high in lutein which has anti-inflammatory properties (though some people with arthritis are aggravated by plants from the nightshade family such as tomatoes and peppers).  Red peppers, avocados, and cruciferous vegetables also have anti-inflammatory properties. Walnuts have healthy anti-inflammatory fats. The spices tumeric, ginger, rosemary and oregano are also on the anti-inflammatory list.

Generally a low simple carb, high complex carb, and palm size amount of protein at each meal with healthy fats is an anti-inflammatory diet.


3.  Heal the Gut.  The intestinal tract has more immune cells and receptors than anywhere else in the body.  It also has more neurotransmitter receptors than the brain, and is often considered the "second brain."  The immune system and the neurotransmitter system are intertwined, each one affecting the other.

The bacteria in the intestinal tract is like a living organism.  Then the bacterial colony is healthy, it performs many important functions for the body.  When it is sick (dysbiosis) with not enough good bacteria, too much yeast or fungus such as candida, or bad bacteria and parasites, inflammation results and important body processes are not completed efficiently.

Inflammation causes leaky gut (the glue between the cells holding them tightly together does not function well) which allows larger molecules of food to enter the blood stream. The immune system sees these particles as a foreign invader and cause more inflammation to fight them, causing food allergies and sensitivities.

It is important to clean out excessive candida.  This is most effectively done with medication for 1-2 weeks, followed by a good anti-candida supplement for a month or so.  My anti-candida diet for 2-4 weeks is no sugar, no grains, no dairy, no fruit juice, yeast or alcohol.  You can eat meat, fish and eggs, any vegetables (though limit the starchy vegetables), fruits, nuts and seeds and legumes.  This is different than many candida diets out there but it works well for my patients.  This is accompanied by a good probiotic, at least 100,000 billion units a day.  Continue the probiotics at a level of 20-30,000 billion units per day.

There are many products on the market to heal the lining of the gut.  We use one called GI Fortify from Pure.

Have food allergies tested through an IgG and/or IgA blood food allergy test.  If there are a high number of reactions follow a food rotation diet, which is usually described with the results of the testing.  Or do a food allergy elimination diet.  You find instructions at many websites.

4.  Deal with any underlying infections.

5.  Balance thyroid, insulin, and sex hormones.

6.  If inflammation continues, is chronic or severe, test for heavy metals and environmental toxins.

7.  Take anti-inflammatory supplements.

The next blog will be dedicated to describing anti-inflammatory supplements.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi