And now I would like to offer you free access to my weekly Holistic Medicine Newsletter where you can receive additional information on important health topics.
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Dr. Lisa Hosbein, MD, FACOG - The Wellness Doctor at Holistic Medicinehttp://www.hosbeinonline.com
We definitely need cholesterol. Most people are worried about high cholesterol, but low cholesterol can also be a warning sign. An adequate cholesterol level is actually a sign of a healthy liver because the liver makes cholesterol.
The standard medical recommendation is for the LDL cholesterol - the "bad" cholesterol - to be less than 130 mg/dl and even below 100 mg/dl for people who have had a heart attack or are considered high risk for a heart attack.
A cholesterol check is not necessarily the best test for determining whether or not you are at risk for heart disease.
In fact, the American Heart Association now agrees that people with heart disease all have one common factor which is not high cholesterol. It's inflammation in their arteries (Heart guidelines urge test for inflammation; USA TODAY, Jan.
First, I encourage you to learn about why our bodies produce cholesterol. We have learned that cholesterol is not the best indicator for heart disease.
You are much better off knowing if your arteries are inflamed (C-reactive-protein test), and knowing their elasticity (Cardiovascular Profile test). In my other articles, I go over these tests and their benefits.
Exercise, nutrition and medications can all improve the elasticity of our arteries. The key is to know which arteries are the culprit: the small arteries or the large ones. The larger and smaller arteries respond very differently to exercise, medications and nutrition.
Most women have problems with their smaller arteries (called micro-vascular syndrome), not their larger ones.
Heart disease is a real concern. Everyone should be paying attention to the health of the arteries in their heart, because cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of Americans.
More than half the people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol. You do need to concern yourself with abnormally high or low cholesterol, but normal cholesterol levels do not protect you from heart attacks.
As we grow older, the absorption and digestion of proteins and minerals becomes more difficult leading to a variety of ailments such as osteoporosis, fatigue, and chronic illness.
We can go a long way towards addressing these concerns by improving our digestion, particularly of protein - an essential building block for good health.
BETAINE HYDROCHLORIDE: Our bodies digest protein (and other nutrients) less efficiently as we age, yet amino acids from protein are critical components of good health.
The health and medical communities have long acknowledged the benefits of a daily multi-vitamin, particularly for those over the age of 50. Even Medicare has noted decreased costs in caring for patients who take daily multi-vitamins.
As we grow older, the absorption and digestion of proteins and minerals becomes more difficult leading to a variety of ailments such as osteoporosis, fatigue, and chronic illness.
Many people suffer from food intolerances which are different from actual food allergies but can drastically affect health and vitality. People don't realize that a severe reaction to a food, known as Coeliac disease, is not the only type of food intolerance.
Reactions caused by food intolerances may be more subtle and worsen over time. You may not even be aware that your health is far from optimal.