Alzheimer's and the Cholesterol Link
Cholesterol is vital to our body's production of hormones, as well as brain health. It breaks my heart to witness such an increase in mental health in our elderly popuation. Many are on cholesterol medication, which depletes the CoQ10 necessary for brain health and function. People on medication should be on a CoQ10 supplement, according to neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, and author of "Excitotoxins, the Taste that Kills". Unfortunately, cholesterol lowering meds are BIG business and prescriptions are doled out in increasing numbers.
Besides the detrimental effects of statin drugs on the brain and memory loss, with Lipitor being one of the biggest money making drugs of all time, statins contribute to heart disease, as is evidenced by a study in Japan. How ironic is this? We are prescribed cholesterol meds supposedly to ward off heart attack, is this not so? I encourage you to read this article by Dr. Stephen Sinatra.
What about saturated fats?
We need GOOD FATS. Not only are good fats necessary in order to lose weight, but more importantly, good fats are REQUIRED for brain health! Our population is hard-wired with anti-fat proclamations, with ads for low fat this and low fat that...but guess what - the majority of these products are not good for you! Besides the fact that the brain needs good fats (check out this article by Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Stop Alzheimer's Now), low fat processed foods are made to taste good with artificial sweeteners, which also reek havoc on your brain.
For my family, we eat very limited amounts of red meat and dairy, and instead lean towards free-range organic chicken and wild caught (not farmed) fish. Chicken is preferred as a meat choice, but I am on "guard" for excessive iron intake, which is linked to breast cancer. The iron in red meats can store up in the body and is not excreted as plant based. If you would like to learn more about this, you are welcome to contact me for a copy of the original articles on this topic from the Blaylock Wellness Report - two newsletters focused on iron toxicity and relation to cancer. Bottom line...eat your red meat, but eat a whole lot more GREEN and brightly colored fresh foods. That being said, I would never turn down a steak from a free-range, grass-fed steer.
On the topic of CoQ10 - beef and chicken contain more of this powerful antioxidant than plant foods such as broccoli and kale. If you are eating meat...know what the animal is being fed. I guess this means know your farmer. Avoid meat from animals raised on genetically modified corn - which presents a host of additional health problems - hormones in your food, excess hormones not necessarily excreting after consumption. Grass fed and free range are key words when purchasing meats for dinner. Our favorite vegan protein powder also delivers CoQ10 as a part of its Iner G-Plex, which also contains the health benefits of alfalfa, kelp and ginseng.
Coconut oil is a staple in both our cooking and raw eating plan - it is a healthy living essential. Coconut oil is, in fact, being used to reverse Alzheimer's - I have read about several, including Dr.Mary Newport, who are implementing coconut oil and finding positive results with their own spouse, suffering from the disease. Newport, in fact, began searching for alternatives when medicines prescribed for Alzheimer's, did not help her husband, who was only 53 at the time. Excerpted from the article: "Dr. Newport's research yielded an interesting discovery: a patent for a drug whose main ingredient was medium chain triglycerides (MCT), the same ingredient found in large quantities in coconut oil. A small pilot study found that the drug helped slow and even reverse the effects of Alzheimer's in a significant percentage of those tested." Because the drug was not available, Newport began incorporating coconut oil as a staple in their dietary plan.
I also put avocado right up there with coconut oil as one of the healthiest fats one can incorporate into their diet. Avocado contains a punch of anti oxidants, contains 25 essential nutrients, helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. These two healthy fats make it into our meal plan several times a week, but another essential, which had made a great difference in lowering my husband's cholesterol numbers to where the doctors are happy (and he was able to get off his meds) is the VEGAN Omega 3 with DHA. Because it is non-fish form there are no after-burps or fishy taste, and because the sea algae used (origin of DHA) is grown in environmentally controlled labs - the assurance of the high purity standard is maintained. We simply trust the brand we use for a number of reasons, contact us to learn our preferences.
If you or a loved one is on a cholesterol med, I highly recommend talking to your MD about a CoQ10 supplement. Don't be surprised if they are not aware of the importance, as the drug companies are not in the business of telling doctors how to improve their patients health so that they may no longer need their pill, right? Prescription drugs are a band-aid approach to high cholesterol, with side effects of affecting one's memory. Rx do not address the dietary contributors to high cholesterol as a whole.
Here is an article on just one piece of the dietary puzzle - the link between artificial sweeteners and Alzheimers. The 30 Days to Healthy Living is a great jump start to taking control of your own health - including long term memory function, which we all desire, correct? You may contact me for more information on our program, which has been tremendously successful for people who were no longer happy with the "band-aid approach" to their wellness. The key to good health and brain function is to eliminate artificial ingredients, processed and refined foods as much as possible, and exchange the foods that do not serve your body for foods that promote health and healing.
You may wish to seek out a naturopathic doctor, functional medicine or nutritionist practitioner for a 2nd, and more knowledgeable opinion, when it comes to nutraceutical care. There may be underlying metabolic reasons, as well, for elevated cholesterol. Be empowered, check out the links above, and be your own best health advocate!
My wish for you is to feel great, look great, and live great!
Rita S.
This article originally appeared on the Purely Living Blog in June 2014.
Besides the detrimental effects of statin drugs on the brain and memory loss, with Lipitor being one of the biggest money making drugs of all time, statins contribute to heart disease, as is evidenced by a study in Japan. How ironic is this? We are prescribed cholesterol meds supposedly to ward off heart attack, is this not so? I encourage you to read this article by Dr. Stephen Sinatra.
What about saturated fats?
We need GOOD FATS. Not only are good fats necessary in order to lose weight, but more importantly, good fats are REQUIRED for brain health! Our population is hard-wired with anti-fat proclamations, with ads for low fat this and low fat that...but guess what - the majority of these products are not good for you! Besides the fact that the brain needs good fats (check out this article by Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Stop Alzheimer's Now), low fat processed foods are made to taste good with artificial sweeteners, which also reek havoc on your brain.
For my family, we eat very limited amounts of red meat and dairy, and instead lean towards free-range organic chicken and wild caught (not farmed) fish. Chicken is preferred as a meat choice, but I am on "guard" for excessive iron intake, which is linked to breast cancer. The iron in red meats can store up in the body and is not excreted as plant based. If you would like to learn more about this, you are welcome to contact me for a copy of the original articles on this topic from the Blaylock Wellness Report - two newsletters focused on iron toxicity and relation to cancer. Bottom line...eat your red meat, but eat a whole lot more GREEN and brightly colored fresh foods. That being said, I would never turn down a steak from a free-range, grass-fed steer.
On the topic of CoQ10 - beef and chicken contain more of this powerful antioxidant than plant foods such as broccoli and kale. If you are eating meat...know what the animal is being fed. I guess this means know your farmer. Avoid meat from animals raised on genetically modified corn - which presents a host of additional health problems - hormones in your food, excess hormones not necessarily excreting after consumption. Grass fed and free range are key words when purchasing meats for dinner. Our favorite vegan protein powder also delivers CoQ10 as a part of its Iner G-Plex, which also contains the health benefits of alfalfa, kelp and ginseng.
Coconut oil is a staple in both our cooking and raw eating plan - it is a healthy living essential. Coconut oil is, in fact, being used to reverse Alzheimer's - I have read about several, including Dr.Mary Newport, who are implementing coconut oil and finding positive results with their own spouse, suffering from the disease. Newport, in fact, began searching for alternatives when medicines prescribed for Alzheimer's, did not help her husband, who was only 53 at the time. Excerpted from the article: "Dr. Newport's research yielded an interesting discovery: a patent for a drug whose main ingredient was medium chain triglycerides (MCT), the same ingredient found in large quantities in coconut oil. A small pilot study found that the drug helped slow and even reverse the effects of Alzheimer's in a significant percentage of those tested." Because the drug was not available, Newport began incorporating coconut oil as a staple in their dietary plan.
I also put avocado right up there with coconut oil as one of the healthiest fats one can incorporate into their diet. Avocado contains a punch of anti oxidants, contains 25 essential nutrients, helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. These two healthy fats make it into our meal plan several times a week, but another essential, which had made a great difference in lowering my husband's cholesterol numbers to where the doctors are happy (and he was able to get off his meds) is the VEGAN Omega 3 with DHA. Because it is non-fish form there are no after-burps or fishy taste, and because the sea algae used (origin of DHA) is grown in environmentally controlled labs - the assurance of the high purity standard is maintained. We simply trust the brand we use for a number of reasons, contact us to learn our preferences.
If you or a loved one is on a cholesterol med, I highly recommend talking to your MD about a CoQ10 supplement. Don't be surprised if they are not aware of the importance, as the drug companies are not in the business of telling doctors how to improve their patients health so that they may no longer need their pill, right? Prescription drugs are a band-aid approach to high cholesterol, with side effects of affecting one's memory. Rx do not address the dietary contributors to high cholesterol as a whole.
Here is an article on just one piece of the dietary puzzle - the link between artificial sweeteners and Alzheimers. The 30 Days to Healthy Living is a great jump start to taking control of your own health - including long term memory function, which we all desire, correct? You may contact me for more information on our program, which has been tremendously successful for people who were no longer happy with the "band-aid approach" to their wellness. The key to good health and brain function is to eliminate artificial ingredients, processed and refined foods as much as possible, and exchange the foods that do not serve your body for foods that promote health and healing.
You may wish to seek out a naturopathic doctor, functional medicine or nutritionist practitioner for a 2nd, and more knowledgeable opinion, when it comes to nutraceutical care. There may be underlying metabolic reasons, as well, for elevated cholesterol. Be empowered, check out the links above, and be your own best health advocate!
My wish for you is to feel great, look great, and live great!
Rita S.
This article originally appeared on the Purely Living Blog in June 2014.