3. - Cholesterol

Did you know that almost 75 percent of those who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels¹?

Cholesterol first became of interest back in the 1950's, when an American researcher named Dr. Ancel Keys noticed a connection between US businessmen and soaring rates of heart disease when compared to the declining rates of heart disease amongst people who were living through food shortages in post-war Europe.

Dr. Keys was a thorough doctor and studied men in seven different countries - USA, Japan, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, (former) Yugoslavia and Finland and compared their cholesterol levels. When he compared their cholesterol levels with their intake of saturated fats and cardiovascular disease rates, he discovered a strong association between saturated fats and heart health. Dr. Keys was even featured on the cover of the January 1961 Time Magazine. His recommendations were for people to reduce their intake of saturated fats like butter and to eat more polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower oil to lower their cholesterol levels.

The experts of the day reasoned that if a person's cholesterol levels were reduced, they would slash their risk of a heart attack. The American Heart Association was formed in 1957, and the cholesterol-lowering movement had begun in earnest by the mid 1960's. Up until quite recently, it was believed that a high fat diet was one of the main causes of high cholesterol and heart disease.

Cholesterol is not the big bad villain

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance manufactured in your body from the fats you eat. It is a necessary substance, and your body needs it to make hormones, cell membranes and even a digestive fluid called bile acid. Moving right along to the 21st century, it has been discovered that cholesterol is actually very necessary to produce hormones, vitamin D and even fat digesting bile acids.

Unlike the 1960's, it is now know that a large percentage of the cholesterol is actually manufactured inside your body by your liver, intestines and even your skin. Each and every cell of your body requires cholesterol as part of their membrane, and your brain requires plenty of it too for normal functioning. The very starting point for cholesterol is in fact dietary fat, derived from - eggs, meat, fatty fish and dairy products, the very foods we are told to avoid by our doctors because they will increase our "bad" cholesterol levels. Many people still eat very few eggs or butter (in favour over margarine) in the belief that they are reducing their cholesterol levels, this in untrue however. 

The real issue with cholesterol lies in the balance of the different types of fats in your body. Heart experts are discovering that the important issue is to have higher HDL - high density lipoprotein levels, otherwise known as ("good" cholesterol levels, as opposed to high LDL - low density lipoprotein levels, the "bad" cholesterol levels. The better the balance, the lower your risk of developing a blocked coronary artery and even a heart attack.

Read more about cholesterol here:

1. -  Cholesterol, The Risks, The Facts and The Politics 
2. -  Lowering Cholesterol -Statin Drug Side-Effects 
3. -  Lowering Cholesterol - Best Natural Solutions  

Why are doctors so concerned to reduce cholesterol levels? Firstly it is important to recognise which subgroup of the lipid group is the concern. There is a link between high levels of some lipids with heart disease severity. Certain drugs, such as the 'Statin' family can reduce these levels very dramatically. The controversy arises as to how low should these lipid levels be forced, not that there is dispute about the benefits of statin drugs and cardiac risk (although the risk benefit conferred is very low), but there may be other non-heart related disadvantages and side-effects.

Cholesterol Expert Dr. Uffe Ravnskov 

Cholesterol experts such as Dr. Uffe Ravnskov believe that high cholesterol is not a disease in and of itself. Before you dismiss Ravnskov as a "quack" you may like to check his credentials, his knowledge of cholesterol in relation to health does surpass anybody's current level of scientific understanding of this hotly debated topic in Australiasia. Is High Cholesterol The Cause of Heart Disease?  An Interview with Uffe Ravnskov MD, PhD. (November 2009)

Is Your Doctor Blinkered?

Question to Dr. Ravnskov: "If the cholesterol hypothesis is in error, does this mean that all of its therapies — low cholesterol diet, cholesterol lowering natural therapies and medications — are all wrong?"

Dr. Ravnskov: "Absolutely. This kind of treatment is meaningless, costly and has transformed millions of healthy people into patients". Cholesterol does not cause heart disease, it is merely a marker - and one marker out of many. Having 'normal' or even low cholesterol levels does not eliminate your risk of heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, many people who rely on the mainstream for their health information haven't gotten the right message.

Do you want to delve further into the cholesterol myth? 

LDL - Keep these levels down.

Ok, so why do we mention "lowering" the LDL and "raising" the HDL if Dr. Ravnskov mention not to worry about cholesterol too much? We believe that blood fats need to be balanced. And, research has shown that a poor diet, high stress, little or no exercise, alcohol, being overweight and other factors will tip the balance more in favour of a "bad" imbalance. We are not fans of Statin drugs, needless to say, nor is Ravnskov.

Think of LDL as small trucks travelling throughout your body packed with droplets of fat. These small trucks carry fat from your digestive system and feed liquefied cholesterol directly to your cells. The problem is if too many of these fatty little trucks crowd out the highway called the bloodstream, they wreak havoc with your artery walls and get sucked into the cells lining the artery wells forming heart-threatening plaque.

Over a period of time, these tiny layers of plaque combine with calcium, fat and other cellular sludge to slowly block the tiniest arteries feeding oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. The immune system starts to attack these areas and inflammation develops in addition. Before you know it, the years go by and you start to develop heart flutters and slight pains in the chest. It happens so slowly over years that you hardly notice the development of heart disease.

 It is important for you to look at the page called Best Blood Tests, and with particular reference to the section called "Advanced Blood Testing to Assess Heart Risk". This page explains in detail all the different blood tests, even the advanced markers your doctor most probably won't do. Many doctors don't even know about these specialised blood tests!

New research has found that the smallest, most dense LDLs are especially lethal, because they are the ones which can penetrate the artery walls with ease and readily lay the foundation for atherosclerosis. (for more on LDLs and oxidative stress, please look at the Oxidative Stress page)   

HDL - Keep these levels high

High density lipoproteins or HDLs on the other hand are like little trucks which race around your bloodstream and grab the LDLs, taking them down to the liver for processing. HDL actually binds with LDL to remove the cholesterol. One of the best ways to increase these is...exercise.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides aren't really a form of cholesterol, but they act in a similar fashion and have similar health effects as LDL, that they are grouped with cholesterol in any discussion about heart risks. Triglycerides are small bits of fat that float around in your bloodstream which collect excess calories from the food you eat and them take them away for processing in the fat cells for long term storage. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly "easy" calories like the refined carbohydrates (bread, sugar, cakes, biscuits, etc) and saturated fats, you may have high triglycerides (known as hypertriglyceridemia). Omega 3 is particularly indicated here, so make you take a few fish oil capsules daily.

Key things you need to know about cholesterol

How LDL accumulates- The more tummy fat you develop and the less active you become, the more the liver will churn out LDL. If your diet is high in saturated fats and low in mono unsaturated fats (like olive oil) and in addition you hardly ever exercise, you will deplete your levels of HDL. Smoking, drinking alcohol and diabetes are also indicated in LDL accumulation and HDL depletion. Remember - it is the balance of LDL/HDL which is important, not just the lowering of the LDL.

Your arteries don't "clog up" - Plaque actually grows on the inside of arterial walls, not on the actual walls itself. Many people have the notion that their arteries are like pipes which "clog up". The smallest LDLs actually get sucked through the inner lining of the artery wall, and these tiniest of LDLs are especially dangerous because they can penetrate easily. They are called small LDLs. What Dr. Ancel Keys didn't figure out in the 1950's was that the "bad cholesterol" LDL is actually a mixture of lipoprotein particle types, and some are worse than others. It seems the particle number rather than just particle type is more important. Please refer to the Best Blood Tests page for more detailed information.

Increase HDL, the good guys - The high density lipoproteins, or HDLs are best kept at elevated levels. These good fats are so potent, that research has revealed that every 0.1 mmol/L increase in HDL levels reduces your heart attack risk by an amazing 3 to 4 percent. In fact, HDL has such powerful protective qualities that it can even reduce the threat posed by other health conditions such as being overweight or having diabetes. How to boost HDLs is easy - eat good fats found in foods like oily fish, fresh nuts, seeds and olive oil and exercise regularly.

Don't forget the triglycerides - Triglycerides and cholesterol are separate types of lipids that circulate in your blood. Triglycerides store unused calories and provide your body with energy, and cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones. Because triglycerides and cholesterol can't dissolve in blood, they circulate throughout your body with the help of proteins that transport the lipids (lipoproteins).

What you may not know, is that triglycerides can in addition become the raw starting material for LDL, making them also a dangerous accomplice in the development of heart disease. Recent research has validated that triglyceride levels alone can predict heart disease, especially atherosclerosis in women.

The appetite halting hormone called leptin can't send signals to your brain to block the desire for food if you have too much triglycerides floating in your blood. High risk factors such as abdominal fat, excess alcohol, uncontrolled diabetes and a lack of exercise all increase your chances of an elevated triglyceride level.

Measuring your triglyceride levels

Triglycerides are measured the same way as cholesterol, in millimoles per litre. In most all cases, once the exercise starts to occur regularly and the diet improves, you will begin to see positive changes. Be patient, it takes time!

Statin cholesterol-lowering treatment  - Is this right for you? Cholesterol-lowering drugs cost the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme) in Australia over $700 million, and New Zealand's PHARMAC (Pharmaceutical Management Agency) over $54 million in 2007. Global sales? - a staggering 23 billion US dollars.

Doctors are now recommending statin drugs to a wider range of people, but many people are experiencing untoward side effects of statin drugs.  In 2007, atorvastatin (Lipitor) made by the drug company Pfizer was the world's top selling pharmaceutical drug.

Key things you need to know about stroke and cholesterol

We know that total blood cholesterol levels are very poor predictors of a stroke or a heart attack, yet most doctors still continue to turn conventional cholesterol screening as the best predictor of a heart attack or impending stroke.

There is no question that blood cholesterol is involved in the accumulation of plaque build-up in the arteries. Plaque build-up narrows the arteries and restricts blood flow, often leading to a stroke or a heart attack. Yet the conventional approach continues to miss the most important point here: plaque build-up is dangerous, but NOT the presence of cholesterol.

The possibility of self-treatment - The viability for self-treatment is very high for the majority of people with elevated cholesterol. Most all cases can be resolved by eating a more healthy diet, by not smoking, by losing weight and by regular exercise. Many people place themselves at risk of developing high cholesterol levels by unhealthy eating, smoking, drinking excess alcohol, by being overweight and failing to remain active or engage in regular exercise. Don't let it be you!

If you have high cholesterol levels, then why not try Heart Drops? They are a safe way to encourage a healthy blood fat balance whilst improving your circulation. This will give you time to work on your diet and health in general. Give yourself a good 12 months to lose weight and change those unhealthy habits for the better. We have seen countless people adopt healthy habits and throw out those cholesterol lowering drugs which gave them side-effects and reduced the quality of their lives.

Heart Drops is a 100% natural herbal formula which can assist and support your heart and circulation, Heart Drops is New Zealand's leading proprietary herbal medicine formula created since 2004 to assist in supporting those with high blood pressure and high cholesterol concerns in a safe, drug free way. Many Australians and New Zealanders have benefited from this formula, and so can you.

If you are overweight and have high blood pressure, heart or circulatory concerns, high cholesterol, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress or metabolic syndrome, then why not try heart Drops?

1. - Castelli WP. Cholesterol and Lipds in the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease. The Framingham Heart Study. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 1998 July; 4 4 Suppl. A:5A-10A.

2. - Krumholz HM, Seeman TE, Merrill SS, et al. Lack of association beteween cholesterol and coronary heart disease mortality and morbidity and all-cause mortality in persons older than 70 years. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1994 Nov.; 272 (17): 1335 - 1340.

Heart Drops are not pharmaceutical drugs

Heart Drops were designed to help support your healthy lifestyle and diet thereby optimising your success with your quest for a healthy circulation and heart. Heart Drops were never meant to substitute for your doctor's professional advice or treatment, they play a supportive role and work on an entirely different and more of a nutritional level than drugs do. Whilst drugs do a good job of controlling symptoms, the unique combination of the herbal medicines helps to encourage the development of healthy tissue and assists in healthy blood vessel growth.

The primary action of herbs used in circulatory disorders is to increase the flow of blood to the body’s extremities (arms, legs, fingers and toes) and to improve the health of heart and blood vessel walls in general.

In conjunction with a healthy heart diet and stress management, the traditional herbs used in Heart Drops are the perfect preventive measure for people who have a family history of heart disease. They can be used in combination with drugs as a safe and effective program for combating the gradual loss of heart and circulatory function that comes with age.

A Superior Formula Gives Superior Results

We ensure that only the very best quality herbal medicines are used in our Heart Drops.The herbs used in our liquid Heart Drops formulation have a patented methodof extraction, which retains each herb’s active ingredient and essential minerals and enzymes to its fullest. This type of processing offers superior bio availability and enhances overall effectiveness making Heart Drops superior over any cardiovascular herbal formula of its kind currently on the market.

Testimonial : " I used to suffer from angina and chest pain in the past and was told by my doctor that an operation was my only option, but I wasn't keen on an operation. I used to rely on a nitro spray even to go shopping. I have used your Heart Drops over a period of about a year and a half and now can say that my walking distance has increased a lot, I can now walk without any pain and my overall health has improved considerably too. I have now no need for drugs. Thanks so much". --- Warren, Wellington ---

NO RISK! Heart Drops contains a 30 day money back guarantee. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, just return the bottle with the remaining Heart Drops and we will refund you in full. (Refund policy does not include any freight charges).

WHAT have you got to lose?

TOP QUALITY product - a proven performer since 2004

SAFE and EFFECTIVE

NO RISK- 100% MONEY BACK guarantee for 30 days

Fine to take with MOST ALL drugs

NON- ADDICTIVE - you take when and how much you want

NO SIDE EFFECTS - even with long term use

NATURAL heart and circulation support - all at once

Fantastic value - MORE COST EFFECTIVE than imports

1 Bottle (50ml) for only $49.00.

Testimonial:
"I used your website for the first time yesterday and I will definitely use you again. My Heart Drops has been delivered this morning, so not only did I get an excellent product, I also got excellent service too!. I have recommend you to my friends"  --- Julie Reid, Auckland, NZ ---

Please Note: Our herbal medicine formulations are not cures nor a remedy for any medical disorder, nor are they a substitute for professional health-care attention, diagnosis and/or treatment.  We never advocate that you stop drugs for blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease, but that you get professional advice regarding your treatment and your options. Do not exceed stated dosages without professional advice. Our herbal preparations are not pharmaceutical drugs and are prescribed for nutritional purposes only to support and assist the body to heal itself. Refrigeration not required. Keep out of reach of children. If symptoms persist, see your health-care professional. People sensitive or allergic to any of the ingredients of Heart Drops should avoid this product. 

Disclaimer - While we cannot make any medical claims, the testimonials on this website speak for themselves. The information contained herein is general commentary and not medical advice. If you have concerns or questions about a medical condition, you are advised to consult your health care professional.