High Cholesterol Levels May Be Controlled By Vitamin C
Posted: Thursday, October 01, 2009
by Richard Jensen
individualizednutrition.com
Dr. Richard Jensen, a holistic nutritionist, has conducted extensive research on vitamin C and concluded that controlling high levels of cholesterol is among its many positive effects on the body.
Most people know that vitamin C is very important to one's health. It helps build bones, teeth, and tendons. It is a powerful antioxidant that may help slow the aging process. It also may reduce the length of colds and flu. Research performed by Dr. Jensen concludes that vitamin C also plays an important role in the regulation of the body's cholesterol levels. In an article recently published on his health tips web site, Dr. Jensen points out that most cholesterol is actually made by the body; only about 15-20% of the cholesterol in the blood is from our diets. When someone has a diet that is high in cholesterol, the body slows cholesterol production, and vice-versa. Unfortunately, for many different reasons some people cannot slow down their own cholesterol production as much as they should. Their blood cholesterol tests high and their doctor usually recommends that they go on a cholesterol-lowering drug, often the statins. However, vitamin C itself can lower cholesterol levels in the same way that statins do, without side effects.
How can people use vitamin C to cope with high cholesterol? Not only does vitamin C inhibit the same enzyme that the statins do, without any of their side effects, the amount of the enzyme inhibition depends on the amount of vitamin C someone takes. So, if their cholesterol levels are too high, they can take several grams of vitamin C daily. There is no evidence that vitamin C will lower cholesterol levels too much, so it's a win-win situation. Vitamin C also regulates cholesterol in a different way. It converts it into a substance called a bile acid, which is then broken down by the liver. Vitamin C deficiency slows the above conversion, which can then make excess cholesterol accumulate in the arteries and also cause gallstones. There is much evidence now that vitamin C deficiency also raises cholesterol levels above normal.
Vitamin C performs another bit of "magic" as well; it raises the "good" cholesterol called HDL , High-Density Lipoprotein, an average of seven percent. HDL cholesterol is responsible for cleaning up the bad cholesterol in the blood, referred to as LDL , Low-Density Lipoprotein, and sending it back to the liver to be broken down. It can even lower blood pressure to a certain extent.
Last but not least, vitamin C helps prevent oxidation damage of the LDL cholesterol. Why is this important? Most researchers now believe that the process of heart disease is started by LDL cholesterol becoming oxidized, which makes it stick to the walls of the arteries. This is the beginning of arterial plaques, which leads to clogged arteries and heart disease. Vitamin C helps prevent the first step in heart disease, it is an inexpensive and very safe supplement, and is obviously needed by the body for many different things. One thing to keep in mind about vitamin C is that it is acidic, and some people may not like the extra acidity in their stomach after taking it. They can try buffered forms instead, such as ester-C and calcium ascorbate.
Readers can learn more about the benefits of supplements at Dr. Jensen's heath tips web site at http://www.individualizednutrition.com/integrative-nutrition.php
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)Welcome to SearchWarp, Richard. Since my husband has the sticky cholesterol you wrote about, I am very interested in this information. I do take 3,000 mg of Vit C each day because of autoimmume issues and my cholesterol is fine. Hmmmmm...I think we need to look at this as a possible solution. Thanks!
Dr. Jensen.Welcome to Searchwarp Writers' Community.Thank you for writing this well-written and informative article about Vitamin C. This article is very helpful to me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge to us.Best to you and good health.Nenita
Interesting article! Welcome to searchwarp!
This is a very informative article. I have joined your fan club as well. Welcome to Searchwarp! Thanks again. Sheldon
Great article - people need to educate themselves about the value of good nutrition and how the body can benefit. Keep the articles coming!
Welcome to SearchWarp. I loved this article, very interesting.
Good article. I tried everything to get off cholesterol lowering medication, but the conclusion was that it must be genetic. Thanks for sharing. Welcome to Searchwarp.Linda D
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