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Medical science has recently discovered that LDL cholesterol (that's the bad kind) functions as a kind of spackling paste on the inner walls of our arteries in order to repair rips and tears caused mainly by the sulphuric acids produced by eating red meat. I'd like to briefly discuss this in further detail.

Cholesterol is a waxy, white substance that is classified as a fat. About 1000 milligrams are manufactured each day by the liver, as a result of the fats, proteins and carbohydrates we eat. It is used in all tissues, not just the bloodstream, and is essential to life. Among other functions, it provides the building blocks for several hormones, makes up the major portion of the fatty insulation layer of nerves, and is an important structural unit in the outer membrane of cells. However, cholesterol may build up in the bloodstream, accumulating on the arterial walls, slowly inhibiting the flow of blood, until the flow becomes difficult or stops completely (atherosclerosis); eventually a stroke or heart attack could occur. In addition to the cholesterol made by the liver, Americans consume 400-500 mg of it directly from their diets every day. This cholesterol is only found in animal products (meat, eggs, poultry, fish, dairy products), almost never in vegetable sources.

By now everyone has heard of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). HDL's are the good guys. Just remember that H stands for healthy. VLDL's and LDL's are the bad guys. Think of the L as representing "lousy".

They are all made by the liver. VLDL's and LDL's deliver the cholesterol into the body's systems, whereas HDL clears it out of the various systems and tissues. Furthermore, LDL and HDL are produced from different kinds of fat. LDL is composed primarily of saturated fats that are in butter, bacon fat, beef fat and vegetable oils like coconut and palm oil. HDL is made up mainly of polyunsaturated fats found in corn, safflower, soybean, and sesame oil. By consuming polyunsaturated (essential) oils and eliminating saturated fat, we reduce the amount of cholesterol to the system by increasing the amount of HDL, with the net result of keeping serum cholesterol levels within normal limits.

Animal-based foods also produce large amounts of acid (uric, sulphuric, phosphoric, and carbonic). Alkaline, to offset and neutralize not only the acids produced from animal-based food but also the acidic waste from our cells and tissues, can only be found in plant-based foods.

Therefore, if you incorporate this recent scientific discovery with what we all ready know, it will sound like this: When you eat red meat: a) You will ingest high amounts of saturated fat; b) Your liver will produce LDL cholesterol as a result; c) The sulphuric acid emanating from the red meat causes rips and tears on the inner linings of the your arteries; d) The LDL cholesterol will then accumulate on the damaged site on the inner linings of the artery. I find it extremely interesting that Mother Nature once again provides the repair mechanism with the damaging affects of a natural occurrence.

So now I'm wondering, what happens when a person takes a medication designed to reduce cholesterol (especially the LDL kind). What happens to the rips and tears on the inner linings of the arteries? Will they ever get repaired?

By the way - herbs, especially mucilaginous fibers such as pectin, plantain, and fenugreek can help reduce cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease and atherosclerosis, and remedy many already serious conditions. They help tone the entire circulatory system, providing nutrition, strength and vitality.

Learn more about this author, Curt Burbach.
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