Dispelling the Cholesterol Myth

June 6, 2014
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Sizing up Cholesterol for the Man in Your Life.

When it comes to cholesterol, size—not type—doesn’t just matter, it may be life-saving!

This is important news everywhere as we approach June 15 and celebrate Father’s Day honoring our dads, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, cousins and special friends.

Sadly, heart disease is still one of the leading cause of death among males in this country.

Now you can forget about “good cholesterol” (HDL), “bad cholesterol” (LDL) and even total cholesterol.

They are history, according to integrative cutting edge cardiologists like Dr. Mark Houston and Dr. Stephen Sinatra.

Dr. Sinatra, who was my own father’s cardiologist, is the co-author of the best selling  “The Great Cholesterol Myth” which I had the privilege of reviewing before it was published.

By 2030, nearly 25 million people will die from cardiovascular disease. Heart attack and stroke are projected to maintain their lead as the main causes of death.

So, what can we do about this, right now, today?

For the most effective detection, prevention, and treatment of heart disease, it now appears that your cholesterol numbers in and of themselves are relatively meaningless. But, measuring the LDL cholesterol particle size and pattern is not.

In fact, this single test is probably one of the most important health assessments your doctor can order.

Advanced testing is now available throughout the country for the VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) assessment in which a high speed centrifuge isolates the lipoprotein particles and identifies specific patterns of cholesterol health.

If you have the pattern known as the A cholesterol profile, congratulations! This means that your cholesterol is the large fluffy kind which is not related to the oxidative stress and inflammation associated with full blown heart disease.

On the other hand, if you have the B pattern profile, your LDL cholesterol is composed of small, sticky compact articles that are especially atherogenic and inflammatory resulting in arterial plaque.

If you are a B, then you will want to supplement with Sinatra’s “fearsome foursome”:

  • CoQ10 (100 – 300 mg) to fuel the heart
  • L-Carnitine (500 – 4, 000 mg) to transport critical fatty acids into the muscle cells of the heart
  • D-Ribose (5 grams) to increase cellular function and energy recovery
  • Magnesium (400 – 800 mg) to relax arterial walls and reduce blood pressure

Since inflammation is a hidden heart disease risk factor, include lots of natural anti-inflammatories in the diet like wild salmon, berries, cherries, grass-fed meat, vegetables, nuts, beans, moderate dark chocolate, garlic, turmeric, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Finally, as an extra preventative measure, an iron-free daily multiple is absolutely essential for males of all ages, but especially for those over 40.

male multipleExcessive amounts of iron—which can be measured by a ferritin blood test—have been linked to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, accelerated aging and iron overload.

For years, an iron-free male multi was nearly impossible to find on the market which lead to my formulation of UNI KEY’s Male Multiple.

The Male Multiple is not only iron-free, but contains the highest amounts of B vitamins including 100 mg of B6, 1000 mcg of B12 and 800 mcg of folic acid so helpful in keeping homocysteine levels low—another cardio risk factor that can come into play.

In addition, this comprehensive multi is uniquely designed to meet a man’s special needs and includes saw palmetto and lycopene for extra prostate protection, plant enzymes to support healthy digestion and a resveratrol blend for anti-aging.

And, the good news is, it’s absorbed easily…

Patricia B. reports, “This is the only multivitamin that my husband can take. All other multivitamins make him nauseous. He has been taking it for 5 years.”
 
 

With Father’s Day just around the corner, isn’t it time you got serious about protecting, healing and supercharging your man’s body?

P.S.  If  “he” needs to lose that beer belly and those love handles, do check out our Smoothie Shakedown. It’s so effective for men that Dave F.  just lost 30 lbs in 30 days (read his story)!

Related Articles and Podcasts

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

16 Comments

  1. Whitney

    I was wondering if you have considered replacing folic acid in all your products with the methylated form. According to Dr. Ben at MTHFR.net, the stats show that almost 50% of the population have some version of the MTHF gene mutation. Why not play it safe.

    Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Ann Louise

      Thanks for your comment, Whitney. UNI KEY has become very aware of both the importance of methylated folic acid and methylated B12 for those with various types of methylation issues. Since I personally have the MTHFR genetic defect on point A1298C from both parents (one of the most unusual patterns), I am also aware of the growing concern among consumers. UNI KEY is currently working slowly but surely to replace existing formulas in the most expedient manner.

      Reply
  2. Cindy bendel

    Where is the supplement sourced or manufactured? If it’s US great, China not so much.

    Reply
  3. Ann Louise

    Dear Cindy:

    The Male Multiple is sourced from the purest raw materials available from the United States and Europe. All UNI KEY products are third party tested for purity and efficacy.

    Reply
  4. Jann Bolick

    Thank you for your fearsome four suggestion. I was just at a major medical center with a friend who because of fast action avoided damage from a major blockage in the widow maker’s LAD. No mention of testing on the different sizes of cholesterol . I have followed your work from your very first book and know you were the clinical nutritionist at Pritikin. Now with a stent in place, I would like a consult with you or staff member. This is an individual who is not overweight had hiked 10 miles on Sunday and played three sets of tennis on the evening before the event. All parameters in the normal range…..has to be sticky type cholesterol. Thanks for your great work and dedication. Look forward to hearing from you. Jann

    Reply
    • Ann Louise

      Dear Jann: Thank you for your kind comments. If you will call UNI KEY, my official distributor for all my products and formulations, you will be able to reach Liz Beck, the staff nutritionist, with whom you can set up a personal consultation. Best wishes to you!

      Reply
      • Jann Bolick

        Thank you

        Reply
  5. Joane Hodge

    Are the requirements to reduce cholesterol the same for women as men as stated in the Cholesterol Myth? Taking four pills feels excessive for any one condition?

    Reply
  6. Ann Louise

    Dear Joane: Thank you for your post. The supplements I have listed above in my blog all work synergistically with various and unique functions to protect heart health. This is the program that works and I did not include a high quality fish oil (like the UNI KEY Super EPA that is free of mercury and other contaminants)but chose to list dietary sources of natural anti-inflammatories for those that want to emphasize the dietary route.

    The supplements are equally as important for women as for men.

    In addition, because women can start to stockpile iron after menopause – iron is lost during menstruation – an iron-free multiple, like the Male Multiple, may also be indicated. We have many women who use the Male Multiple for this reason.

    Reply
  7. Joan

    Can iron in the multiple vitamin cause problems. I love the women’s powder formula vitamin but it only comes w iron. My hot flashes are very strong after ingesting the vitamin in my protein shake

    Reply
    • Team ALG

      Most post menopausal women would do best with a multi that is iron free. Ann Louise has helped formulate one called the Copper and Iron Free Female Multiple, available through UNI KEY. Here is the link for more information http://www.unikeyhealth.com/product/Female_Multiple

      Reply
  8. Joan

    Finally, my 28 yr old daughter has anal fissures only 2 months after giving birth.
    I have been searching your site for suggestions for her. She is worried she may have Crohns Disease. No one in our family has suffered w Crohn’s. She is on Zoloft for post partum depression .
    I have suggested she start on the L Glutemiene powder right away. Could she have parasites?
    What recommendations would you have for her?
    Thank you-
    Faithful Follower

    Reply
    • Team ALG

      Hi Joan, If you would you please, call and speak with a UNI KEY Wellness Consultant at 1.800.888.4353 for personalized assistance with your questions.

      Reply
  9. Kay

    Hello Team ALG,
    I would like to know if I should give my husband the D-Ribose while he is using YC Cleanse? He does best on a several days-a-week maintenance program of YC Cleanse after going through a couple of bottles of it. He is also using all of the products listed by Ann Louise in the above article,with great results,along with other products for coronary artery disease. I am just afraid that the Ribose might feed the yeast. One morning, he got real bloated after the meal that included the ribose. I stopped giving him the Ribose after that. It was soon after he had been off of the YC cleanse for a few weeks and had recently started on it again. I am not sure what to do now, whether to use both? He does best if he gets the YC cleanse regularly, even though he does not ingest foods or beverages that feed yeast, except once every few weeks. Thank you for any advice that you can give me!

    Reply
    • Lisa L.

      Kay, If your husband was one of my nutrition clients I would suggest that he stop taking the D-Ribose since it looks like he is having a reaction to it. Normally a clinical dose of D-Ribose would not be a problem, but he may be sensitive.

      Reply
      • Kay

        Thanks Lisa. He did fine on it until I introduced the YC Cleanse back into his protocol. I think it may be too much “sugar” while he is yeast-cleansing. This is my opinion and I wanted to get Team ALG’s opinion too. I do appreciate your input! He is someone who will need to use YC Cleanse on a maintenance basis permanently. I just would like to see him use the Ribose also. But fruit of any kind, even blueberries, makes him “yeasty”, so I am afraid that the Ribose may cause the candida to grow in his body.

        Reply

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