CHOLESTEROL REPAIRS BRAIN TISSUE

I don't know all the details involved in why damaged tissue responds so well to cholesterol, but the findings so far are extremely interesting.  My one concern is that if someone begins consuming large amounts or larger amounts of certain kinds of cholesterol, will that produce kidney stones or gallstones? Therein lies at least one caveat.  But it does seem to be the case that a high intake of cholesterol foods is excellent for repairing the brain and other tissue. When we think of the brain, it's important to remember the layers of tissue, the substructure so to speak of the net of neurons and dendrites.  For these to have a place to implant themselves, the brain tissue not only has to be intact but it has to have the necessary building blocks for the nerves, brain tissue, dendrites, myelin sheath, and so forth.  One report on Alzheimer's brain repair says

Cholesterol acts to interlock 'lipid molecules,' which stabilize cell membranes," writes Shane Ellison, M.S., in his book Health Myths Exposed.  "Cholesterol is a vital building block for all bodily tissues.  Lowering such a vital molecule is absurdity.  To illustrate, imagine that your house represents your body and the nails holding it together cholesterol.  Now start pulling each and every nail out of  the houes.  What happens?  The house turns to a pile of rubble.  The same is true for the human body." 

Again, my biggest problem with popular health and nutrition literature is its literacy and wording to the point of absurdity and meaninglessness.  When the above writer offers the analogy of "imagine that your house represents your body and the nails holding it together cholesterol," that is such a terrible analogy because nails don't contain any biological chemistry that interacts with the cells, fluids, or hormones.  It only seems to have the effect of reducing the importance of cholesterol.  It doesn't inspire; it only redirects and diverts meaningful results and conclusions.  It's only when he ends his point by saying "The same is true for the human body" that leaves me only shaking my head.  I've never read such a bad analogy.  I mean that was absolutely bush league, 3rd-grade stuff.  Terrible.  "The same is true for the human body"?  Aside from the appalling lack of high school vocabulary, the logic is missing.  Disappointing.  

Lots of questions.  One, which food that is high in cholesterol should one consume?  Any food high in cholesterol?  Doubtful about that.  Shrimp is high in cholesterol.  Seafood in general has a fortifying effect.  Is this why?  Perhaps.  A nice halibut or salmon fillet will fix people right up.  But is this all?  Or does a person need another supplement with it, say, like Vitamin C or Vitamin B? Do these nutrients exist in some small quantity in a piece of fish, say, from the plankton?  Anyway, cholesterol is necessary, perhaps even vital for tissue repair.  So if you're into contact sports or your son is, be sure to feed him fish.  Regularly.  So that his muscles and organs repair in good fashion.  

So, we know that cholesterol is important for health and strength. Knowing this, how can anyone be on a steady prescription of statins that breaks down cholesterol and the tissues that it supports? 

What this all means for statin drugs, which mainstream medicine has ridiculously dubbed 'miracle drugs,' is that their cholesterol inhibiting properties can cause serious health problems down the road.  By interfering with the liver's natural function of producing cholesterol, statin drugs can actually strip the body of much-needed cholesterol, and cause serious nervous system and cognitive damage.  

CHOLESTEROL & STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

You would expect the folks at Weston A. Price to defend the use of cholesterol in the repair of the brain or any other tissue in the body. And so they do; in this case, Natasha Campbell-McBride points to the role of structural integrity that cholesterol plays in your body,

First of all, saturated fats and cholesterol make the membranes of the cells firm—without them the cells would become flabby and fluid. If we humans didn’t have cholesterol and saturated fats in the membranes of our cells, we would look like giant worms or slugs. And we are not talking about a few molecules of cholesterol here and there. In many cells, almost half of the cell membrane is made from cholesterol. Different kinds of cells in the body need different amounts of cholesterol, depending on their function and purpose. If the cell is part of a protective barrier, it will have a lot of cholesterol in it to make it strong, sturdy and resistant to any invasion. If a cell or an organelle inside the cell needs to be soft and fluid, it will have less cholesterol in its structure.

This ability of cholesterol and saturated fats to firm up and reinforce the tissues in the body is used by our blood vessels, particularly those that have to withstand the high pressure and turbulence of the blood flow. These are usually large or medium arteries in places where they divide or bend. The flow of blood pounding through these arteries forces them to incorporate a layer of cholesterol and saturated fat in the membranes, which makes it stronger, tougher and more rigid. These layers of cholesterol and fat are called fatty streaks. They are completely normal and form in all of us, starting from birth and sometimes even before we are born. Various indigenous populations around the world, who never suffer from heart disease, have plenty of fatty streaks in their blood vessels in old and young, including children. Fatty streaks are not indicative of the disease called atherosclerosis.  

A couple of good points here.  One, "Different kinds of cells in the body need different amounts of cholesterol, depending on their function and purpose."  That's important.  It's an important defense against the more sweeping "cholesterol is bad for you arguments" that we are used to hearing.  Two, it makes us aware that different organs and tissues in our body use cholesterol differently and in different amounts.  So don't worry about cholesterol.  In fact, cholesterol should be thought of as your friend.  The other point I liked was that cholesterol and saturated fats . . . firm up and reinforce . . . tissues in the body."  That bodes well for repair, don't you think? 

MYELIN: VITAL BRAIN MATTER?

Fascinating stuff. 

One of the most abundant materials in the brain and the rest of our nervous system is a fatty substance called myelin. Myelin coats every nerve cell and every nerve fiber like the insulating cover around electric wires. Apart from insulation, it provides nourishment and protection for every tiny structure in our brain and the rest of the nervous system. People who start losing their myelin develop a condition called multiple sclerosis. Well, 20 percent of myelin is cholesterol. If you start interfering with the body’s ability to produce cholesterol, you put the very structure of the brain and the rest of the nervous system under threat.

The synthesis of myelin in the brain is tightly connected with the synthesis of cholesterol. In my clinical experience, foods with high cholesterol and high animal fat content are an essential medicine for a person with multiple sclerosis. One of the most wonderful abilities we humans are blessed with is the ability to remember things—our human memory. How do we form memories? By our brain cells establishing connections with each other, called synapses. The more healthy synapses a person’s brain can make, the more mentally able and intelligent that person is. Scientists have discovered that synapse formation is almost entirely dependent on cholesterol, which is produced by the brain cells in a form called apolipoprotein E. Without the presence of this factor we cannot form synapses, and hence we would not be able to learn or remember anything. Memory loss is one of the side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs.

In my clinic, I see growing numbers of people with memory loss who have been taking cholesterol- lowering pills. Dr Duane Graveline, MD, former NASA scientist and astronaut, suffered such memory loss while taking his cholesterol pill. He managed to save his memory by stopping the pill and eating lots of cholesterol-rich foods. Since then he has described his experience in his book, Lipitor: Thief of Memory, Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol in fresh eggs and other cholesterol-rich foods has been shown in scientific trials to improve memory in the elderly. In my clinical experience, any person with memory loss or learning problems needs to have plenty of these foods every single day in order to recover.

Finding the right foods, and by right I mean healthy foods, that are also high in cholesterol can be a challenge.  I just searched online and the sites that show up early in a Google search were mixed, combining all foods that are high in cholesterol whether good or bad.  For example, I saw chocolate chip cookies and baked muffins in the same article on foods high in cholesterol with beef liver and shellfish, both of which are good for you if your goal is tissue repair.  Not all high-cholesterol foods are created equal.  It also had hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, and fried chicken.  Well, there are benefits and detriments to each food.  I would stay away from the fried chicken, especially commercially fried chicken like Kentucky, Church's, Popeye's, and others.  Chicken fried at home not so bad.  Chicken is good.  You get meat that comes with its own bones.  The nutrients in the bones are good.  Think homemade chicken soup.  

FOODS HIGH IN CHOLESTEROL
1.  Eggs.
2.  Shrimp.
3.  Raw Cow's Butter.
4. 

Functions of Cholesterol

Cholesterol is the mortar used to fortify cell membranes. It provides the stiffness and stability they need to work.

Our hormones are made from cholesterol. Estrogen, testosterone and a host of other hormones necessary for function are produced from cholesterol. Corticosteroids, the hormones that protect the body from stress and protect the functioning of the immune system, are made from cholesterol.

The brain and nervous system depend upon cholesterol for both the creation of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine and their ability to attach to receptors.

Cholesterol is necessary to produce vitamin D–low levels of which have been linked to depression and heart disease.

Bile salts, necessary for the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and protein, are created with cholesterol.

Cholesterol helps maintain the intestinal wall, protecting the body from inflammation and exaggerated immune response.

Mother’s breast milk is 60% cholesterol. It is necessary for the development of the infant’s brain and nervous system. Recommendations to limit fat and cholesterol in the diets of young children resulted in increased infant mortality.

Cholesterol is the cavalry of the immune system. When damage and inflammation occur in blood vessels, cholesterol rushes to the site to make repairs and protect membranes. Cholesterol acts as an antioxidant to protect cells and tissue from free radical damage.

Onions:  "quercetin absorption from onions is double that [of] tea and three times that [of] apples."

I have eaten garlic medicinally.  What that means is that whenever I feel sick or anxiety I take a clove of garlic at bed.  I crush the clove so garlic's chemicals can be released and made easier for absorbtion.  The result is spectacular.  My blood vessels get dilated, and the benefits are more energy.  Love it.  And the following day I feel sturdier.  

But sometimes the garlic can work adversely on my stomach.  Still, I know that garlic and other root vegetables or onions, allium vegetables, are good for the heart.  Least that's what I've heard and read.  My dad once told me that he eats onions "because they're good for the heart."  In fact, he used to make his own sandwiches and always add a wedge of onion and a few peppers to it and take that to work. Don't know how he got around the smell at work.  Funny. Remember, too, how on long vacation drives he would wrap up sandwiches and always, always I'd find a wedge of onion wrapped in the tin foil in which he kept his sandwich. So he knew. This is not news.  Just an important reminder. Eat your onions.  Eat them raw. 

A little side note on onions: 

Onions have been cultivated for thousands of years and originated in the Near East and Central Asia. They were grown not only for use in cooking, but for their antiseptic qualities. In Egypt, onions were used in mummification. The most familiar allium is the common, or bulb, onion of the species Allium cepa, which may have a yellow, white, red, or purple skin. While onions may be fresh, they are most commonly purchased dried. Fresh, also called “sweet”, onions have a milder taste. Dry, also called “storage,” onions, have a stronger flavor. Dry onions have thick, paper-like skins. The vast majority of onions purchased at the supermarket are yellow storage onions. Pungent yellow onions are the best “keepers” and are great additions to soups and stews, while red onions are very sweet, but a poor choice for long-term storage. Red onions are good sliced and eaten raw in salads or sandwiches, or for topping a veggie burger. Common mild onions include Bermuda and Spanish varieties. Pearl onions -- which are most often white -- are the tiniest of the bulb onions, and are the top choice for boiling or pickling.  

WHY ARE ONIONS GOOD FOR YOU?

In a word, quercetin.  Quercetin is a flavonoid, chemicals that give the fruit or vegetable its flavor.  Onions are also a disease-fighting food.  Dr. Joseph Mercola explains that 

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that may help fight chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.  In lab studies, quercetin was shown to prevent histamine release (histaminese are the chemicals that cause allergic reactions.  This makes quercetin-rich foods like onions "natural anti-histamines."  

I knew that apples and onions contained quercetin; I just didn't know the extent of quercetin's benefits.  I mean almost since the term anti-oxidants gained traction in the public discourse, that seems that that's all we hear about.  But anti-oxidants are not created equal, nor do they function equally. 

Mercola adds that 

While apples and tea also contain quercetin, onions appear to be a particularly good source.  Research from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands showed quercetin absorption from onions is double that from tea and three times that from apples.

Research from the University also showed consuming onions leads to increased quercetin concentrations in the blood.  As reported by The World's Healthiest Foods

". . . On an ounce-for-ounce basis, onions rank in the top of commonly eaten vegetables in their quercetin content.  The flavonoid content of onions can vary widely, depending on the exact variety and growing conditions.

Although the average onion is likely to contain less than 100 milligrams of quercetin per 3-1/2 ounces, some onions do provide this amount.  

And while 100 milligrams may not sound like a lot, in the United States, moderate vegetable eaters average only twice this amount for all flavonoids (not just quercetin) from all vegetables per day." 

ONIONS or QUERCETIN SUPPLEMENTS?

Mercola answers this question too.  In the context of concentration, it is hard to beat food remedies.  

Quercetin is available in supplement form, but there are a couple of reasons why getting this flavonoid from onions makes more sense.  

*  One animal study found that animals received greater protection against oxidative stress when they consumed yellow onion in their diet as opposed to consuming quercetin extracts.  

*  Quercetin is not degraded by low-heat cooking, such as simmering.  When preparing a soup with onions, the quercetin will be transferred into the brother of the soup, making onion soup an easy-to-make superfood.  

Good to know.  

I started eating more onions, raw, to address some digestion discomfort.  Turns out that onions are really good for the colon.

Organosulfur compounds [in onions] such as diallyl disulfide (DDS), S-allylcysteine (SAC), and S-methylcysteine (SMC) have been shown to inhibit colon and renal carcinogenesis.  

That has to sit well with almost every reader even those who don't like onions.  

Onions contain sulfur, too, as you know.  And Mercola explains its benefits when you consume onions.  

The sulfur compounds in onions, for instance, are thought to have anti-clotting properties as well as help to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.  The allium and allyl disulphide in onions have also been found to decrease blood vessel stiffness by releasing nitric oxide.  

I have first-hand experience with that.  He adds that . . .  

This may reduce blood pressure (always a good thing, no?) inhibit platelet clot formation and help decrease the risk of coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular diseases and stroke. [Amazing!]  The quercetin in onions is also beneficial, offering both anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may boost heart health.  

All I can say is wow.

Isolation Is Not Good for You. So Make a Friend. Or Reconnect With an Old Friend.  Serve.

Being socially isolated is just as bad for your stress levels as smoking researchers claim.  (Photo by Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)

by Paul Gallagher

Having a small social network is as bad for your health as smoking, according to a new study. Researchers from Yale University showed that a person’s position in the social network is associated with blood markers of stress. They discovered that the more people who would call you a friend the lower the levels of fibrinogen, a predictor of heart attack and stroke, in your blood. However, reeling off a long list of those we consider friends does not have the same effect. The number of friends and relatives named by an individual, reflecting the perceived social network, is only weakly related to fibrinogen levels. The association between social isolation and fibrinogen is comparable to the effect of smoking, and greater than that of low education, a conventional measure of socioeconomic disadvantage, the scientists said. What matters is how others see us, not how we see them. Biggest health risks Ischaemic heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease, and stroke are the biggest health risks of social isolation and thes conditions are also the two leading causes of death worldwide.  

Keep reading . . .   You will have to be your own judge on this.  I do know that not knowing anybody hurts.  I know that being homeless or the feeling of homelessness is stressful.  No doubt.  But if you're tied into people, even on the periphery or even online helps.  We often overestimate the number and the quality of our friendships and as do our friends do about us.  And then there is production.  What about production?  We have to produce and create things of value in order to feel, well, valuable and to have a meaningful life.  And, of course, what people can do is up to them.  I drove a truck and ran deliveries with sometimes 50 to 100 miles between stops in the mountain towns of Colorado. That drive can be lonely.  Sitting for long periods with my legs bent at the knees for an hour or more can be stressful.  In fact, it was stressful.  It is why I left that position for more mobile work.  Yet, the folks in the mountain towns relied on me.  They needed their equipment, particularly if they ordered it before the snow storm and could only have it delivered weeks after the storm ended.  

"It's going to be real bad."

According to Wenzel, "It's going to be real bad. Note: These calculations were done by Charles Gaba before Aetna dropped out of 536 markets. Thus, these projections underestimate the premium increases."

This will not end well.  The above figures are the 2017 increases in Obamacare rates according to those respective states.

California rate will be going up 13.2%.
Oregon's rate will be going up 26%.
Texas going up 53.7%.  That's insane.
Washington up 13.5%.
Illinois going up 23 to 45%.  Crazy.
Tennessee is going up 27%.
Florida up 17.7%.
New York up 17.3%.
Maine up 22.8%.
These make the national inflation rate of 1% neglible.

(Sources: Steve Hanke, Zero Hedge, Charles Gaba)

This should put the issue into perspective as well as the rewards from each. I knowingly ordered farm-raised salmon from a local store a few years back and got horribly sick. There are folks out there who continue to dismiss the difference. The little things make huge differences. Don't make a mistake on the little things; they may come back to bite you.

Farmed Salmon is FULL of Antibiotics and Mercury, Here’s How to Tell If Your Salmon is Safe https://t.co/ELPe3cDs34 pic.twitter.com/ExzUlMHhNS

— Dave Asprey (@bulletproofexec) August 16, 2016