The levels of cholesterol in the blood may become too high. This condition is known as high cholesterol or hyperlipidemia. With high levels of LDL cholesterol there is an enormous risk of heart diseases as well as an increased risk of strokes. LDL cholesterol affects the lining of blood vessels by irritating them and stimulating atherosclerosis, which is a hardening of the arteries. It then becomes imperative to lower cholesterol levels by fair means or foul. Increased age leads to an increased risk.

A growing number of people have become suspicious of the possible overprescribing of their Doctor. To this end Herbs become more and more popular to treat and prevent Cholesterol. Herbs that lower cholesterol are an effective and natural method that can provide results. Niacin or vitamin B3 is effective as a cholesterol treatment by reducing LDL cholesterol by ten to twenty percent and increasing HDL cholesterol by fifteen to thirty percent as well as significantly reducing lipoprotein A.

Another cholesterol lowering herb is artichoke leaf, this works by limiting the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. Artichokes are also known to contain cynarin that (it is said) increases bile production in the liver and speeds the flow of bile from the gallbladder, together increasing the excretion of cholesterol.

Other herb products that lower cholesterol include plant stanols and sterols. these are naturally occurring substances found in some plants. Stanols can also be found in dietary supplements or are added to margarine, orange juice as well as in dressings. According to research findings, plant stanols help reduce cholesterol, and being similar in structure to cholesterol, help in blocking absorption of cholesterol from the intestines.

One must keep in mind the need to maintain a healthy balance with vitamins and herbs as well as a well balanced diet to keep the arteries smooth as well as clear. Garlic is considered the ultimate herb. It lowers cholesterol, and has an antioxidant activity that can protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation.

Eating lots of soy products as substitutes for meat are yet an other herbal item that lower cholesterol, which enhance liver metabolism of LDL cholesterol. They are also said to increase HDL cholesterol, and it is believed that 1/2 of soy may help in reducing total cholesterol by ten percent and LDL cholesterol by 15 percent.

There are a lot of misconceptions, and outright false information on how cholesterol levels effect your heart. For the past four decades the common wisdom has been that there were two types of cholesterol. High density lipoproteins or HDL, the ”good” cholesterol, or low density lipoproteins or LDL, the ”bad” cholesterol.

Research has shown that it is not so much the cholesterol that can have a negative effect on the heart, but the carrier of the cholesterol…the lipoproteins. In fact, the Framingham Heart Study done in 1977 found that in men and women 50 and older, “total cholesterol per se is not a risk for coronary heart disease at all.”

So why do we believe that LDL and saturated fats are so bad for us? This is due to studies that showed eating saturated fats increased the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood. This led to the assumption that it was the saturated fat that was the culprit. The assumption is false as clinical trials have shown there is no compelling evidence that saturated fat in the diet causes heart disease.

Another reason for the belief that LDL is bad are drugs like Zocor and Lipitor which lower LDL cholesterol and also prevent heart attacks. This is understood as cause and effect, and is so prevalent that the FDA now approves drugs to prevent heart disease based solely on evidence they lower LDL cholesterol. The problem is these drugs have multiple actions and it is like saying aspirin prevents heart attacks by getting rid of headaches.

Recent testing, such as the trials of Vytorin and torcetrapib, a drug that both lowers LDL while raising HDL…which was halted before completion as it appeared to cause both heart attacks and strokes…have not proven the cause and effect of LDL on heart disease. Estrogen replacement also lowers LDL, but has had no positive impact on lowering heart disease. The same is true for eating less saturated fat.

Statins may be effective as they reduce inflammation, which is considered a risk for heart disease. They also help to keep the walls of the arteries healthy. Statins also have an effect on the lipoproteins themselves. They reduce the number of low density lipoproteins in the blood, including the most dangerous form of LDL, which are very small and dense lipoproteins.

So what are we to make of these seemingly conflicting claims and counter-claims? First we need to to examine our assumptions on how to deal with the problem of heart disease, which is at epidemic proportions in much of the world. We need to get rid of the idea that all of our health needs can be found in a bottle.

Physical activity done at a level that triggers the natural energy cycle and balance that we all possess will determine our diet. We have been putting the cart before the horse. Diet is secondary and completely dependent on your activity level. The primary source of so many of our current health problems is our sedentary life-style.

A healthy heart is an active heart. It really is that simple. No rocket science here, just the common sense that we all possess but have been lulled into abandoning in the tidal wave of hype coming from the interests that care much more about making money then they do about our health.