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.

Cholesterol medications are traditionally treated with cholesterol lowering medications; statins. Statins have been known to have devastating effects on the body. Common side effects include; weakness throughout the arms and legs, gas, heartburn, nausea, bloating and diarrhea, as well as more serious side effects. There are many natural ways that we can lower our cholesterol besides the traditional medication options, as well as reduced diet and exercise. Whether the food that we eat, or the choices that we choose to input into our body.

Taking a quality multi vitamin daily can decrease the risk for heart disease, and lower the risk for cholesterol to become elevated. Important components of the multi vitamin include vitamin B12 and folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease by thirty one percent. Folic acid is important because it has been shown to decrease the blood levels of amino acids that can cause stroke, heart disease and hyperlipidemia. B vitamins are crucial within the body as they promote a healthy heart. Therefore a well rounded multi vitamin can increase your health and decrease your risk of developing not only heart disease, but many others.

If taking a multi vitamin, beware of the iron content-large amounts of iron have been known to discount the other heart healthy vitamins and increase blood cholesterol levels. Certain foods can lower cholesterol, while decreasing the risks of heart disease. Consider something so simple as a glass of orange juice, which contains plant sterols-drinking two glasses per day has been shown to decrease cholesterol. Cranberry juice is an alternative for those who do not enjoy the taste or texture of orange juice.

Red wine has been known to decrease cholesterol, in moderation of course – it seems to remove excess from the blood, it is also helpful in decreasing a chemical within the body that causes red blood cells to constrict. Other food types such as soy and tofu can assist in decreasing the cholesterol. After twelve weeks of soy infused diets participants in a study had shown decreased cholesterol by five percent over the course of the study. There are many foods that we can choose to eat that have beneficial effects on our health, rather than foods high in sugar or fats that only increase bad cholesterol within the body.