Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like substance found in every cell of the body. We need cholesterol to help digest fats, strengthen cell membranes, insulate nerves, and make hormones.

Cholesterol is made primarily in the liver, but it is also produced by cells lining the small intestine and by individual cells in the body. While our body makes all of the cholesterol we actually need (about 1,000 milligrams a day), we also get additional cholesterol from foods we eat. The highest sources of cholesterol are egg yolks and organ meats such as liver and kidney. No plant derived food contains cholesterol, not even peanut butter or avocado, even though these foods are high in fat. However, all foods from animal sources such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products contain cholesterol.

The heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. The bloodstream transports these nutrients to the heart through the coronary arteries. If the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits (atherosclerosis) and cannot supply enough blood to the heart, the result is coronary heart disease (CHD). If not enough oxygen-carrying blood reaches the heart muscle, a sharp, sudden chest pain (angina) may occur. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. This is most often caused from a blood clot forming on top of an already narrowed artery.

LDLs carry cholesterol throughout the body to the cells. LDLs cause atherosclerosis by clogging up our arteries with the continual buildup of fat. HDL, on the other hand, prevents this fat buildup within arterial walls, by carrying it away from the arteries, to the liver where it is eventually processed and eliminated.

Both LDL and HDL have been recognized by the American Heart Association as strong and independent risk factors that can impact heart health. While high levels of LDL are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease (potentially leading to heart attack or stroke), high HDL can positively impact heart health, drastically reducing your risk of heart disease. In fact, studies have shown that raising your good cholesterol reduces cardiovascular disease risks more than lowering bad cholesterol alone. As a result, the AHA along with the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) have established the following guidelines to keep your heart healthy:

There are several medications physicians can prescribe for people with elevated triglyceride levels. Some of the most effective are the statins, but keep in mind there are some potentially dangerous side effects associated with their use.

Natural medicine has thankfully found other options. Both the HDL-boosting combination and the LDL-lowering pantethine and plant sterols blend mentioned earlier can safely and effectively lower triglycerides.

I, therefore, referred to medical literature where I found that multiple nutrients that have been clinically shown to favorably alter good cholesterol levels. My formulation combines heart healthy vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, E, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, magnesium and selenium, with protein-building amino acids, powerful antioxidants, such as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), alpha lipoic acid (ALA), N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and policosanol, and extracts of hawthorn, garlic, grape seed, soy isoflavones, all of which have been shown to beneficially affect heart health.

The effects of this HDL-boosting combination were evaluated in an open label pilot study conducted at Scripps Memorial Hospital in 2002. The trial involved 50 patients, with varying cardiovascular health histories, who were evaluated prior to the study, then again at three and six months.

After three months of supplementation, good cholesterol levels increased in all groups and the overall lipid profile (i.e., HDL, HDL-2, triglycerides, homocysteine) had improved. The changes were more pronounced at the six-month time point, where good cholesterols rose by more than 11% and levels of HDL-2 (the best cholesterol) rose up to 24.4%. Additionally, the supplement helped reduced triglycerides levels by approximately 30%. These changes were even more impressive in “at risk” groups (i.e., those with HDL levels of less than 40) where total HDL increased by 23% after six months, HDL-2 rose by 50%, and triglycerides decreased by nearly 40%. Decreases in homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood that has been inversely linked to cardiovascular health, were observed as well. And since we know that an increase in HDL – as little as one percent – can reduce heart disease risk by two to three percent, these findings have significant implications for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

HDL-3, the smaller form, is produced by the liver and intestines. This subtype is responsible for scavenging or “scooping up” free cholesterol from the blood vessel walls. The cholesterol carried by HDL-3 is then chemically modified, forming a new larger-sized and more buoyant subtype, known as HDL-2, or “mature HDL,” which transports the cholesterol to the liver for processing and elimination. The HDL molecules are then recirculated in the blood stream to continue scavenging more cholesterol.

Research suggests that HDL-2, because it moves the cholesterol away from peripheral sites (like the arterial wall), provides more heart-protection than the HDL-3 form.2 It is also theorized that the larger-size holds a greater number of receptor sites, allowing HDL-2 to carry a larger amount of cholesterol to the liver.

The clinical trial measured both LDL and lipoprotein a (Lp(a)) levels. Lp(a) is a subfraction of LDL cholesterol. If HDL-2 is the best HDL, then Lp(a) could be considered the worst LDL cholesterol. This subfraction is an indicator of inflammation, and studies suggest that high levels of Lp(a) can speed up blood clot formation leading to blockage in the coronary arteries.

The study found that although the reduction in Lp(a) did not reach statistical significance, there was a general trend towards Lp(a) reduction. It is my belief that an extension of the study may lead to significant results.

In fact, both this HDL-boosting combination and the pantethine and plant sterol combination, clinically shown to reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels, have very safe profiles.

Cholesterol synthesis, or the production of cholesterol in the human body, is an incredibly complex process. It involves many biochemical reactions and enzyme activity requiring several steps.

Studies have shown that pantethine safely and effectively inhibits several of these enzymes and coenzymes. It blocks the activity of one coenzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis, HMG-CoA, by about 50%. This results in significantly lower cholesterol production. But, that’s not all. To compensate for the lowered cholesterol production, the liver pulls LDL out of the bloodstream. The end result? Studies have shown that on average, pantethine can lower total cholesterol levels by 16%, LDL cholesterol levels by 14%, serum triglycerides by 38%, and can raise HDL cholesterol by 10%.

The liver receives about 800 mg of cholesterol every day from intestinal absorption. Cholesterol is absorbed from the intestines through receptor sites—special channels that are shaped exactly like cholesterol molecules. The cholesterol enters these channels and is then absorbed into the bloodstream. Because plant sterols look like cholesterol, they fit perfectly into these channels. The cholesterol, being blocked from absorption, remains in our intestines where it is eventually excreted.

If we eat enough plant sterols, the amount of cholesterol transported from the intestinal tract to the liver is greatly reduced. And, just like pantethine’s effect on the liver, this cholesterol reduction causes the liver to pull LDL cholesterol out of the blood, reducing both total and LDL cholesterol levels.

Because of the potential side effects, physicians today generally do not prescribe statin drugs to people without actual heart disease or high cholesterol levels. Rather, they recommend dietary and lifestyle changes be implemented first. However, as we’ve discussed these changes are in some instances not enough to favorably alter undesirable cholesterol profiles. Fortunately, the HDL-boosting combination and the LDL-lowering pantethine and plant sterols blend can naturally and very effectively help those people with heart disease, uncontrolled cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels (or all three!) as well as those of us just wanting added “health insurance” for our hearts.