—5—
An Evaluation of Cholesterol

Cholesterol is the starting substance for the biosynthesis of many of our most important hormones. The term hormone refers to a biochemical substance that controls cell and tissue function. One of these is cortisol, our most important stress hormone. Its primary functions are:

• To activate glucose and fatty acids, the sources of energy for each cell, and
• to activate the minerals potassium and sodium, which regulate the entirety of our physical and cerebral performance.

Dr. Hartenbach, university researcher and teacher, specialist in vascular surgery, with decades of research on nutritional diseases, cancer, and vascular diseases, found that moderate stress, such as from athletic competition, causes a two- to four-fold increase in cortisol production. More severe stress—such as that from surgery, an accident or top-level athletic competition of longer duration—can boost cortisol levels by a factor of ten. [12, 16]

When cortisol levels go up, the liver increases its cholesterol production. Incidentally, the liver produces 85 percent of the body’s cholesterol—only 15 percent comes from food.

Cortisol in the body keeps allergies in check. It improves blood clotting by increasing the number of blood platelets and therefore helps to stop bleeding. Cortisol stabilizes the heart and blood circulation, and regulates blood pressure. It prevents uncontrolled cell growth and division, including that of cancerous cells.

Without cortisol, your body could not perform physically and this would have a direct and negative impact on mental processes as well. Without cortisol there would be no physical life. Since cholesterol is the starting material for cortisol, you can see how dangerous it can be to reduce cholesterol with cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Cholesterol is also the starting substance for the biosynthesis of the male and female sex hormones. These hormones are, of course, responsible for sexual function. But they also control the formation of muscles and bones—and they regulate your sleep.

Dr. Max Otto Bruker, renowned physician and one of the world’s leading researchers on nutritional medicine, writes in his book “Cholesterol—the Vital Substance”: “If the popular press would tomorrow broadcast that without sufficient cholesterol, there would be no capacity of sex or reproduction, the cholesterol problem would at once be resolved. The reputation of butter would be restored and the whole scam would be over. The need for cholesterol for a good sex life cannot be overemphasized.” [36]

The main functions of sex hormones include:

• Male potency;
• Female fertility;
• Building up of muscle protein (sex hormones are also known as anabolics);
• Controlling the incorporation of stabilizing protein and calcium into the skeletal system, which in turn prevents osteoporosis;
• Regulation of sleep.

Cholesterol is the starting substance for the biosynthesis of the hormone aldosterone, which regulates your body’s entire mineral metabolism.

It is also the starting compound for the body to manufacture the bile acids that regulate fat digestion and bowel movement.

Cholesterol is needed to make vitamin D, which in turn is essential for building and maintaining stable bones and joints. Sufficient levels of vitamin D appear to lower an individual’s risk of developing certain cancers—including colon, breast, and ovarian cancer—by up to 50 percent, according to cancer prevention specialists at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center. [37]

Last but not least, cholesterol is the primary building block for the walls of the trillions of cells in the body. These cells carry out the functions of your organs and keep the body alive.

Cholesterol is not a dangerous, villainous substance but rather one of the most essential and valuable building blocks of your body.

‘Good’ cholesterol and ‘bad’ cholesterol is a marketing myth which has taken hold and has generated billions of dollars in cholesterol lowering drugs and products. The truth is that there are two different biochemical cholesterol transport compounds: LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) and HDL (High Density Lipoprotein). These two compounds have different functions. LDL transports cholesterol from the liver where it is manufactured to the cells of the body. HDL transports cholesterol to the liver. The myth of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol stems from misconceptions that cholesterol builds up in the arterial walls because LDL transports cholesterol to the cells. While this is not true, how this actually works is explained in detail later in this book.

It is the false claim that every adult with a cholesterol level above 200 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) is to be considered ill and therefore in need of medical treatment that has further supported the billion dollar drug and cholesterol lowering industry. If this false claim were true, it would mean that practically the entire adult population of the world would be labeled ill and in need of treatment. And, while this may be a ‘reassuring’ business premise for drug company stockholders and investors, it totally neglects the needs, health and well-being of the consumers.

The average total cholesterol level worldwide for adults is 250 mg/dl (80 to 90 percent of the adult population). Values up to 350 mg/dl are not unusual. They are, in fact, still normal, point to a considerable vitality and should actually be evaluated positively. [12]

There is not only evidence that people with high cholesterol live the longest, but also that high cholesterol even protects against infections and arteriosclerosis [38A].

Cholesterol levels of 400 mg/dl to 1000 mg/dl and above point to a metabolic disorder of the mitochondria (the energy generation plants of the body) or to a hereditary hypercholesterolemia. This disease is caused by a lack of receptor (cholesterol receiving) molecules on the surface of the cells. As a result the absorption of cholesterol into the cells is seriously decreased—and, with that, the vital cholesterol supply for the sealing of the cell walls and for the mitochondria (the energy production plants in the cells). This situation causes an ever-increasing blood cholesterol level. Over the years this leads to cholesterol deposits in all of the organs and eventually the blood vessel walls; however, these deposits have nothing in common with arteriosclerosis (the common human arterial disease), and have in fact quite a different appearance. The continuous lack of cholesterol in all cells leads to premature exhaustion of cell division and to consequent multiple cancerous growths.

The following chart shows the average and upper cholesterol levels for the population in the USA. The chart also points out from which values on upwards non-medicated treatments of a possible metabolic disorder could be indicated.

Cholesterol Blood Levels (mg/dl = milligrams per deciliter) [12]

Age

Average Level

Upper Limit

Treatment Required

10 - 19

175 mg/dl

230 mg/dl

approx. from 300 mg/dl

25 - 29

198 mg/dl

270 mg/dl

approx. from 350 mg/dl

40 - 59

50 mg/dl

350 mg/dl

approx. from 400 mg/dl

65 - 85

slightly decreasing

330 mg/dl

approx. from 400 mg/dl

It is important to note that when measuring cholesterol levels, one needs to keep in mind that they are subject to considerable fluctuations. Physical and mental stresses increase the liver’s production of cholesterol in order to provide the body with what it actually needs to meet and deal with the additional challenges. This is not unusual and should be taken into account when one attempts to measure cholesterol levels. One may have to measure the cholesterol several times before one gets a clear picture of what the cholesterol level actually is on average.

The main point here is: Cholesterol is one of the key building substances for all of the body’s cells and for many vital hormones. It enables optimum cellular structure and function. Cholesterol regulates and stabilizes physical life in all areas of the body. It is the substance that guarantees the longevity and the orderly division of cells, thus protecting the body from cancerous degeneration....