It is known that, at the time of the holidays, and with the cold among us, meals usually contain a high fat content and therefore calories, which is completely understandable.

The objective of today’s article is to provide some tips on how to prevent and deal with high cholesterol levels, as well as to offer natural options to control the levels of total cholesterol and its derivatives, in addition to triglycerides.

The famous cholesterol

Next, we will make a brief, but very necessary review about the metabolism of cholesterol in our body.

Cholesterol is an essential component of cell barrier formation and signal transduction involved in many essential physiological processes.
For this reason, cholesterol metabolism must be strictly controlled. Cellular cholesterol is acquired primarily from two sources: from the diet, which is absorbed in the gut, and through intracellular synthesis, which takes place primarily in the liver. Once acquired, both are sent to peripheral tissues in a lipoprotein-dependent mechanism. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113426

The complex functions mediated by cholesterol along with its role as a precursor and its involvement in metabolism pathways require coordinated regulation of input and output to achieve its homeostasis.
This is of great importance to avoid harmful excessive accumulation and abnormal deposition of cholesterol within the body which prevent diseases caused by a failure in cholesterol metabolism.

Dietary cholesterol absorption is the second source of cholesterol in the body after de novo synthesized cholesterol.

Cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triglycerides are the main dietary lipids and are absorbed in the gut.
Absorption by enterocytes is not an efficient process and for proper uptake, cholesterol needs to be emulsified by bile acids.
The emulsification of bile acids generates micelles of bile acids and cholesterol that are passed into the intestine.
There, intestinal lipases hydrolyze cholesterol esters to free cholesterol which is then absorbed by enterocytes via the Niemann-Pick C1-like protein 1 (NPC1L1).
The NPC1L1 protein has a cholesterol-binding site in its N-terminal domain exposed to the extracellular space and a membrane-bound C-terminal domain.
The interaction of free cholesterol with the N-terminal domain of NPC1L1 promotes a rearrangement in the intracellular domain of the protein that releases the YVNXXF-containing region of the membrane to the cytosol.
Once in the cytosol, Numb, a clathrin-adaptor protein, binds to and promotes internalization of the cholesterol-NPC1L1-Numb complex by clathrin-coated pits. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.108.179564

Once cholesterol is secreted by the liver, it travels to peripheral tissues in the form of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, very-low-density lipoproteins, or VLDL.
Once in the bloodstream, VLDLs are transformed into cholesterol-rich LDL particles by interacting with different proteins such as lipoprotein lipases or exchanging lipids and apolipoproteins with high-density lipoproteins.
LDL particles are taken up by peripheral tissue cells through the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR).
Excess cholesterol from peripheral tissues is packaged into HDL lipoproteins for elimination. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071714-034338

First, free cholesterol is transferred to lipid-poor pre-β HDL via the ATP-binding cassette A1 transporter (ABCA1).
Second, this first cholesterol load changes the HDL conformation and allows it to interact with member 1 of the ATP-binding cassette subfamily G and the SR-B1 transporters which, together with lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase, produce mature HDL particles that are transported back to the liver for elimination.

A natural alternative

As we have already talked about in another article, policosanol is a very effective substance when it comes to controlling cholesterol and triglycerides.

Policosanol is thought to lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) by inhibiting their synthesis and increasing LDL processing. Improvements in lipid profile are seen in healthy volunteers, patients with type II hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetics with hypercholesterolemia, postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia, and patients with combined hypercholesterolemia and abnormal liver function tests.
In addition, policosanol has performed as well or better than simvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, probucol, or acipimox with fewer side effects in patients with type II hypercholesterolemia. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A88823870/AONE?u=anon~a07b6c4e&sid=googleScholar&xid=38709ab8

Active CARDISTEROL is a product that, in addition to policosanol, contains omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of sudden death caused by cardiac arrhythmias and mortality in patients with known coronary artery disease.
Fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, and fish oil are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid.
In addition, they are antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory.
Approximately one gram per day of eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid is recommended to generate some type of cardioprotection.

Remember that omega-3 fatty acids are essential because they are not synthesized by the body and must be obtained through diet or supplementation.
Through an inefficient enzymatic process of desaturation (the conversion rate is less than 1 percent), ALA produces EPA (20 carbons) and DHA (22 carbons), precursors of a group of eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes) that are anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antiarrhythmic and vasodilatory.
DOI: 10.1007/s00059-004-2602-4

Conclusion

In summary, cholesterol metabolism is a complex mechanism with many factors involved that requires a high level of coordination for its management.

In general, patients with cholesterol-related diseases must take a long list of medications, with the underlying sum of adverse effects caused by them.

Our mission, as always, is to offer an alternative – Active Cardisterol – that does not collide with the therapy indicated by the health professional, but adds a non-drug option and with fewer or no side effects for the patient.

Let’s think of the upcoming holidays as an opportunity to take a look at our health, become aware of prevention and start taking charge of our well-being.

We hope you enjoyed all the articles we’ve shared with you during 2022.
The objective has been, is and will be to provide reliable, valid and scientifically contrasted information on how to attack certain health problems and improve our most precious asset.

We will meet again in 2023 with more news and healthy alternatives.
On behalf of the entire Salengei team, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!