The hidden culprit causing arteriosclerosis (I)

by HealthcareYounger 2023.05.15 15 分鐘閱讀

文章目錄

The hidden killer of vascular health

"I haven't eaten offal or drunk alcohol for a long time, why is my cholesterol still high?"

"I've been paying attention to my diet, why is my cholesterol still high?"

Such complaints and helpless words must be heard very often!

Cholesterol has always been a topic of concern to everyone. In order to control cholesterol, I would constantly examine food with a magnifying glass to find out which foods are helpful in lowering cholesterol and which foods will make cholesterol out of control. Eggs were once forbidden to be eaten, but now they are allowed to be eaten. I was afraid of seafood and offal. I thought that as long as I ate cholesterol in food, the situation would become worse. I ate carefully every day, and if I accidentally broke the rules, I would start to worry about my cholesterol. This kind of life is too difficult!

"In fact, you may have misunderstood cholesterol. It is a necessity for the body, and the lower the better."

Let me tell you a secret: Cholesterol is not as scary as you think. Instead, it is a good partner of your body, helping to repair cell membranes, produce important hormones and vitamin D, and even protect your nerve cells.

The process of thrombosis is a long one. The indicator we should be concerned about all the time is not cholesterol. Rather, it is the earliest indicator that can be detected during the process of thrombosis, which represents endothelial damage and inflammation and the earliest risk indicator of arteriosclerosis – oxidized low-density lipoprotein [1].

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is responsible for transporting cholesterol in the body, but oxidized LDL is more harmful to the vascular endothelium due to the influence of free radicals and oxidative stress. It is because of this mutation that it plays the role of the culprit in atherosclerosis.

"OxLDL represents the main culprit in current theories of atherosclerosis" 【2】

The link between oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and cardiovascular disease has been confirmed in a large number of studies. The presence of oxLDL is associated with the formation of atherosclerosis, especially plaque formation and hardening of the arteries in the blood vessel walls. When oxLDL accumulates on the blood vessel walls, it causes an inflammatory response, attracting white blood cells to enter the blood vessel walls and forming plaques. These plaques gradually grow larger, block blood vessels, and eventually lead to cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

So, stop focusing all your attention on cholesterol. Your blood sugar and inflammation are the real issues! High blood sugar and excessive free radicals are the "cause" of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) accumulation in blood vessels, not high cholesterol. Once we understand this cause-and-effect relationship, we will understand that cholesterol exists to repair inflamed blood vessel cells. Therefore, accumulated cholesterol is the "result", not the cause.

Let's reposition the image of cholesterol! It is not your enemy, but your body's good friend. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein oxLDL is the culprit, wreaking havoc in your blood vessels. Therefore, stop complaining about why cholesterol won't leave you, and focus on controlling blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and maintaining good blood vessel health. Only then can oxidized low-density lipoprotein oxLDL disappear from your body!