Hello and welcome to
"Health for a Lifetime"
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Today, we're with Dr. Tim Arnott
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He is a physician at the
Lifestyle Center in Oklahoma
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Welcome doctor! Thank
you, it's good to be here
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We're going to be talking
today about heart disease,
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and so if you have
someone in your family
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that has heart disease, or if
you would like the information
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yourself, get a pen or a
pencil, take a few notes...
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You're going to find that
this is a fascinating program
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as we talk more
specifically about CHOLESTEROL!
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Doctor, what
exactly is cholesterol?
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How does the body produce
it or DOES the body produce it?
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What is it?
Cholesterol is a type of fat.
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It's a waxy substance and it's
very, very important to the body
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In fact, every cell of the
body has cholesterol in it.
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And what the
cholesterol actually does is it
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sits in the cell wall...
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In other words, the
covering of the cell
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is where the
cholesterol is found.
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And it stabilizes that
cell wall, gives it STABILITY.
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Otherwise, we'd be much
more "fluid" individuals;
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so it gives us some stability.
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So it's a GOOD thing, I
mean, so often we hear about
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cholesterol and it sounds
like it's just a BAD thing,
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but we really NEED it!
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You know, if it
wasn't for cholesterol,
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none of us would be here.
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Because cholesterol is
actually what is used...
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The raw material for
something called "progesterone"
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Progesterone is that
very important chemical
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that keeps the
pregnancy developing.
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And so if it
wasn't for cholesterol,
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we couldn't produce children.
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Now, you are a
specialist in family practice,
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and you've done work in
lifestyle medicine as well
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at the Lifestyle
Center in America there,
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what, doctor, is a good
cholesterol level and why?
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Well that's a very
important question...
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And as we look at that question,
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I'd like to take our
listeners out to Massachusetts.
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There's a little town outside
of Boston called "Framingham"
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and our government has been
studying this very question of
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"Why people die of heart
disease" for over 50 years
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in Framingham, Massachusetts,
and they've learned some
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very exciting things.
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There are a group of
people in this country,
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less than 1% of us, but
there's a special group,
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and that group, in over 40 years
developed NO heart attacks;
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NO heart disease
in over 40 years!
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These are individuals with a
total cholesterol LESS than 150.
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Now, what's important
about that is that many of our
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listeners have probably
been to the physician's office,
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and they've had
their cholesterol tested...
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And when you look at the
sheet where the cholesterol
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is actually reported...
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Over on the right-hand side,
you will see a normal range...
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Normal and then
what you have... EXACTLY
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And typically, most labs
will tell you that if your
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total cholesterol is
less than 200, you're okay.
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Yeah, that's right... 240
or less or something like that,
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they say, "You're just fine"
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You're just fine, that's right.
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So a LOT of people are walking
into the physician's office
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and they're
being told you're okay.
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But you're saying,
it has to be below 150
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to really prevent
or avoid heart attacks.
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Well what we saw at
Framingham, in over 40 years,
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is no one developed
heart attacks if their
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total cholesterol
was less than 150.
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So, that becomes
the new goal standard.
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And what people don't
understand is that if your
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total cholesterol
is between 150 and 200,
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individuals with cholesterols
in that range 150-200
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have 35% of ALL the
heart attacks in this country.
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Is that right?
Between 150 and 200.
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Now if they got
their lab report back,
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and they looked at it, it
would be in the normal range.
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Say a cholesterol of 180 or 190,
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it would be in the normal range,
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but yet those
individuals have heart attacks.
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So, you're saying
we need to be ABNORMAL.
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We need to be abnormal.
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We need to shift the normal
range down about 50 points.
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So how can we do that?
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Well, that's a very
interesting question,
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and I think what
we are learning is,
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...if I may take us
back to a study in the
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"British Journal of Medicine"
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What they found in that
study as they were looking
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at different
populations of people,
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is the AVERAGE
cholesterol in different groups.
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And what they found was
something very interesting.
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Individuals who were
eating an average American diet,
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had a total
cholesterol about 190 or 200
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Individuals who were
eating a vegetarian diet,
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but using some dairy products,
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had a total
cholesterol of about 180.
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And individuals who were
using a TOTAL vegetarian diet,
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- in other words, ONLY plants
no other animal products -
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their total
cholesterol was about 160.
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And in OTHER
research, we find that the ONLY
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individuals who were able
to get their total cholesterol
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DOWN, below 150,
are total vegetarians
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Do total vegetarians ever
have problems with cholesterol?
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And if so, why?
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That's a VERY good question!
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Because there are
actually a number of individuals
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out there, probably some
who are listening in today,
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who are TOTAL
vegetarians and may have been
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total vegetarians for years,
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and yet, their
cholesterol is running above 150
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I can think of several...
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We do a program that I'm
involved with where we take
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the blood levels as
well, and there is one lady who
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is a TOTAL vegetarian but
she has a very high cholesterol;
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always seems to have it.
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And there is about 1 out of 500
individuals who actually have a
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genetic problem and they
actually don't make enough of
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the receptors that
absorbs the cholesterol...
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and so they have a
very high cholesterol level.
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Is that dangerous for them?
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Oh, it's absolutely dangerous.
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In fact, these individuals
have heart attacks in their
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late 20s, early 30s,
but that's a rare situation.
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And I think the message we
want to get out to individuals
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is that it's possible
to be a total vegetarian
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and still be on a highly refined
and highly processed diet.
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And what I mean by that is
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you know, take for
example yesterday...
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We were out looking for
some bread in a grocery store,
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and in many different products
you find in the grocery store
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you will find one
particular ingredient...
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You'll want to
watch for this ingredient.
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It's called "partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil"
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Now, it sounds healthy
because it's vegetable,
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and it's total vegetarian
and yet this substance
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"partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil"
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actually acts in the
body JUST like saturated fat!
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Now you might ask,
"Well what is saturated fat?
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And how does it
interact with cholesterol?
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Saturated fat is a fat that,
at room temperature is solid.
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So butter is a good example,
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very high
concentrations of saturated fat.
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What we know is that the
saturated fat that you eat
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is actually 2 or 3 times
MORE POWERFUL at raising your
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cholesterol level
than if you were to eat
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cholesterol itself.
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Oh so, if you eat it,
it's just like turns the
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...magnifies the
cholesterol that's there!
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Well actually, the cholesterol
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is made by every
cell in the body.
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But, most of the cholesterol
comes from the liver;
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at least 500 mg a day...
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But when you INCREASE
the amount of saturated fat
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in the diet,
it's like pushing down
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on the accelerator and
speeding up the cholesterol
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manufacture, the
cholesterol production
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that the liver does.
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So that's why it's
important to move away from
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partially hydrogenated
vegetable oils in particular.
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So, two things... 1.
Try and get the cholesterol
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below 150 total.
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Secondly, avoid partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil.
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You know this is very easy. Okay
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It may sound difficult,
but actually if you choose
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foods just as they
come from nature...
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If you get your food right
from the Hand of the Creator,
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you will miss out on
all of these additives
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that can actually
increase the cholesterol level
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such as partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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So what we're talking
about is when you go into the
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grocery store...
where you want to spend
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your time is
primarily the produce section...
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fruits and vegetables.
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Is there anything in the produce
section that we should avoid?
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You know, to my
knowledge, there is NOTHING
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in the produce
section that will raise your
00:10:07.37\00:10:10.31
total cholesterol above 150.
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Unless it's in a little box
or container NEXT to the produce
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thing that they want you
to put on top... Exactly!
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If the Creator
produced it, and it hasn't had
00:10:16.46\00:10:19.59
something added
or something removed,
00:10:19.62\00:10:22.59
it will not raise your
total cholesterol above 150.
00:10:22.62\00:10:25.64
So I'm a total
vegetarian, let's say,
00:10:25.67\00:10:27.35
and I take my cholesterol...
it is still above 150,
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or somewhere
between there and 200,
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and I'm trying to do
these things you're mentioning,
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and I've tried to cut out the
00:10:39.43\00:10:41.55
partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil,
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should I look somewhere else
- is there anything else besides
00:10:44.51\00:10:47.00
the genetic and that substance?
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That's a very good question!
00:10:49.57\00:10:51.96
And Dr. Gabe Mirkin out
at Georgetown University
00:10:51.99\00:10:56.28
has been doing some
nutritional research out there,
00:10:56.31\00:10:59.03
and he has found out
something very interesting...
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What he has found out is that
whenever we eat MORE calories
00:11:01.04\00:11:05.55
than what we need
for any given day,
00:11:05.58\00:11:07.59
the body has to take the
excess calories and store it...
00:11:07.62\00:11:12.34
But in order to make
those storage packages
00:11:12.37\00:11:15.85
that are headed out to the fat
cells out to the storage areas,
00:11:15.88\00:11:19.76
it has to generate cholesterol.
00:11:19.79\00:11:22.29
So whenever you eat
more calories than what
00:11:22.32\00:11:25.87
you're burning, you are
RAISING your cholesterol level.
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Now what most people may not
understand is as we get OLDER,
00:11:29.43\00:11:33.87
the basal metabolism of
the body, in other words,
00:11:33.90\00:11:38.47
the rate at which
we burn up energy,
00:11:38.50\00:11:41.06
actually starts to
decline as we get older.
00:11:41.09\00:11:44.09
So if you continue
the same eating habits,
00:11:44.12\00:11:47.07
the same eating
patterns, as you get older,
00:11:47.10\00:11:50.66
you're more and more likely
to be taking in more calories
00:11:50.69\00:11:54.08
that you're burning
up... So you need to eat LESS
00:11:54.11\00:11:55.48
as you get older. EXACTLY!
00:11:55.51\00:11:56.92
So the real KEY
is as you get older,
00:11:56.95\00:12:00.00
go to a lighter and
lighter EVENING MEAL,
00:12:00.03\00:12:03.13
because that one has
the most power to actually
00:12:03.16\00:12:06.77
decrease the weight and
decrease the calorie intake.
00:12:06.80\00:12:12.26
And this will help to
reduce the cholesterol.
00:12:12.29\00:12:14.77
So, increase the things
from the produce section,
00:12:14.80\00:12:20.91
decrease the
saturated fat or partially
00:12:20.95\00:12:24.40
hydrogenated
vegetable oil, ... Absolutely
00:12:24.44\00:12:27.86
Decrease the cholesterol
below 150, if possible.
00:12:27.89\00:12:32.83
And make sure that you're
eating LESS as you get older.
00:12:32.86\00:12:37.12
Now, what do you
mean "when you're older"
00:12:37.15\00:12:38.52
Am I older?
00:12:38.55\00:12:39.92
Well, you know the other
way around this is to increase
00:12:39.95\00:12:43.54
your exercise level.
00:12:43.57\00:12:45.01
Okay, so you can
eat, even at my age...
00:12:45.04\00:12:47.54
So you are saying - I'm older.
00:12:47.57\00:12:48.94
Is that what
you're trying to tell me?
00:12:48.97\00:12:50.34
Ha, ha, ha ha... No, that's
not what I'm trying to tell you.
00:12:50.37\00:12:53.70
But honestly, I mean, it depends
00:12:53.73\00:12:57.02
on the
individual's activity level.
00:12:57.05\00:12:59.23
And what I would say is this...
00:12:59.26\00:13:01.95
It's very important when
you go to the physician's office
00:13:01.98\00:13:04.50
to get a COPY of
that cholesterol level.
00:13:04.53\00:13:07.36
In other words, don't just
have the physician tell you
00:13:07.39\00:13:10.16
what it is, because when you
get home, you're going to forget
00:13:10.19\00:13:13.17
Get a copy of it,
and KNOW where you are,
00:13:13.20\00:13:17.15
and then know
what your goals are.
00:13:17.18\00:13:18.90
And if you're not reaching
your goals of getting it down
00:13:18.93\00:13:22.85
to 150-160 or below,
00:13:22.88\00:13:25.21
then that's where you might
00:13:25.24\00:13:26.69
want to back off
on the evening meal.
00:13:26.72\00:13:29.07
So, know what your goals are,
00:13:29.10\00:13:31.91
and then have a set of
tools to get you there.
00:13:31.94\00:13:34.78
Now you're a family physician,
00:13:34.81\00:13:36.26
when is it that you
should start knowing what your
00:13:36.29\00:13:39.27
cholesterol level is
as an American, I mean...
00:13:39.30\00:13:41.93
Is it when you're in your teens?
00:13:41.96\00:13:43.81
Is it when you're
1-2-3 years old or 20s?
00:13:43.84\00:13:47.99
When should you start
checking your cholesterol level
00:13:48.02\00:13:50.99
with a blood stick
or however you do that?
00:13:51.02\00:13:54.17
Well that's a very
good question because
00:13:54.20\00:13:56.73
what they're finding out now
00:13:56.76\00:13:58.44
is that if you are in your 20s
and you have a total cholesterol
00:13:58.47\00:14:03.03
that's greater than 240,
those individuals will live
00:14:03.06\00:14:08.76
6 years less than the rest
of the individuals who have
00:14:08.79\00:14:12.91
total cholesterols UNDER 240.
00:14:12.94\00:14:15.40
So in your 20s, you need to
00:14:15.43\00:14:16.80
start getting it
checked, or earlier?
00:14:16.83\00:14:18.20
They are recommending it...
when you get to 20 years of age,
00:14:18.23\00:14:20.79
you should get it
checked about every 5 years.
00:14:20.82\00:14:23.66
But I would say that if
you're entering the 40s and 50s,
00:14:23.69\00:14:29.50
you probably should get it
checked at LEAST every year.
00:14:29.53\00:14:33.12
But the KEY is to know
where your goals are...
00:14:33.15\00:14:37.52
To know that that total
cholesterol should be under 150
00:14:37.55\00:14:41.09
NOT just under 200.
00:14:41.12\00:14:43.27
Do you get yours
checked every year?
00:14:43.30\00:14:44.67
Yes, I usually do, yes.
00:14:44.70\00:14:47.23
I'm not going to
ask you what it is...
00:14:47.26\00:14:49.40
But that's important to know
00:14:49.43\00:14:51.09
and so this is
something you should be doing.
00:14:51.13\00:14:52.79
Your doctor probably
won't tell you to get it checked
00:14:52.83\00:14:54.75
every couple of years normally.
00:14:54.78\00:14:56.97
They may or they may not. Okay
00:14:57.00\00:14:59.26
So we need to get it checked.
00:14:59.29\00:15:00.66
We need to decrease the
amount of food that we're eating
00:15:00.69\00:15:04.29
especially if
we're not exercising...
00:15:04.32\00:15:06.16
If we're not meeting our goal.
00:15:06.19\00:15:07.56
Right, if we are
not meeting our goals.
00:15:07.59\00:15:08.96
We need to have
some kind of target,
00:15:08.99\00:15:10.36
and that target, you're
suggesting, for everybody
00:15:10.39\00:15:12.79
is 150 or less. Absolutely!
00:15:12.82\00:15:16.57
We're talking
with Dr. Tim Arnott
00:15:16.60\00:15:19.53
We're talking about
cholesterol and heart disease.
00:15:19.56\00:15:22.19
And we've got some
very practical suggestions
00:15:22.22\00:15:24.79
about what to do to
know where we are...
00:15:24.82\00:15:27.15
And we have talked
about how we need to set goals
00:15:27.18\00:15:31.29
and look at that 150
level as being optimal.
00:15:31.32\00:15:35.68
When we come back,
we're going to talk more
00:15:35.71\00:15:37.48
about practical things to
do to lower our cholesterol
00:15:37.51\00:15:40.81
We're glad that
you have joined us,
00:15:40.84\00:15:42.26
and we hope that you DO
join us when we come back!
00:15:42.29\00:15:45.41
Have you found
yourself wishing that
00:15:46.97\00:15:48.39
you could shed a few pounds?
00:15:48.42\00:15:49.79
Have you been on a
diet for most of your life,
00:15:49.82\00:15:52.32
but not found anything that
will really keep the weight off?
00:15:52.35\00:15:55.34
If you've answered "yes"
to any of these questions,
00:15:55.37\00:15:58.26
then we have a
solution for you that works!
00:15:58.29\00:16:00.94
Dr. Hans Diehl and
Dr. Aileen Ludington
00:16:00.97\00:16:03.87
have written a
marvelous booklet called...
00:16:03.90\00:16:06.02
"Reversing Obesity Naturally"
00:16:06.05\00:16:08.43
and we'd like to send
it to you FREE of charge.
00:16:08.46\00:16:10.84
Here's a medically sound
approach successfully used by
00:16:10.87\00:16:13.91
thousands who were able
to eat more and lose weight
00:16:13.94\00:16:16.84
permanently without
feeling guilty or hungry
00:16:16.87\00:16:19.71
through lifestyle medicine.
00:16:19.74\00:16:21.43
Dr. Diehl and Dr. Ludington
have been featured on 3ABN
00:16:21.46\00:16:24.89
and in this booklet, they
present a sensible approach
00:16:24.92\00:16:27.91
to eating, nutrition
and lifestyle changes
00:16:27.94\00:16:30.49
that can help you
prevent heart disease, diabetes,
00:16:30.52\00:16:32.97
and EVEN cancer.
00:16:33.00\00:16:34.37
Call or write today
for your free copy of...
00:16:34.40\00:16:36.49
"Reversing Obesity Naturally"
00:16:36.52\00:16:38.25
and you could be on your
way to a healthier, happier YOU!
00:16:38.28\00:16:41.64
It's ABSOLUTELY free of
charge, so call or write today.
00:16:41.67\00:16:47.31
Welcome back or welcome
if you've just joined us.
00:16:47.34\00:16:50.18
We've been talking
with Dr. Tim Arnott
00:16:50.21\00:16:52.15
He is a specialist
in lifestyle medicine,
00:16:52.18\00:16:55.65
and also family practice.
00:16:55.68\00:16:57.05
We've been talking about
heart disease and cholesterol.
00:16:57.08\00:16:59.69
And we've discovered that our
body makes it, it's essential...
00:16:59.72\00:17:02.58
The problem is that we,
many times, have TOO MUCH of it
00:17:02.61\00:17:05.55
because of the diet that we eat,
00:17:05.58\00:17:07.35
and we've been talking
about how it is that we can
00:17:07.38\00:17:09.59
LOWER our cholesterol levels...
00:17:09.62\00:17:11.63
And you've suggested a very,
well, it's lower that most of us
00:17:11.66\00:17:17.20
think about, but a goal of 150
to have our cholesterol level at
00:17:17.23\00:17:22.85
Now, let's say I go to my doctor
and say, "I heard this program
00:17:22.88\00:17:27.20
on TV and the physician there
00:17:27.23\00:17:28.60
was saying my
cholesterol needs to be at 150."
00:17:28.63\00:17:30.98
Is the doctor going
to be aware of that?
00:17:31.01\00:17:32.94
Well, more and more people
are becoming aware of this.
00:17:32.97\00:17:36.77
In fact, the editors of
"Scientific American Medicine"
00:17:36.80\00:17:40.64
a MAJOR textbook
in internal medicine,
00:17:40.67\00:17:43.44
have now come out and
recommended, as of 1998,
00:17:43.47\00:17:47.39
that the IDEAL total
cholesterol is under 150.
00:17:47.42\00:17:52.52
So it's making headway;
more and more individuals are
00:17:52.55\00:17:57.42
understanding this and
it's primarily from the research
00:17:57.45\00:18:00.50
that's coming out of
Framingham, Massachusetts
00:18:00.53\00:18:02.67
Now, you mentioned
that we should be getting
00:18:02.70\00:18:04.18
our cholesterol checked
by having our blood drawn
00:18:04.21\00:18:07.50
at least in our early 20s.
00:18:07.53\00:18:09.03
But let's say that I am
10 years old or 15 years old,
00:18:09.06\00:18:12.78
what should my cholesterol
be at 10 years old, 15 years old
00:18:12.81\00:18:16.67
What should the level be?
00:18:16.70\00:18:18.07
Well USUALLY it's going
to be 100 plus your age.
00:18:18.10\00:18:23.38
That's probably a
normal cholesterol
00:18:23.41\00:18:26.44
until you reach the age of 50.
00:18:26.47\00:18:29.16
100 plus your age
is the goal standard
00:18:29.19\00:18:33.33
for a total cholesterol or less.
00:18:33.36\00:18:35.45
Now, when we were talking
before, you also mentioned that
00:18:35.48\00:18:37.81
as we get older, we sometimes
need to decrease the amount of
00:18:37.84\00:18:41.41
food that we're eating depending
on what our exercise is.
00:18:41.44\00:18:44.92
Is this the REASON that we
have increased cholesterols
00:18:44.95\00:18:49.41
when we get older... is
because we're not exercising
00:18:49.44\00:18:51.70
as MUCH and what
role does exercise play
00:18:51.73\00:18:55.48
in LOWERING cholesterol?
00:18:55.51\00:18:56.88
Well actually, a very
interesting study was done
00:18:56.91\00:18:59.68
at Stanford University...
00:18:59.71\00:19:01.48
And what they did was
they took the 2 diets that are
00:19:01.51\00:19:05.16
recommended by the
"American Heart Association"
00:19:05.19\00:19:08.02
called a Step 1
and a Step 2 diet.
00:19:08.05\00:19:10.49
The Step 2 diet is a
little bit more conservative;
00:19:10.52\00:19:13.00
you're allowed a
little less cholesterol,
00:19:13.03\00:19:14.87
a little less saturated fat.
00:19:14.90\00:19:16.84
And what they found was
that they were not able to
00:19:16.87\00:19:21.48
get individuals
cholesterol levels down on
00:19:21.51\00:19:24.21
on those Step 1
and Step 2 diets.
00:19:24.24\00:19:27.95
In other words, the
diets that are currently being
00:19:27.98\00:19:31.20
recommended to help
us avoid heart disease
00:19:31.23\00:19:33.78
...they showed did
NOT lower cholesterol
00:19:33.81\00:19:37.15
UNLESS the
individuals exercised!
00:19:37.18\00:19:40.54
The individuals who
did the Step 2 diet,
00:19:40.57\00:19:43.50
the special heart
prevention diets AND exercised
00:19:43.53\00:19:47.26
were able to
lower their cholesterol.
00:19:47.29\00:19:49.34
So what we can see
happening here is...
00:19:49.37\00:19:52.16
as you exercise, the
basal metabolism of the body
00:19:52.19\00:19:56.35
actually speeds up...
you're burning off more energy.
00:19:56.38\00:19:59.62
Even after you exercise
because that effect of exercise
00:19:59.65\00:20:02.88
LASTS for many hours.
00:20:02.91\00:20:04.47
And so you are actually
burning off more calories,
00:20:04.50\00:20:07.36
and remember, your cholesterol
RESPONDS to this balance of
00:20:07.39\00:20:12.04
the energy that you take in
00:20:12.07\00:20:13.51
versus the energy
that you burn off.
00:20:13.54\00:20:15.62
So if you're burning off MORE,
00:20:15.65\00:20:17.24
your cholesterol level is
going to tend to be lower.
00:20:17.27\00:20:19.70
So it REALLY is
important to exercise...
00:20:19.73\00:20:22.28
Your diet IS
important but EQUALLY important
00:20:22.31\00:20:25.44
would you say exercise is?
00:20:25.47\00:20:26.94
You know, one of the other
important things about exercise
00:20:26.97\00:20:29.97
that sort of relates
to cholesterol is that
00:20:30.00\00:20:33.83
in the body, the Creator has
put in these extra blood vessels
00:20:33.86\00:20:38.76
They are called
"collateral" blood vessels.
00:20:38.79\00:20:41.99
In other words, in the
heart there are 3 main arteries,
00:20:42.02\00:20:46.16
but there are these collateral
arteries that also go down the
00:20:46.19\00:20:50.15
same general pathways, but in
a little bit different routes.
00:20:50.18\00:20:55.46
And what can happen
is if you exercise on a
00:20:55.49\00:20:58.44
REGULAR basis, you
know, vigorous exercise
00:20:58.47\00:21:02.42
to the point of sweating...
00:21:02.45\00:21:03.82
Over time, those
collateral blood vessels,
00:21:03.85\00:21:06.94
those extra blood
vessels, will actually ENLARGE,
00:21:06.97\00:21:09.75
and in a sense, you
can do your own bypass.
00:21:09.78\00:21:12.93
Now I'm not recommending
that, someone who needs
00:21:12.96\00:21:15.98
a bypass, they can
just exercise and perhaps...
00:21:16.01\00:21:18.73
You're talking about
bypass surgery, in other words,
00:21:18.76\00:21:20.70
if they get blocked, they
bypass it with another artery
00:21:20.73\00:21:24.85
or vein that they take
from somewhere else. Exactly
00:21:24.88\00:21:27.44
But this is an important concept
in physiology that individuals
00:21:27.47\00:21:31.13
can understand... that they can
actually INCREASE the flow of
00:21:31.16\00:21:34.81
blood to their tissue and
actually move blood around
00:21:34.85\00:21:38.72
those blocked areas
through an exercise program.
00:21:38.75\00:21:41.55
We've talked about diet and how
it can lower our cholesterol...
00:21:41.59\00:21:44.94
We've talked about exercise
and how it can do the same,
00:21:44.97\00:21:47.34
and help us avoid a heart attack
like you're talking about here,
00:21:47.37\00:21:49.84
or surgery...
something to that nature.
00:21:49.87\00:21:52.29
We've talked a
lot about plant foods
00:21:52.32\00:21:56.19
and a total vegetarian diet.
00:21:56.22\00:21:59.37
Are there any plant
foods that could actually
00:21:59.40\00:22:02.83
ELEVATE our cholesterol?
00:22:02.86\00:22:05.10
Well according
to Dr. Gabe Mirkin,
00:22:05.13\00:22:08.34
there at Georgetown University,
00:22:08.37\00:22:10.21
what he has found is that
the SATURATED fat that we eat
00:22:10.24\00:22:17.33
here in this country is
not largely used for energy.
00:22:17.36\00:22:22.02
Now what he has found
in the research literature
00:22:22.05\00:22:25.42
is that in individuals who
aren't eating enough calories,
00:22:25.45\00:22:29.90
...in other words,
they don't have much to eat,
00:22:29.93\00:22:31.36
the saturated
fat that they take in
00:22:31.39\00:22:33.99
is actually burned for energy.
00:22:34.02\00:22:35.92
But in a
society such as we have,
00:22:35.95\00:22:38.42
where we have PLENTY to eat,
00:22:38.45\00:22:39.94
that the
saturated fat that you eat,
00:22:39.97\00:22:42.51
isn't USED for energy.
00:22:42.54\00:22:44.19
It actually goes to
RAISE your cholesterol levels.
00:22:44.22\00:22:47.95
So like nuts?
00:22:47.98\00:22:49.35
So ANY FOOD that does
have saturated fat in it...
00:22:49.38\00:22:54.17
If you are on a diet
that has plenty of calories...
00:22:54.20\00:22:57.82
If you get TOO MUCH
of those saturated fats,
00:22:57.85\00:23:00.53
you could POTENTIALLY raise
your total cholesterol level.
00:23:00.56\00:23:03.86
So, yes, if you eat too many
nuts, too many olives, seeds,
00:23:03.89\00:23:08.57
avocados, and your cholesterol
is not in that area where you
00:23:08.60\00:23:13.52
want it to be, you
might want to decrease
00:23:13.55\00:23:16.02
those higher fat plant foods.
00:23:16.05\00:23:18.05
They are not unhealthy for
you if you are not overdoing it.
00:23:18.08\00:23:22.17
They are VERY healthy foods.
00:23:22.20\00:23:24.38
No question about it, we need
ALL of these different fats.
00:23:24.41\00:23:27.22
We need SATURATED fat.
00:23:27.25\00:23:28.70
We need all of the different
fats, but the point is,
00:23:28.73\00:23:32.20
if you're NOT
getting the cholesterol down,
00:23:32.23\00:23:34.66
this is something else
that you can think about doing
00:23:34.69\00:23:37.70
that may help you...
00:23:37.73\00:23:39.10
Decreasing the amount,
the proportion of the nuts
00:23:39.13\00:23:42.92
and olives and those
higher fat plant foods.
00:23:42.95\00:23:45.85
Now I know that the target
here is 150 for our cholesterol,
00:23:45.88\00:23:50.81
but is it EVER
POSSIBLE for someone to have
00:23:50.84\00:23:54.89
a cholesterol of
150 and still develop
00:23:54.92\00:23:57.18
a blockage in their arteries?
00:23:57.21\00:23:59.24
Well, you know, I was
recently out at some meetings
00:23:59.27\00:24:01.37
at Loma Linda University,
and a gentleman came up to me
00:24:01.40\00:24:04.83
who told me that his cholesterol
level had been averaging
00:24:04.86\00:24:09.15
around 140 for many years,
00:24:09.18\00:24:12.08
and yet he had been diagnosed
with coronary artery disease.
00:24:12.11\00:24:16.74
And, upon further
questioning, he told me that
00:24:16.77\00:24:22.12
his homocysteine level was 15.
00:24:22.15\00:24:26.17
Now what
individuals need to understand
00:24:26.20\00:24:30.31
if they're going to
embrace this plant-based diet
00:24:30.34\00:24:33.90
is that something very important
must be added to the diet,
00:24:33.93\00:24:39.53
and that is vitamin B12
00:24:39.56\00:24:42.42
because if you don't
get enough vitamin B12,
00:24:42.45\00:24:46.17
there is an amino acid inside
the body that can start to go up
00:24:46.20\00:24:51.81
And what we know now
is that total vegetarians
00:24:51.84\00:24:54.96
have the lowest B12 levels
of individual groups out there.
00:24:54.99\00:25:00.60
They ALSO have the
HIGHEST homocysteine levels.
00:25:00.63\00:25:05.05
And homocysteine... In fact,
00:25:05.08\00:25:08.53
the "Physicians Health Study"
done at Harvard University...
00:25:08.56\00:25:12.47
The individuals that were
the top 5% for homocysteine
00:25:12.51\00:25:16.39
had almost 9 times the
risk of a heart attack.
00:25:16.42\00:25:20.82
So you HAVE to
have the vitamin B12
00:25:20.85\00:25:23.83
to DECREASE your
homocysteine. Exactly!
00:25:23.86\00:25:29.14
You need adequate
levels of vitamin B12
00:25:29.17\00:25:31.96
to keep the
homocysteine level down.
00:25:31.99\00:25:34.38
And if that
homocysteine level goes UP,
00:25:34.41\00:25:36.18
you can develop a
blockage and have heart disease
00:25:36.21\00:25:38.51
just like anybody
else. That's right!
00:25:38.54\00:25:41.22
And not only heart disease,
00:25:41.25\00:25:43.12
but ALSO stroke and
cerebrovascular disease.
00:25:43.15\00:25:46.80
So, if I go to my
physician and say,
00:25:46.83\00:25:48.88
check my homocysteine level,
00:25:48.91\00:25:50.32
are most labs set up to do that?
00:25:50.35\00:25:51.80
Can I do that just
about everywhere now?
00:25:51.83\00:25:53.56
Yes, actually they can.
00:25:53.59\00:25:54.96
We use a lab, it's
very easily able to do the
00:25:54.99\00:25:58.71
homocysteine level.
00:25:58.74\00:26:00.11
Do most people in the world
have problems with heart disease
00:26:00.14\00:26:02.62
You know, according
to Dr. William Castelli,
00:26:02.65\00:26:06.89
who was one of the directors
of the Framingham Heart Study
00:26:06.92\00:26:10.31
that we mentioned earlier...
00:26:10.34\00:26:11.71
He was there for over 30
years INTENSIVELY studying
00:26:11.74\00:26:15.55
WHY do Americans
develop heart disease,
00:26:15.58\00:26:18.40
and he was looking at
the WORLD literature...
00:26:18.43\00:26:20.87
What he discovered was that 4
out of 5 people on this planet
00:26:20.90\00:26:25.62
cannot get their
total cholesterol above 150.
00:26:25.65\00:26:30.50
So, in other words, they don't
have all of the bad substances
00:26:30.53\00:26:34.12
here that we have to do that.
00:26:34.15\00:26:35.60
They're living on unrefined,
unprocessed PLANTS primarily.
00:26:35.63\00:26:40.80
And the other thing
that he found out was that
00:26:40.83\00:26:43.25
1 out of 5 people in this world
00:26:43.28\00:26:46.08
can't get their total
cholesterol BELOW 150.
00:26:46.11\00:26:50.43
And I think I know
where those people live...
00:26:50.46\00:26:51.90
mostly in
Western countries, right?
00:26:51.93\00:26:55.34
That's right and
what he found out was that
00:26:55.37\00:26:57.44
the first group... Those
who can't get it above 150
00:26:57.47\00:27:01.08
they don't get heart disease.
00:27:01.11\00:27:03.25
The OTHER group who
can't get it down BELOW 150...
00:27:03.28\00:27:06.60
They get the heart disease.
00:27:06.63\00:27:09.19
We've been talking
with Dr. Tim Arnott
00:27:09.22\00:27:11.39
from the
"Lifestyle Center of America"
00:27:11.42\00:27:12.79
We've been talking about
heart disease as it relates to
00:27:12.82\00:27:16.23
cholesterol...
00:27:16.26\00:27:17.63
And we have learned
that there are some special
00:27:17.66\00:27:19.75
things we need to do to
avoid elevating our cholesterol
00:27:19.78\00:27:23.55
and that is not
eating a lot of food,
00:27:23.58\00:27:26.79
especially if we're
getting adequate nutrition,
00:27:26.82\00:27:29.19
make sure to decrease the
saturated fat in our diets,
00:27:29.22\00:27:33.33
and many other tips
that you've learned today.
00:27:33.36\00:27:35.42
We hope that this
program has been helpful to you
00:27:35.45\00:27:37.83
and that if you have a
family, that you are aware of
00:27:37.86\00:27:41.57
where you are in
terms of your numbers;
00:27:41.60\00:27:43.04
even if your children or the
young people in your home are
00:27:43.07\00:27:45.97
in their 20s, it's a good idea
to get their cholesterol checked
00:27:46.00\00:27:50.51
to know where they stand.
00:27:50.54\00:27:51.91
We hope that today's
program has been helpful,
00:27:51.94\00:27:53.92
and that as a result
00:27:53.96\00:27:55.33
you'll have health
that lasts for a lifetime!
00:27:55.36\00:27:57.18