High cholesterol may not be the most critical variable in the development of arterial plaque and ultimately the sole cause of heart disease.
Studies have proven that just because you have high cholesterol levels you are not automatically at risk for coronary heart disease.
Interestingly enough, if you have low LDL you may still be at high risk for heart disease as arteriosclerosis can still form when cholesterol levels are low.
The basic MISCONCEPTION that your cholesterol level is solely responsible for heart attack risk is becoming more and more accepted.
So where is all our heart disease coming from if not from dreaded cholesterol, and what steps can we take to prevent it? Medical research has proven that blood vessels that are damaged are at a much higher risk of arterial clogging regardless of your overall cholesterol level.
Actually, plaque will only stick to arteries that have been damaged.
So what is damaging our arteries and causing this sticky life threatening plaque buildup? All the evidence points to inflammation as the ROOT cause for arterial damage leading to plaque buildup, not just a high or low cholesterol level.
Inflammation is caused when your blood sugar spikes; the rapid rise in blood sugar occurs when you eat that big piece of cake or a few sugar donuts.
Elevated blood sugar causes a biochemical reaction in your cells that causes increased and chronic inflammation.
Inflammation, in small doses is good; it's a natural reaction to rid your system of germs and other harmful invaders.
The problem is when your blood sugar is constantly elevated the inflammation process continues regardless of the presence of harmful substances in your system and starts to attack healthy arterial tissue.
Imagine your naturally smooth interior arterial linings being scrubbed with a brillo pad; what was once a smooth blood vessel becomes a rough surface that will easily trap any plaque buildup as it flows your arterial network.
What Simple Steps Can You Take To Lower Your Risk For Arterial Damage? One simple and very effective recommendation to lower your risk for coronary disease is to eliminate foods that cause rapid blood sugar spikes.
You need to cut way back on sugar and simple carbohydrates first and foremost as these will do the most damage over time.
This sounds simple in theory but most of us will need to really analyze what we eat and commit to some changes.
Here is a short list of foods that really spike blood sugar: Breads, carrots, cereals processed with added sugar, corn, French fries, French toast, fruit juices, mangos, pancakes, papaya, pasta, peas, popcorn, white potatoes, white rice, sugar, waffles.
Start by thinking hard before you indulge in any these...
Your Action Plan Being aware of why heart disease happens is critical however committing to an action plan is just as important.
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