Cholesterol can come from both exogenous (dietary) and endogenous (produced by the liver) sources. Dietary cholesterol is found in foods like eggs and animal fats, while the liver produces cholesterol endogenously. Oxidized cholesterol is especially harmful and can damage blood vessels. High levels of homocysteine in the blood can also damage blood vessels and increase heart disease risk. Homocysteine levels are affected by nutrients like folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Caffeine intake should be limited as it can raise blood pressure and homocysteine.

1. How Do We Get Cholesterol?How Do We Get Cholesterol?
1.Exogenous–
by eating food that has
cholesterol in it
2. By eating fatty foods,
especially animal fats
3. Endogenous–
made in the liver

2. Outside the body, in dried
eggs, dried milks, cake mixes,
candies, sweet snacks containing
eggs and/or milk products
Cholesterol oxidized outside body and/or inside
OXIDIZED CHOLESTEROLOXIDIZED CHOLESTEROL
the important form
the important form
Damages blood vessels rapidly in animals
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

3. Cholesterol oxidized inside
the body by:
Insufficient antioxidants in the body
Action of “free radicals” on
polyunsaturated fats
Excessive iron and
other minerals

4.  Carotenoids (such as beta carotene)
 Vitamin D
 Selenium
 Glutathione
 Vitamin C
Some important ones are:

5. What about excessive iron in the body?
Several large studies suggest it increases
risk of heart attacks. Could this be the
reason that premenopausal women
seldom have coronary heart disease?
But the research is not yet clear on
this matter.
Must await better studies.

6. What is it?What is it?
A metabolite of the
amino acidmethionine
•At higher levels in the blood, get damage to
blood vessels, and plaque formation.
•Ideal levels under 12.
•Can also impair endothelial function,
leading to spasm of vessels and poor
relaxation.
•Also associated with cancer, & Alzheimer’s

7. Some are born with a rare
genetic defect of elevated
homocysteine and usually
die of heart attacks or
strokes early in life.
Deficiency of any of 3
vitamins can cause a
buildup in the blood:
1. Folic acid
2. Vitamin B-6
3. Vitamin B-12
How do we get it?
Folic Acid:
(from word foliage)
green leafy
vegetables,
oranges,
beans, rice
B-6:
whole grains,
Brewer’s yeast
B-12: Produced by germs.
Formed in mouth, colon, etc.

8. How much of a risk isHow much of a risk is
elevated Homocysteine?elevated Homocysteine?
15 or above were 3
times as likely to have
a heart attack,
compared to those
who had 9 or below.
In the Framingham Study, those who had levels of

9. Avoid Caffeine
One cup of coffee, tea, or cola may
raise the diastolic and systolic blood
pressure five to six points, raise
homocysteine, cholesterol, stress.

10. Avoid Caffeine
One cup of coffee, tea, or cola may
raise the diastolic and systolic blood
pressure five to six points, raise
homocysteine, cholesterol, stress.