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Published on October 31st, 2020 | by Katherine

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The Shocking TRUTH about Kidney Health & CHOLESTEROL

Hello, this is Katherine from 00Kidney. Welcome to our journey together to a better kidney health!

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Cholesterol is a very serious matter for people with kidney disease.
Too high levels of bad cholesterol can damage your arteries, your heart and can raise the risk for rapid loss of kidney function.
To make things worse, there’s a lot of myths and, well, LIES surrounding cholesterol that will prevent many people from improving their health.
For example, you may have heard that you need to limit high cholesterol foods if you want to lower cholesterol levels.
Well, it’s not true! Talking about misinformation.

Now some good news: once you have learned how to tell apart the lies from the truth, it will be much easier for you to improve your kidney health.
Also, there are some very unusual home remedies I wanna show you that can really help when it comes to managing cholesterol levels in people with kidney problems.
But first, we need to bust some cholesterol related myths.
Let’s start immediately.

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Dietary Cholesterol is very Bad for your kidneys.
This is the undisputed truth about cholesterol.
Right?
Cholesterol undoubtedly tends to get a bad rap. We really go out of our way to avoid foods that contain it.
There’s a reason why we do this: High blood cholesterol levels are a known risk factor for heart disease.
And, for decades, people have been told that the dietary cholesterol in foods RAISES BLOOD CHOLESTEROL.
And this is a lie.

50 years ago, with the limited understanding science had of how the human body works, this may have been a reasonable conclusion.
Today, we know a lot more about how dietary cholesterol affects our heart and our kidneys.
Truth is
THE AMOUNT OF CHOLESTEROL IN YOUR DIET AND THE AMOUNT OF CHOLESTEROL IN YOUR BLOOD ARE VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
You may actually need to eat more cholesterol rich foods to lower your cholesterol levels.

So, how does dietary cholesterol affect blood cholesterol?

Although it may seem logical that eating cholesterol would raise blood cholesterol levels, it usually doesn’t work that way.
The body tightly regulates the amount of cholesterol in the blood by controlling its production of cholesterol.
Yes, it’s your body that produces the cholesterol you have in your veins and arteries. It’s not the cholesterol from the food you eat.
And this, in my opinion, can have an enormous impact on how someone with kidney problems should plan their diet.
Indeed, when your dietary intake of cholesterol goes down, your body makes more. When you eat greater amounts of cholesterol, your body makes less.
Because of this, foods high in dietary cholesterol have very little impact on blood cholesterol levels in most people.
But there’s an exception to this rule:
in some people, for genetic causes, high-cholesterol foods actually raise blood cholesterol levels.
These people are often referred to as “hyperresponders.”
But, even though dietary cholesterol modestly increases LDL in these individuals, it does not seem to increase their risk of heart disease.
Actually, most people can adapt to a higher intake of cholesterol.
Thus, dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol levels.

So, as we have seen, the correlation between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels is an ongoing myth.
It was busted several times but it still keep spreading and it puts people hearts and kidneys in danger.
If you want to stop it this LIE, share this video with your family and friends and with everyone who may benefits from a better kidney and heart health.

Now, this is not the only cholesterol myth that’s keeping people from improving their health.
There’s another misbelief, even more dangerous, and more widespread.

If the Nutrition Label shows no cholesterol, the food is healthy.
When we think about foods that raise cholesterol, we normally think of those that are heavy in saturated fats.
While zero cholesterol foods are usually marketed as healthy – especially for people with cholesterol problems.
I mean, it’s really straightforward. But is it true?
Fact: Many “no cholesterol” or even “low fat” foods are high in other types of “bad” fats, such as saturated and trans fats.
So even if there’s no cholesterol, the food is still going to be very unhealthy for you.
Because, unlike dietary cholesterol, trans fats are actually going to raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol.
They also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol.
And this is the worst possible outcome, since High LDL along with low HDL levels can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries and damage your kidneys.
So Be sure to check the food label for saturated fat, trans fat, and total calories.
And don’t trust a “no cholesterol” label.

Another myth that marketing departments don’t want you to know about.
They always tell you that fats are the enemy and that

Sugar has nothing to do with cholesterol levels.
Ok, this must be true, right? I mean, how can sugar possibly make your blood cholesterol levels worse?
Well, if you too believe that sugar won’t hurt your cholesterol levels, be prepared for a shock.
In a recent study, Sugar consumption didn’t just raise several markers for cardiovascular disease such as triglycerides and inflammation markers.
It even decreased the HDL, or good cholesterol levels, in participants.
Another study found out that women who eat more added sugar tend to have higher levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol.
What’s more, sugar is proven to cause inflammation. Inflammation can turn a cholesterol problem into a life-threatening issue.
Sugar in the blood attaches to proteins and causes AGE’s (advanced glycation end-products).
harmful compounds that are formed when protein or fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream.
This process is called glycation and it’s linked to the development of many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and Alzheimer’s, as well as premature aging.

So, what’s to learn here.
First, if you care about your kidneys, stay away from added sugar.
Sugar is far more detrimental to our health than dietary cholesterol.

Yes, there a lot of very dangerous myths surrounding cholesterol levels and kidney health.
Now, many of these myths started as lies, marketing ploys created by corporations to sell dangerous sugary foods as healthy.
I’ve talked about these lies in several of my videos.
Now, these corporations needed to shift the blame on something, right?
What they targeted is

Eggs.
Eggs definitely get a bad rap for the bad cholesterol the egg yolk contains.
Many people still believe, today, that since egg yolks contain cholesterol, it will increase your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, harm the kidneys and the cardiovascular system.
Well, as we have seen, that’s a lie.
Many things people think to know about eggs are not based on any real research or study. They’re just misinformation.
And, while it’s not recommended for people with kidney disease to eat eggs daily, because they’re also rich in protein, eating 2 or 3 eggs a week is really healthy.
Eggs have excellent nutritional values, they’re rich in high quality protein, which you need, even if in low amounts.
But they also pack antioxidants, vitamin B6, B12 vitamin D, magnesium, and iron… and these are some of the nutrients your kidneys need the most.
Always look for foods that contain vitamins of the B group, Vitamin D, magnesium and iron, because these are the most common deficiencies in people with kidney disease.
Plus, egg yolk is also a good source of choline, an essential nutrient that plays an important role in Mental health and heart health.
Also, eating egg whites, is actually a way to lower your cholesterol levels.
So, If you’re watching your cholesterol, put eggs back on the menu.

So, as we have seen, many diseases that were imputed to dietary cholesterol are today known to be caused BY SUGAR CONSUMPTION.
This is shocking truth about cholesterol and your kidneys.
now we have busted some cholesterol myths. What’s not a myth is that having high blood cholesterol levels is especially dangerous for people with kidney disease.
Both high cholesterol levels and kidney disease are risks factors for heart disease – the number 1 cause of death in the world.
An while this situation needs to be taken very seriously, some lifestyle and dietary changes
that involve eating a lot more fiber-rich, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, and a lot less saturated and trans fat and sugar can really go a long way in making you healthier.
And if this isn’t enough, don’t worry, there are home remedies that can help.

Actually, there’s a supplement I’ve never talked about which can really do wonders to lower LDL levels. Up to 15% less bad choleesterol in the blood, according to research.
It is

Plant Sterols and stanols
These are plant compounds. Substances that naturally occur, in small amounts, in plants.
Many grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds contain them.
Plant sterols and stanols help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by blocking the absorption of cholesterol from food.
This forces the body to draw LDL out of the bloodstream in order to extract its cholesterol to make bile acid and hormones.
In most studies, 1.6 to 1.8 grams of plant sterols per day for 8-26 weeks have been used to get the result.
Now the interesting part: according to the latest national guidelines on cholesterol, eating two grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower LDL by 6% to 15%.
And that’s a lot. It’s what you usually would get from taking medications, but without the side effects.
And, Since Plant Sterols and stanols have powerful cholesterol-lowering properties, manufacturers have started adding them to foods.
So you may also find plant sterols in fortified foods: some brands of margarine, yogurt, orange juice, granola bars, and even tortilla chips contain them.
Now, I don’t recommend relying on fortified foods to get plant sterols or other nutrients. Because you would also be getting a lot of extra sugar, potassium, phosphates and other additives.
But there are also supplements available that only contain the useful parts without the additives and calories.
Cholest-Off for example is the best-known supplement of Plant Sterols and Stanols. But you may also find other, less known brands with the same content of cholesterol lowering plant compounds at a lower price.
Shop carefully and ask your doctor if this supplement is safe for you. There’s no reason to think that these plant compounds may be dangerous, but better be safe.
And there’s also another home remedy that’s proven to help with cholesterol levels and actually with kidney health in general.

Soluble fiber supplements.
Or psyllium husk.
Psyllium can help relieve both constipation and diarrhea, and is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome and other intestinal problems.
Studies have also shown that psyllium can lower both total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and kidney problems.
What’s more, psyllium may also help regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Metamucil is the best-known psyllium product, but psyllium is also available in less expensive store brands of supplements.
How much do psyllium husk supplements lower LDL cholesterol?
In a meta-analysis of 8 studies involving 384 people with high cholesterol levels who had been following a low-fat diet for several weeks, adding psyllium supplementation lowered LDL cholesterol by an additional 7%.
Another well-designed study, from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kentucky, found that 197 people who had been taking psyllium for 6 months netted LDL cholesterol levels that were 6.7% lower than the 51 people in the placebo group.
Now, If you’re purchasing a fiber supplement, make sure they’re psyllium-based, not cellulose-based.
Also, to get the most from this supplement, especially the cholesterol-lowering benefit, take 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk with a full glass of water no more than 15 to 30 minutes before a meal.
The psyllium needs to be in your GI tract the same time as your meal. Once it reaches your stomach, it starts dissolving into a gel-like substance. It binds with the bile acids that form cholesterol, and in doing so, “mops” up cholesterol. More cholesterol ends up in your bowel movements, and less ends up being reabsorbed in the blood.
What’s the correct dosage?
In general, each 2 grams of soluble fiber added to a diet will lower LDL cholesterol by about 1%, or maybe a bit more.
In the above meta-analysis, the dosage used to achieve the 7% drop in LDL was 10.2 grams of psyllium daily, which is the equivalent of about 3 teaspoons daily of psyllium husk.
The dosage in the Veterans Affairs study was the same – 10.2 grams daily.
That’s a high dosage, more than what’s usually recommended and may come with side effects – especially bloating and other digestive issues.
So be sure to consult your doctor before taking this supplement, especially if you want to use it to lower your cholesterol levels.


About the Author

My name is Katherine and I've been working with people suffering from kidney disease and other kidney issues for almost 10 years now. If there's one thing I learned is that you should never give up!



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