Holiday Excesses --Too much of a good thing?

With the holidays upon us, let’s talk about cholesterol, a fatty and waxy substance in our bodies that serves an essential and vital function – yet which can also be injurious when its levels get too high during the festive season.

There are many excesses to which many succumb from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, and these can result in an unhealthy spike in cholesterol levels.

A considerable portion of our bodies is made from cholesterol. Surrounding every one of the approximately 10 trillion cells in the human body is a membrane that contains cholesterol. Our brains, which are 60 percent fat, contain more cholesterol than any other organ – with the cholesterol content of the brain equaling about 25 percent of all cholesterol in the body.

But, cholesterol is necessary for the body to produce hormones, vitamin D and the acids that reduce fat.

So what happens when there is too much cholesterol?

Too much cholesterol clogs blood vessels and prevents blood flow that contributes to heart disease and even dementia. Heart disease can result in high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. Heart disease is the number one killer in the world of men and women – across all races and ethnicities.

Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases, such as heart disease. It affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. Cholesterol travels through the body attached to a protein called lipoprotein. Low density lipoproteins (LDL) – also called bad cholesterol – allow cholesterol to build up in blood vessels; high density lipoproteins (HDL) – also called good cholesterol – move cholesterol away from the vessels and the brain.

The ideal cholesterol level is achieved when HDLs are high and the LDLs are low.

What causes high cholesterol? Some of it is hereditary. But there are a lot of environmental and lifestyle choices we can make to reduce our cholesterol – to keep our heart and brain healthy.

Healthy lifestyle tips:

• Exercise regularly. You have heard this before but it is proven that regular exercise raises HDLs and reduces LDLs. Exercise accomplishes this in many ways, including helping to reduce stress. Stress increases cholesterol.
• Stop smoking. Smoking lowers HDLs.
• Indulge in moderation. One serving per meal and one to two drinks maximum.

And what about alcohol? Research suggests that resveratrol, a compound found in grape skins and specifically in red wine, is heart healthy and cholesterol reducing.

Yet of course excess alcohol consumption hurts mind and body in many ways. When alcohol enters the body it gets converted into sugar. Excess sugar causes weight gain. Weight gain can increase cholesterol levels.

Foods to stay away from:

• Heavily processed foods made with flour and sugar, which cause inflammation in your body, pushes down HDL levels and pushes up LDL levels.
• Hydrogenated oils (that only extend shelf life); they are found in margarine, fried foods, commercial baked goods, and other processed foods.
• Marbled and fatty red meat can taste good – but too much of it is bad for your health. It jacks up cholesterol.

Also, any food that comes through a window – meaning fast and junk food -is a concentrated form of bad fat, processed flour, and oils.

So counter the negative with the positive in the next six weeks starting from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and keep exercising during this busy time of the year! Think ahead. Be disciplined. Be smart.

Enjoy the holidays with friends and family and try not to add those few extra pounds that in many people take up residence and never move out in the New Year. Save your heart and brain!

Steve Bernardi is a registered compounding pharmacist and co-owner of Johnson Compounding and Wellness in Waltham ( www.naturalcompounder.com). Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can email steve@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.