I was doing some research on GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid – the active ingredient in Evening Primrose Oil which is found in our Balanced Omega fish oil blend) and came across this article about Evening Primrose on an herbal website:

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-evening-primrose.html

The article does a great job of outlining the many benefits of GLA for everything from headache relief to improved memory.  GLA works by keeping inflammation in check, so if some of the benefits listed in the article seem unconnected, remember that they all originate as problems of inflammation.  Balanced Omega is a great way to get GLA and fish oil (another anti-inflammatory) in a low-dose daily supplement to help combat the many sources of inflammation present in our daily lives (poor diet, stress, lack of exercise, need I go on?).  I like to take a few capsules if I feel a headache coming on and my husband has found that taking GLA helps him get rid of the daily aches and pains associated with having an active job (and surfing, which he does often now that we live in Hawaii!).

For this week’s entry, I thought to share with you a few interesting facts about cholesterol that will be covered in more detail at our webinar this Saturday (to register click here).  Here they are!

 People with higher cholesterol are more likely to live longer, healthier lives than their counterparts with low cholesterol.
 Cholesterol is absolutely necessary for memory and learning, which may be why two common side effects of statin therapy are memory loss and cognitive decline.
 People with low cholesterol are more likely to experience mood disorders such as depression and exhibit violent behavior.  In fact, some researchers attribute the rise in domestic violence and child abuse over the past 30 years to the increased use of cholesterol-lowering medication.
 Exposure to heavy metals is usually followed by a rise in blood cholesterol, possibly because cholesterol acts as a “raft” to get toxins out of the body quickly.
 Every cell in your body makes cholesterol.  In fact, only 15% of cholesterol in your body comes from your food – the rest of it is synthesized by your body because it is that important!
 Fatty plaques in the arteries are actually a sign that there is underlying inflammation in the body.  Cholesterol rises as a response to this inflammation to try to repair damaged portions of blood vessel walls – cholesterol is NOT the root cause of artery plaques, inflammation is!
 If you are stressed about the results of your cholesterol test, it is likely that your results will be higher than they would be if you weren’t stressed.  Stress causes cholesterol levels to rise, and they may not return to normal for 24 hours or more.   
NOTE: Please talk to your physician before making any dietary or supplement changes.  This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.