Everyone in modern society has heard about cholesterol, and how bad it is. Most do not understand why it exists, and simply see it as a menace that must be eliminated as quickly as possible.

The amount of cholesterol that you eat actually has very little relationship with the amount that you have in your body. Cholesterol is indeed needed and critical for optimal health. The purpose of so-called 'bad cholesterol' is not to give us heart attacks, but to repair damaged arteries. When a poor diet and lifestyle leads to damaged arteries, a thick and sticky substance called cholesterol is required to patch the arteries.

When this damaging behavior is continued, multiple patches are created, leading to what we know as "clogged arteries." Having high cholesterol does not equate to having heart disease, and having a "normal" cholesterol reading does not necessarily put you in the clear. In other words, in order to reduce your risk for heart disease, you have to get to the real root of the problem.

Abnormal cholesterol numbers do serve a vital purpose, they tell us the liver is pumping out extra amounts of cholesterol because of some specific need in the body for the cholesterol. Therefore, what we really need to do is to identify and then correct the underlying issue that is causing this abnormal cholesterol production in the first place.

Inflammation is almost always the real root cause of abnormal cholesterol levels, and excessive inflammation is a genuine heart disease risk that does need correcting. When there is excessive inflammation in the body, the liver manufactures extra cholesterol so it can perform one of its main functions - repairing damaged cells and reducing the inflammation in the arterial linings.

Therefore, it is certainly counterproductive to merely lower the cholesterol (with a statin drug) and not deal with the inflammation or oxidation that caused the cholesterol to be there in the first place. High cholesterol levels should be a warning to people that inflammation is present. It is a risk marker, and a symptom that can save your life Chronic inflammation from areas such as the gastrointestinal tract, joint pain, skin conditions, bad gums - can set off the process of creating blockages in the heart. By using natural products to treat inflammation, you can decrease your risk of heart disease. It is how you treat the inflammation that is important.

Dr. Pamela Langenderfer is a licensed naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist. She is the co owner of Lakeside Holistic Health, PLLC with locations in both Coeur d'Alene and Liberty Lake. She can be reached at (208) 758-0568 or visit www.lakesideholistic.com.