What a simple but drastic diet change can do. His blood pressure was high, and his triglycerides were at 364 (150 considered normal). All of his cholesterol readings were reaching the dangerous levels.He changed his diet and without any medications brought his cholesterol and blood pressure deep into the normal. Great story.

According to a Harvard Medical School study, a heart-healthy high-protein diet can lower harmful LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. 'A high-protein diet doesn??�t have to be all steak and eggs, according to Dr. Frank M. Sacks, the editor of the report and Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Harvard Medical School. And

Test subjects either received a high carbohydrate, low fat diet or a moderate carbohydrate, high fat diet. The moderate carbohydrate group achieved a 20% greater weight loss and insulin sensitivity improved relative to weight lost in both groups. The moderate carbohydrate group achieved lower triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a lipid found in the cell membranes of all tissues, and it is transported in the blood plasma of all animals. Cholesterol is also considered a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol). Because cholesterol is synthesized by all eukaryotes, trace amounts of cholesterol are also found in membranes of plants and fungi.The name originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as researchers first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones by François Poulletier de la Salle in 1769. However, it is only in 1815 that chemist Eugène Chevreul named the compound "cholesterine".Most of the cholesterol in the body is synthesized by the body and some has dietary origin. Cholesterol is more abundant in tissues which either synthesize more or have more abundant densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord and brain. It plays a central role in many biochemical processes, such as the composition of cell membranes and the synthesis of steroid hormones. Cholesterol is insoluble in blood, but is transported in the circulatory system bound to one of the varieties of lipoprotein, spherical particles which have an exterior composed mainly of water-soluble proteins. The main types, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carry cholesterol from and to the liver, respectively.According to the lipid hypothesis, abnormally high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) and abnormal proportions of LDL and HDL are associated with cardiovascular disease by promoting atheroma development in arteries (atherosclerosis). This disease process leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular disease. As high LDL contributes to this process, it is termed "bad cholesterol", while high levels of HDL ("good cholesterol") offer a degree of protection. The balance can be redressed with exercise, a healthy diet, and sometimes medication.