Bad cholesterol: A myth?

Enough of the bum rap that cholesterol has been getting for the longest time. We got this article from an e-mail being circulated by well-meaning people who take their health rather seriously. It’s titled "Bad Cholesterol: A Myth and a Fraud!" by F. Batmanghelidj (pronounced as Batman-ge-lij), MD.

The Iran-born doctor declares, "We in the medical profession, totally oblivious of the vital roles of cholesterol in the body, have been duped into thinking that it is this substance that causes arterial disease of the heart and the brain. The pharmaceutical industry has capitalized on the slogan of ‘bad cholesterol’ and has produced toxic-to-the-body chemicals that minimally lower the level of cholesterol in the body and in the process cause liver damage to thousands of people, some dying as a result of using the medication."

If only the media-hyped doctors would take time to reflect, says Batmanghelidj, they would know for sure that "cholesterol levels are measured from blood taken from the veins, yet nowhere in medical literature is there a single case of cholesterol having caused obstruction of the veins. Venous blood moves far slower than arterial blood and thus would be more inclined to have cholesterol deposits if the assumption of ‘bad cholesterol’ were accurate. This mistake by us in the medical community and its capitalization by the pharmaceutical industry have caused an ongoing fraud against society."

Truth is, according to Dr. Batmanghelidj, "bad cholesterol" ain’t bad – it is far better than we think. "The reason for its rise in the body is because of complications caused by chronic unintentional dehydration and insufficient urine production," he points out.

He explains the effect of dehydration on the blood vessels of the heart in as plain a layman’s language as he could. And how the so-called bad cholesterol "coats and covers up the abrasions and protects the underlying tissue like a waterproof bandage until the tissue heals."

And did you know that many of our hormones are made of cholesterol? Vitamin D is made by the body from cholesterol in our skin that is exposed to sunlight.

The bottom line is, the human body, with all its normal functions intact, does not produce things that are bad for its survival.

Now, we know. But did you know that water is a better cholesterol-lowering medication than any chemical on the market? "It is absolutely safe and not harmful to the body like the dangerous medications now used," says this man who claims to have made the greatest health discovery in history – water!

Wanna know more? Log on to www.watercure.com.

* * * Say hello to Txt2Protect

Junep Ocampo of RightMedia has this message to send to all cell phone subscribers (that is, about 28 million of us all over the country): Now, you can stop worrying about your cell phone being stolen or accidentally damaged. Say hello to Txt2Protect, the first cell phone insurance in Southeast Asia, launched recently by eStandard Insurance, a subsidiary of Standard Insurance.

You can avail yourself of the product through text messaging. Get an insurance quote through text (key in INSURE <space> BRAND <space> MODEL and send to 283 for Smart/Talk ’N Text and 2333 for Globe/Touch Mobile). To insure your phone, simply bring your phone and pay the premium in any branch of Metrobank, Equitable PCI Bank or Standard Insurance.

According to eStandard president Ernesto Echauz, Txt2Protect was developed to address the rising incidence of cell phone theft in the country. He can say that again! We know for a fact that most holdup men simply want our cell phones (with our money just an added bonus).

"Txt2Protect is our way of helping our countrymen have peace of mind during these hard times," says Echauz. "By insuring their phones, they need not worry anymore if they encounter holdup men or snatchers in the streets."

Patterned after the cell phone insurance in Europe, Txt2Protect insures a cell phone owner against the loss of his/her phone through snatching, holdup and theft. It also insures the owner from damage on his phone due to accidents.

In case of loss, eStandard will replace your cell phone with exactly the same model or phone with the same value if the original model is no longer available. In case of damage, eStandard will shoulder the cost of the phone’s repair.

Insurance premium is affordable and based on the value of the cell phone’s brand and model. All premiums are paid at one time as policies are quoted for an annual coverage.

eStandard is also calling on all parents. Says Echauz, "If their children’s cell phones are insured, they can stop worrying about their son’s or daughter’s safety."

For more information, call eStandard Insurance customer service hotline at 845-1111.

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We’d love to hear from you. E-mail us at ching_alano@yahoo.com.