
This simple fact has amazing and diverse implications for almost every facet of life in the United States and, for that matter, virtually all developed countries. (In China, for example, the number of people over age sixty is expected to reach 585 million by the year 2050.) Nowhere is this impact being felt more than in the area of health and wellness. 

Americans in record numbers are showing increased concern for their health and longevity. For many, this means a sudden and almost complete reversal of years of living an unhealthy or even dangerous life-style. Products for smoking cessation, weight loss, osteoporosis treatment and prevention and erectile dysfunction saturate the airwaves and print media. In fact, prime time television commercials today are almost exclusively devoted to advertising products that address the anxieties of the over-60 demographic. This is especially true of products that reduce cholesterol and improve heart and circulatory function.

Heart disease, mostly in the form of atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, is the number one cause of premature death in the United States, and cholesterol is believed by most experts to be one of the major causes of the condition known as atherosclerosis. It is little wonder, then, that medications, dietary supplements, and numerous foods aimed at reducing cholesterol are the focus of so much media attention these days, or that these products are literally flying off the shelves of grocery and health food stores, pharmacies and on-line merchants.

What is somewhat amazing is, however, is that, in their zeal to improve their chances at a long and healthy life, so many people have neglected to determine which of these products is most beneficial and which, if any, pose substantial risks.  

So, in the interest of enlightening a strangely naive, albeit somewhat terrified public, we have put together a basic review of ways to decrease cholesterol and improve your heart health.  This is in no way a complete review of the research, nor is it meant to be a substitute for medical advice. 


Cholesterol is essential to human biology. It is a component of all cell membranes, where it allows for the transportation of vital compounds from the blood and lymphatic system into the cells. It is also necessary for the manufacture of bile, steroid hormones by the adrenal glands and the sex hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. Cholesterol is also essential to Vitamin D synthesis.

Cholesterol is produced by the liver and excreted into the intestines in the form of bile; about 50% of this cholesterol is later reabsorbed into the blood stream and returned through the blood to the liver.  The liver also regulates the amount of circulating cholesterol by decreasing cholesterol production in response to an elevation in serum cholesterol due to the intake of a diet high in fat.


In addition to the cholesterol manufactured by the liver, the major source of cholesterol in the bloodstream is dietary cholesterol. 