Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
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 High-fiber foods (such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables) may also help lower cholesterol levels. In one study, the cholesterol-lowering effect of a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and nuts was 34 to 49% greater than what would have been predicted from the fat content of the diet.6 Boiled (unfil-tered) coffee contains at least two compounds that raise serum cholesterol, whereas filtered coffee has little or no effect on cholesterol levels. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 There were no significant changes for triglyceride or HDL cholesterol levels. All the treatment regimens were well-tolerated. The authors conclude that Psyllium can be viewed as a safe addition to further lowering cholesterol, with Psyllium supplementation along with 10 mg of simvastatin, and appears to function as powerfully in lowering cholesterol as 20 mg of simvastatin alone (Moreyra, 2005). |
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
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 Since I started my research twenty years ago, there has been a marked increase in the number of experts who believe that nutrition plays a critical role in helping you maintain safe cholesterol levels and in protecting you from the common killer diseases, especially from coronary artery disease.
And many laymen come to that understanding on their own. A few years after his first bypass surgery, Abe Brickner joined a study of people who had undergone the operation. "I began to sense from my reading that something was going on," he says. |
| Some researchers have suggested that years of eating fat and cholesterol may compromise the body's natural capacity to reduce cholesterol levels.) For these people, a modest dose of a cholesterol-lowering medication under physician supervision should take care of the problem. It is worth noting, however, that anyone who achieves a cholesterol level of 165-170 mg/dL by eating a strictly no-fat, plant-based diet is already doing wonders for his or her health, even without reaching the optimal level. |
| But subsequent reanalysis of the Helsinki study and all other trials of the effects of reducing cholesterol levels, with or without drugs, have shown no increased incidence of suicide, accidents, or cancer. The newer research makes it clear that otherwise healthy individuals who achieve low blood cholesterol through proper lowfat nutrition will enhance their health, not harm it. The West Coast Family Heart Study found a reduction in both depression and aggressive hostility among those on a low-fat, cholesterol-lowering program compared to the control group eating the standard high-fat diet. |
| Unlike the drugs, plant-based nutrition has beneficial effects far beyond reducing cholesterol levels. It has a mighty impact on a host of other risk factors, as well: obesity, hypertension, triglyceride, and homocysteine levels. It enables the endothelium to heal and renew itself, and allows once-clogged arteries to dilate and replenish the heart muscle they serve. It makes you heart-attack-proof.
It doesn't get much better than that.
9
Frequently A Questions
If you have read this far, you now know what you need to do. |
| But isn't it enough simply to reduce your cholesterol levels? Why insist upon a radical change in diet, if there are other ways to reach the cholesterol goals?
Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine reported on a study in which massive doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs were used to reduce total cholesterol well below 150 mg/dL. Three out of four of the heart patients involved seem to do very well under this regimen. But it was not a complete success. |
| Analysis of cholesterol levels during the course of the study.
2. Analysis of angiograms taken before, during, and after treatment.
3. Analysis of the clinical results of the study.
Keep in mind the background of the eighteen patients who stuck with the program. All had severe, progressive coronary heart disease.
In the eight years before my study began, all had received state-of-the-art cardiac care at the Cleveland Clinic. |
Anne Harrington
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 Every two weeks, these physicians measured their subjects' cholesterol levels and the speed with which their blood clotted (rapid clotting was considered a risk factor for heart disease). Sure enough, by late March and early April, both had increased significantly. Indeed, the researchers reported that the accountants' blood "began clotting at a dangerously accelerated rate." In May and June, though, both cholesterol and clotting returned to normal levels. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Note the part about increasing HDL, the "good" cholesterol levels, which is not easy to do. Drugs fail miserably at it.) The researchers stated that "at lower and equal doses, krill oil was significantly more effective than fish oil for the reduction of glucose, triglycerides, and LDL levels."
And right before this book went to press, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that krill oil at a daily dose of only 300 mg "significantly inhibits inflammation and reduces arthritic symptoms thin a short treatment period of 7 to 14 days." Pretty impressive. |
Bill Sardi
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 Yet another confounding fact is that prostate cancer patients have lower cholesterol levels than their healthy peers. [Lancet 2:1178-80, Nov. 18, 1989]. Men who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Survey I in the early 1970s, and underwent extended followup through 1987, found males with the lowest cholesterol had a slightly higher risk for prostate cancer. [Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prevention 4:807-11, 1995] Cholesterol accumulates in cancer cells, which may explain why there is less cholesterol in circulation. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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| COMPOUNDS: CARTHAMI OLEUM
Fatty oil: chief fatty acids linoleic acid (55-88%), linolenic acid
Carotinoids
EFFECTS: CARTHAMI OLEUM
Safflower oil lowers the serum cholesterol levels.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
CARTHAMIFLOS
In folk medicine, it is mainly used as a stimulant, purgative, antihydrotic, emmenagogue, abortifacient, expectorant, pneumonic, and for tumors. In China, it is given to women for hyperemia. It is also added to teas, which soothe coughs and bronchial conditions.
CARTHAMIOLEUM
Safflower oil is used for the prophylaxis of arteriosclerosis. |
Bill Sardi
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| Cholesterol is the carrier to transport fat-soluble antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E and lycopene, to cancerous tissues. Low cholesterol levels result in decreased antioxidant defense. [Free Radical Research 25:239-45, 1996]
Dietary Supplements and Prostate Cancer
Whether a man has the slow-growing type of prostate cancer and elects to practice "watchful waiting" or undergoes treatment and then is concerned about recurrence, there is an urgent need for prevention. Physicians and researchers are saying that prostate cancer is probably the most promising field for prevention. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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| EFFECTS: CYNARAE FOLIUM AND RADIX
A choleretic effect has been observed in rats; the cholesterol levels were reduced in the rats, a hepatostimulating and bitter effect has also been documented.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
¦ Liver and gallbladder complaints
¦ Loss of appetite
Artichoke is used for dyspeptic problems and also for prophylactic treatment against the return of gall stones.
In folk medicine, Artichoke is also used for digestion complaints and as a tonic in convalescence. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
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 So it is difficult to isolate the direct effect of screening on cardiovascular health, or even on serum cholesterol levels. In one community based study, patients receiving risk factor screening and targeted dietary advice had only 1-3% lower cholesterol than the unscreened controls after a three-year follow-up.38 The Task Force gives a "B" grade for periodic screening of men age 35-65 and women 45-65. There is insufficient evidence (Grade "C") to so recommend for those over age 65 or young adults without a family history of cardiovascular disease. |
Andreas Moritz
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 Cinnamon has also been shown to lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels, and to prevent and improve heart disease.
More recent research shows that cinnamon does more than just ward off diabetes and heart disease. It
• supports digestive function;
• constricts and tones tissues;
• relieves congestion;
• alleviates pain, inflammation, and stiffness of muscles and joints;
• eases menstrual discomfort;
• stimulates circulation;
• neutralizes destructive bacteria, including E. coli.
Cinnamon also makes you smarter. |
| So when they studied total mortality and blood cholesterol in those over 80, they found men with cholesterol levels over 6.5 to have less than half the mortality of those whose cholesterol level was around 5.2, the "healthy" level. In support of this discovery, scientists working at the Leiden University Medical Centre found that "each 1 mmol/1 increase in total cholesterol corresponded to a 15 percent decrease in mortality." A study of the Maori people in New Zealand showed that those with the lowest levels of blood cholesterol had the highest mortality rates. |
| This should help restore your cholesterol levels back to what is normal for your body.
Honey—The World's Best Wound Healer?
Would you have ever guessed that this delicious food made by honeybees is actually one of mankind's oldest-known medicines? Dating as far back as 5,000 years, honey has been successfully used to treat burns, coughs and ulcers. Hippocrates, the Greek physician, also praised honey's healing powers and came up with many honey-based treatments for ailments such as skin disorders, ulcers and sores. |
| FOS has already been shown to support cardiovascular functions by lowering blood pressure and reducing blood fats and total cholesterol levels. FOS's naturally induced ability to increase resistance to infection may be especially helpful for people at increased risk of bacterial infections. FOS also supports the production of various vitamins and minerals.
Animal studies suggest that FOS may help prevent anemia and loss of bone density by promoting absorption of iron and calcium in the intestines. |
| This finding is very significant because half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels. It not only shows that inflammation plays a key role in heart disease, but also in a wide range of other disorders involving the circulatory system, including arthritis, diabetes and cancer.
In the above study, the research team tracked the levels of both CRP and LDL ("bad" cholesterol) in nearly 28,000 women for eight years. According to the results of the study, women with high levels of CRP were twice as likely to have heart disease as those with high LDL. |
| Almonds and walnuts particularly help balance cholesterol levels. Both contain high concentrations of antioxidant oleic acid and mono-unsaturated fat, similar to that in olive oil, known to protect arteries from damage. Almonds, however, seem to be the most valuable of the two. A total of six studies showed the resounding results of the almond's ability to lower total and LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease by 10 percent. All it takes is to eat one small handful of almonds (1 ounce) a day. It is best to remove the skin by putting the almonds into boiled water for a few minutes. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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| A 4% reduction in total cholesterol levels occurred in subjects treated with 1000 mg
Garlic daily compared to an increase of 1.4% in subjects treated with placebo and Garlic 500 mg daily. LDL cholesterol was reduced by 6.1% in subjects treated with 1000 mg Garlic daily compared to ah increase of 0.9% in subjects treated with Garlic 500 mg daily. (Gardner et al, 2001).
Similarly, an enteric-coated Garlic supplement reduced cholesterol in subjects with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, total cholesterol was reduced by 4. |
| The effect on serum cholesterol levels of cofee brwed by filtering or boiling. N Engl. J Med (1989), 321: 1432-1437.
Balduini W, Cattabeni F. Displacement of (3H)-N6-cyclohexyladenosine binding to rat cortical membranes by an hydroalcoholic extract of Valeriana officinalis. Med Sci Res. 17; 639-640(1989)
Butz S, Nurses'-Health-Studie: Kaffe - kein Risikofaktor fiir koronare Herzkrankheit? In: DAZ 136(19): 1680-1582. 1996.
Coffein: Entzugssyndrom bei Kaffeetrinkern. In: DAZ 133(6):441. 1993. |
| Fatty oil: chief fatty acids linoleic acid (55-88%), linolenic acid
Carotinoids effects: safflower oil
Safflower oil lowers the serum cholesterol levels. indications and usage safflower flowers
Unproven Uses: In folk medicine, it is mainly used as a stimulant, purgative, antihydrotic, emmenagogue, abortifacient, expectorant, pneumonic, and for tumors. It is also added to teas for soothing coughs and bronchial conditions.
Chinese Medicine: In China, Safflower flowers treat amenorrhea and stomach tumors, as well as for external and internal wounds. |
| These fecal bile acids are associated with both colorectal cancer and serum cholesterol levels. Eighteen stool samples were taken from each of the 16 healthy volunteers during the study. Stools were analyzed at a rate of 12 samples/ week. This was a single center study that took place over a 12-week period that included a 2-week pretreatment phase followed by an 8-week treatment phase and a 2-week post-treatment phase. No adverse reactions were reported by study participants (Chaplin et al, 2000). |
Shannon Brownlee
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 Every clinician has witnessed the medicalized 80-year-old obsessed with arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and serum cholesterol levels. Contrast this patient with someone else in the same physical condition, who admits that her knees are bad and that she has trouble remembering things. Which patient is better off? Attention to some proto-illnesses arguably could benefit 80- and 90-year-olds: certainly osteoporosis, probably also high blood pressure. But 80-year-olds can ill afford the ceding of responsibility and loss of control inherent in medicalization. |
Bill Sardi
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| Archives Internal Medicine 163: 1099-1104, 2003]
Lignans may partly accomplish a reduction in coronary heart disease in males by moderating cholesterol levels. Flaxseed consumption lowers cholesterol. [J Clinical Endodrinol Metabol 87: 1527-32, 2002] While concentrated lignan extracts have not been evaluated for cholesterol profiles, it is known that healthy men with the highest circulating levels of enterolactone, the primary lignan component in flaxseed, exhibit much lower rates of acute heart attacks than men with low levels of enterolactone. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 While there are many effective nonprescription natural therapies for symptom relief, this does not adequately address greater long-term concerns such as bone density, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, breast health, or vaginal tissue health. The identification of disease risks may not be very important in the early perimenopausal years, but it acquires increasing importance as the postmenopause years accumulate. This is why I recommend that women seek the advice of a licensed naturoparhic physician with a strong experience in women's health, and menopause in particular. |
Peter h. Fraser and Harry Massey
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 Further research needs to be conducted, but in this regard NES's understanding of bioenergetic physiology is at odds with the widely accepted conventional view that cholesterol levels play a major contributory role in narrowing of the arteries.
Bioenergetically, Energetic Star 6 correlates to blood flow, and the related Infoceutical may help in this regard. In addition, this Star, as a communication pathway, links to the tissue of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, so it might be implicated bioenergetically in arthritis and other diseases of these tissues. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 In a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians, garlic supplements lowered total serum cholesterol levels by 12 percent after only four weeks of treatment. Not only that, they lower LDL ("bad" cholesterol) by 4 to 15 percent without lowering HDL ("good", protective) cholesterol; in fact, garlic has actually raised HDL in some studies by up to 22 percent. Want more? Garlic also lowers triglyceride levels by up to 17 percent.
Garlic can also reduce plaque, making it a powerful agent for cardiovascular health. |
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