Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Mike: It's also nice to see a supplement positioned to support the body's own natural function, rather than suppressing something like an inflammatory response or suppressing the liver's production of ldl cholesterol. This is a supportive supplement.
Goodman: It's a strong antioxidant formulation. As you know, antioxidants are very good for the body. We have our own natural antioxidants. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 Eleuthero, in clinical studies, has been shown to help relieve angina symptoms and lower ldl cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is unlikely to cause overstimulation and can be taken over long periods of time.
• Jiaogulan reduces LDL and VLDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, mildly lowers blood pressure, inhibits platelet aggregation, and improves cardiac function. It is ideal to use, along with diet and exercise, to reduce the chances of a heart attack or stroke in people with many cardiac risk factors.
• Lycium stabilizes capillaries, veins, and arteries throughout the body. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 In fact, the research shows that a compound in blueberries acts just as effectively as statin drugs to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol or ldl cholesterol in mice, but without the negative side effects of statin drugs (such as having your muscles waste away).
In response to these results, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) thinks that perhaps the antioxidant ingredient could be 'developed as a treatment.' Huh? What kind of development do we need here? Can't people just grab blueberries and chew on them and swallow the antioxidants the way normal human beings do? |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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 And cholesterol's release into our bloodstream provides our bodies' natural defense against toxicity, particularly from heavy metals. ldl cholesterol also carries the coenzyme Q10, a naturally produced antioxidant that is vital for sustaining life.
We tend to hear a lot about the dangers of high cholesterol, but I daresay most Americans don't know that very low cholesterol is unsafe, too. When people's ldl cholesterol falls too low—less than 70mg/dL— they may develop transient global amnesia, meaning that they forget who they are. |
Bottom Line Health
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| To ensure that you're being prescribed the appropriate amount of medication, ask your doctor what percentage of ldl cholesterol reduction you need. Then you and your doctor can determine what statin dosage is best for you.
Example: Your ldl cholesterol is 165, and your target is 130 (a 21% reduction). A daily 10-milligram (mg) dose of lovastatin (Mevacor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) is a good place to start.
After one month, have your cholesterol tested again. If it hasn't dropped enough, you may need to increase the dosage. |
| Cannon, MD
After four months of therapy, ldl cholesterol dropped below 100 mg/dL for 91% of the patients. Of these, 11% saw their ldl cholesterol drop below 40 mg/dL, according to the report.
Compared with other groups, the patients who had cholesterol levels lower than 40 mg/dL and those whose cholesterol was between 40 and 60 mg/dL had fewer heart attacks, strokes, cardiac death, chest pain and additional heart procedures, the researchers found.
Moreover, there were no significant differences in adverse side effects from statins, such as muscle or liver abnormalities or death. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 What niacin does that medications can't do is both lower the ldl cholesterol and raise the HDL cholesterol. This one-two punch can't really be done with medications, most of which lower either total cholesterol or ldl cholesterol but don't do anything to raise the "good" stuff. In numerous human studies, niacin has consistently shown increases in HDL by up to 45 percent and decreases in LDL by as much as 54 percent. And no matter where you stand on the cholesterol controversy, raising HDL cholesterol is a good thing. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Heart disease is an inflammatory disease of the artery. ldl cholesterol is not even bad. It only becomes bad when it becomes oxidized or modified by an excess of free radicals. So you start to look at all the causes of inflammation which are caused by an excess of free radicals caused by diabetes, hypertension, cigarette smoking, fatty meals, high-sugar meals, high-glycemic meals -- these will cause your arteries to go into spasm because of the inflammation four to six hours after a meal. You start to look at homocysteine, and ldl cholesterol is a factor that's oxidized. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 Conventional practitioners and alternative practitioners alike acknowledge that several grams of niacin per day will lower total cholesterol and ldl cholesterol, raise HDL,239 and decrease atherosclerosis both alone and when used with conventional treatments like statins. The niacin and statins seem to act synergistically to improve lipid parameters at lower doses, in a shorter amount of time, and more effectively than when either is used alone.240-242
The major problem with the therapeutic dosage (1.5 to 3 grams per day) has to do with side effects. Flushing responses are common. |
| Two to three grams per day of L-carnitine has resulted in reductions in total and ldl cholesterol in individuals with hyperlipidemia251 and also decreased triglycerides in those with high blood pressure.252 Lipoprotein(a) levels, an independent biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk, have also been reduced with 2 grams per day of L-carnitine, even in those with type 2 diabetes.253 In addition, some preliminary evidence suggests carnitine may be able to attenuate the muscular side effects of statin therapy. |
| Policosanol has been used to reduce total cholesterol, ldl cholesterol, and triglycerides and to increase HDL cholesterol based on over 10 years of critical trials and 30 or so positive clinical trials. One recent metaanalysis of natural interventions for abnormal and elevared lipids concluded that policosanol is more effective than plant sterols.334
However, evidence to the benefits of policosanol is conflicting. In May of 2006, a randomized controlled trial srudied four different doses of policosanol compared to each other and a placebo group. |
| Strict vegan diets, which are typically very low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol and high in fiber, can help maintain or achieve desirable blood levels by especially lowering the total cholesterol and the ldl cholesterol.99
Specific fruits or vegetables may also have a particular positive effecr on serum lipids. Raw carrots may have a more potent effect on lowering cholesterol than do oat products. Eating a raw carrot at breakfast every day for three weeks has been shown to reduce serum cholesterol by 11 percent and increase far excretion by 50 percent. |
| Evening primrose oil rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) may also have a role in prevention of heart disease283 by decreasing ldl cholesterol.
Fish Oil
1 g per day of EPA and DHA 2-4 g per day of EPA plus DHA may be useful in patients with elevated triglycerides
Wild salmon ranges from 1.0-1.5 g EPA plus DHA per 3 oz serving, with a little more DHA than EPA. Different species range in their EPA and DHA content. Wild sockeye salmon has approximately 600 mg DHA and 430 mg EPA per 3 oz serving. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 By consuming a healthful diet based on an organic, partially raw / vegan diet with nutritional supplementation, a fair amount of physical exercise, and minimal animal products, I've achieved ldl cholesterol of 67, HDL cholesterol of 62 and a resting pulse of 48.
These numbers are not unattainable, even though they are astonishing to many doctors. They should not be considered unusual, either, because these numbers represent a level of health that all human beings are capable of achieving if they just stop poisoning their bodies with unhealthy foods, beverages and prescription drugs. |
| His total cholesterol had gone from 234 to 195, his ldl cholesterol had gone down, his HDL was up, and his total triglycerides had fallen substantially. This is a person who made remarkable gains in his blood chemistry profile simply by changing what he was eating, and this isn't the only person I've seen accomplish something like this. So why are so many doctors so skeptical about the healing power of foods?
My theory is that a lot of patients actually lie to their doctors about what kind of dietary changes they are making, just like they might lie about alcohol or tobacco consumption. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| Its target is to lower ldl cholesterol. See the following sidebar for the recommendations of the TLC diet.
AHA Recommendations. The American Heart Association dietary recommendations are designed to reduce high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess weight. These are the dietary guidelines:
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose five or more servings per day.
• Eat a variety of grain products, including whole grains. Choose six or more servings per day.
• Include fat-free and low-fat milk products, fish, legumes (beans), skinless poultry, and lean meats. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 LDL cholesterol goal, 52.3 percent missed their HDL cholesterol goal, 48.6 percent failed to reach their triglyceride goal, and 53 percent had elevated blood pressure. Only 12.7 percent of women and 5.3 percent of men had reached their goal values for Hb A , blood pressure, and LDL simultaneously.
These results raise some provocative questions. For example, do diabetes patients take their medications faithfully? Do the medications not work well?
In fact, drugs are commonly thought to be "magic bullets" for any disease, not just diabetes. This type of thinking is a major mistake in diabetes. |
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
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 Eventually, a white blood cell adheres to and eventually penetrates the endothelium, where it attempts to ingest the rising numbers of ldl cholesterol molecules that are being oxidized from the fatty diet. That white blood cell sends out a call for help to other white blood cells. More and more of them converge on the site, becoming engorged with bad cholesterol and eventually forming a bubble of fatty pus— an atheroma, or "plaque," the chief characteristic of atherosclerosis.
Old plaques contain scar tissue and calcium. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 My ratio of HDL to ldl cholesterol is almost 1:1. That's a ratio that's almost unheard of by most doctors and health practitioners. I have an ldl cholesterol level of 67.
I did that through nutrition, physical exercise and nutritional supplements. I don't take any prescription drugs whatsoever. And, hey, I'm middle-aged as well. I'm 35 years old. So this isn’t something that only works for people who are 20. You can do this at any age, even if you're 75. It all comes down to your dietary choices, nutritional supplementation, and your level of physical exercise. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 A year ago, if your ldl cholesterol was 110, you were considered normal. Today, you're considered diseased and will be put on a statin drug. Same ldl cholesterol, new definition. Neat medical shell game, huh?)
So whenever I hear someone suggesting that we should require mandatory testing for a certain disease, I have to ask myself: what's the economic incentive here? Are there other diseases or vitamin deficiencies that we should be testing as a higher priority? |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 You might also be wondering what my ldl cholesterol number is. As you may know, the target for ldl cholesterol used to be anything under 130. Recently the American Heart Association, along with a panel of board members with ties to prescription drug companies, lowered that number to 100. They now say the optimum number to shoot for is 70, although anything under 100 is still considered very good. My own ldl cholesterol is 67. To see a person with an LDL level of 67 is also quite unusual, as any doctor will tell you.
But enough about my numbers. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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 Although xanthelasmas themselves are usually harmless, half the time they're markers of high levels of ldl cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) or low levels of HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol), both of which are risk factors for heart disease. And because xanthelasmas can grow quite large, there's a chance they can interfere with eyesight and may need to be removed surgically. They may, however, grow back.
LUMPS AND BUMPS ON THE EYEBALL
If you notice a white or yellowish lump or bump on the white of the eye, don't panic. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 HEART HEALTH: In a study where herbs and spices were examined for their potential to inhibit LDL cholesterol's conversion into the more harmful form, mint was one of the most effective.
CANCER: Mint's phenolic phytochemicals may help prevent cancer. Fresh mint was found to have very strong scavenging activity. Mint is high in salicylic acid and it is thought to play a role in the prevention of colorectal cancer and atherosclerosis.
LUNG CANCER: Mint given to mice with lung cancer reduced tumors significantly. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 A "normal" level of ldl cholesterol used to be 130. Last year, a panel of corrupt medical decision makers with under-the-table financial ties to drug companies spontaneously decided that "normal" ldl cholesterol should be 100. Overnight, ten million more Americans were suddenly afflicted with the fictitious disease of high cholesterol. And the treatment for this spontaneous disease? Statin drugs, of course. |
Andreas Moritz
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 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. Soaking the almonds overnight makes them more digestible.
Nuts generally are high in antioxidant vitamin E, shown to protect against chest pain and artery damage. Brazil nuts are extremely rich in selenium, an antioxidant also linked to lower rates of heart disease and cancer. |
Ray D. Strand
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 When you provide all of these nutrients at optimal levels, your body receives all the health benefits nutritional supplementation provides. ldl cholesterol is more resistant to oxidation. Homocysteine levels decrease. Your eyes have greater antioxidant protection from the sunlight. The lungs have optimal protection. You enhance your immune and antioxidant defense system. You decrease the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer, macular degeneration, cataracts, arthritis, Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's disease, asthma, diabetes, MS, lupus, and more. |
| This same study also showed that the ldl cholesterol showed a 35 percent increase in resistance to oxidation in the antioxidant group than in the groups taking the "statin" drugs.
The media did not pick up this finding, nor did they announce it to the whole world. They also do not tell you that patients who are taking statin drugs significantly decrease the CoQlO levels of the body. Many researchers feel the underlying reason why some of the patients who are taking "statin" drugs develop muscle pain and even muscle destruction is because of these very low CoQlO levels in the muscle. |
| LDL cholesterol.
• decreased levels of triglycerides (fats).
• increased strength and coordination, which leads to a decrease in the risk of falls.
• improved sensitivity to insulin.
• enhancement of the immune system.
• overall increase in one's sense of well-being.
One look at this list of health benefits is convincing: any individual who chooses to develop a consistent program of modest exercise is making an important choice to avoid developing many different diseases.
Healthy Diet
What about eating habits? |
| When this monocyte becomes stuffed with the oxidized ldl cholesterol, it becomes a "Foam-cell." The Foam-cell then causes damage to the sensitive lining of the artery by creating oxidative stress in this area. This leads to injury and dysfunction of the endothelium, and the process of hardening of the arteries is off and running.
The inflammatory response is a four-step process.
Step 1: The Initial Insult to the Endothelium
The endothelium is an extremely sensitive lining that is vulnerable to even the slightest irritation. |
| It is the LDL (low density lipoproteins) cholesterol that is bad. ldl cholesterol accumulates along the artery walls, forming plaque and narrowing the arteries. The HDL cholesterol actually comes along and cleans up the artery.
After this discovery we started checking not only total cholesterol levels but also determining the amounts of both good and bad cholesterol present. We calculate a ratio by dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL cholesterol. The lower this ratio is, the better off the patient is when it comes to heart disease. |
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