| LDL cholesterol (0.18 mmol/ L, p<0.0001) resulting from consumption of oatmeal foods. The authors recommend caution in interpreting these seemingly positive effects, however, which typically accounted for risk factors for coronary heart disease but not actual death or coronary events or illness. Cholesterol-lowering and other coronary risk factors reported in these and other trials were recorded over a relatively short period of time (4 to 8 weeks in most cases), and were often small in size and therefore limited in the statistically significant conclusions they could draw. |
| However, ldl cholesterol decreased less than 5% in 2 patients with hypercholesterolemia. In the same period apolipoprotein B decreased by 34% (p<0.05) in patients with type II HLP while apolipoprotein A-I did not change. After treatment ended, all lipoprotein concentrations returned to pretreatment levels (Molgaard et al, 1987). indications and usage
Unproven Uses: In folk medicine, the drug is used in the treatment of diabetes and malfunctioning of the thyroid gland. contraindications
Alfalfa is contraindicated in patients with gout and systemic lupus erythematosus. |
| Dehusked oats are, according to various studies, able to lower blood levels of total and ldl cholesterol in healthy individuals and those with elevated lipid levels. The latest research attributes the cholesterol-lowering effect to the water-soluble polysaccharides, in particular B-glucans. They are also said to hinder prostaglandin biosynthesis. One study has shown Oats to have a positive effect in smoking cessation (Anon, 1997). |
| Approved by the FDA:
¦ Prophylaxis of calcium deficiency and treatment of osteoporosis
¦ Calcium acetate: Treatment of hyperphosphatemia related to renal failure and hemodialysis
¦ Calcium carbonate: Used alone or in combination products as an antacid to relieve symptoms of heartburn, acid indigestion, and stomach upset
Unproven Uses: Calcium supplementation may reduce premenstrual pain, total and ldl cholesterol, hypertension, and the occurrence of colorectal polyps. |
Mike Adams
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 My blood pressure dropped, my ldl cholesterol levels plummeted, and my HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) skyrocketed. Depression vanished and the cobwebs in my head seemed to be magically cleared away. And with each passing week, my chronic lower back pain became less intense until it finally disappeared altogether.
When the transformation was complete, after just twelve months, I had dropped 50 pounds of body fat. My ldl cholesterol had reached 67 and my HDL was up to 62. My blood pressure was 105/60 and my resting pulse was 48 (which is typically the pulse of competitive athletes). |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 In fact, one study showed that melatonin could decrease ldl cholesterol by up to 42%, and melatonin has also been proven to lower high blood pressure.15 Sleep also gives your hardworking cardiovascular function a rest, allowing heart rate and blood pressure to decrease by as much as 10%. When sleep is insufficient, you may not experience this benefit, which has significant ramifications. Several studies have indicated that those who don't experience lower blood pressure at night are at greater risk of angina, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and strokes. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 In clinical studies, this herb has been shown to help relieve angina symptoms and lower ldl cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It relaxes the arteries and can be used to treat "white coat" (stress induced) hypertension when combined with motherwort and chrysanthemum flower.
Eleuthero also strengthens the immune system, and regular use will reduce the incidence of colds and other common infectious diseases. Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy often develop bone marrow suppression and decreased white blood cell counts. |
| Risk factors for both include high blood pressure, obesity, elevated C-reactive protein, and elevated ldl cholesterol levels.
Millions of people are taking prescription drugs such as Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor, and Crestor to lower cholesterol levels. The prescribing of these drugs is based on the hypothesis that high cholesterol levels cause heart attacks. Unfortunately, serious side effects have been reported for these drugs, which are prescribed for preventive purposes.
Cholesterol reduction in some cases can be achieved without drugs, and adaptogens can help. |
Jack Challem
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 Barbara's triglycerides, total cholesterol, and ldl cholesterol had decreased significantly, while her HDL cholesterol increased to 40 mg/dl. She was on the right track, and buoyed by her improvements, Barbara was motivated to stick with her regimen. i kj i i v. i ci i.y i v_ i iwvv
More than thirty years ago, the late Carlton Fredericks, Ph.D., observed that with people who are prediabetic or diabetic, larger amounts of sugar are needed to satisfy a sweet tooth. The situation is somewhat like a drug addiction in which larger amounts of the drug are needed to feel good. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 Meanwhile, as part of your homeland security team, your healthy HDL cholesterol works to clear that ldl cholesterol out of the area. Think of your LDL as a bus carrying loads of hooligans and dropping them off in your arteries to do damage to them, while your HDL serves as a high-speed paddy wagon that zips through your arteries to get the rogue elements off the streets. HDL is mostly made in intestines and looks like a plastic baggie that wraps cholesterol so that it can be more easily excreted.
Like TVs, toy trucks, and lingerie, cholesterol comes in different sizes. |
Ray D. Strand
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 In the event of injury, our body responds by sending in certain white cells (mainly monocytes) in an attempt to eliminate the harmful oxidized ldl cholesterol. Here the defense team of monocytes starts gobbling up the enemy in an attempt to minimize the irritation to the endothelium. If this inflammatory response is successful, the problem is over and the lining of the artery will be repaired. But this is not what usually happens.
Think of a monocyte as a white minivan. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 A study of Japanese women found that those with the highest onion intake had the lowest ldl cholesterol. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers found that the stronger-tasting and -smelling onions made blood platelets less sticky, thus reducing risk for atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke.
BONE HEALTH: A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry reported that onion consumption increased bone density in rats, possibly decreasing the risk for osteoporosis. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Strand: Here is a very classic thing: They just lowered the recommended level of ldl cholesterol, or the bad cholesterol, to be below 70 in high-risk people. Well, I have not seen less than 4 or 5 percent of my patients have ldl cholesterol below 70. In other words, almost everybody would then be on statin drugs. This is a real shot in the arm of the pharmaceutical industry, because they have got a government agency -- about nine leading people in this industry -- making these recommendations. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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 In the last 25 years, many cardiologists have come to believe that high ("bad") ldl cholesterol (greater than 160) causes heart disease. I, however, see cholesterol as only a small part of the disease process. It's a minor player, but it's been built up to be the major player. Thankfully, a number of open-minded, nutrition-oriented physicians and cardiologists have now arrived at my point of view.
Actually, you may be surprised to learn that cholesterol is very important to our bodies. It lubricates our skin. It forms the basis for our sex hormones—testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. |
| 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.
Years ago, in the early 1980s, when cholesterol-lowering drugs first hit the mass market, studies found an increase in suicides, homicides, and automobile accidents. But those results were somehow overlooked in the rush to prescribe these "wonder" meds.
At the 2005 American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), I attended a lecture by a prominent cardiologist, Dr. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Patients who are taking high doses of statins can see their ldl cholesterol drop from more than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) past a target goal of 70 to 80 mg/dL to as low as 40 mg/dL. Whether such low cholesterol levels are safe has been the subject of debate.
"We looked at patients who got to ultra-low [LDL] cholesterol levels, and wanted to make sure that was safe," says study coauthor Dr. Christopher P. Cannon, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. |
| 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. |
| The participants who took the low dose reduced their ldl cholesterol levels to a respectable 100 mg/dL, on average. Those who took the higher dose cut their LDL number to 77 mg/dL.
The difference in these numbers had important implications. People in the higher-dose group had a 22% lower risk of heart attack than those in the low-dose group.
As with all medications, atorvastatin and other cholesterol-lowering statins can cause side effects, such as muscle aches and potentially harmful increases in liver enzymes. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 Other benefits include prevention of muscle and fat wasting, and reduced levels of "bad" ldl cholesterol and triglycerides.
Studies show that carnitine may help to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and heart failure. It's also a promising therapy for angina (chest pain from poor blood flow to the heart muscle) and intermittent claudication (pain in the lower legs caused by poor circulation, generally due to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries). |
Marshall Editions
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 Green tea: This tea contains polyphenol compounds, which are useful in lowering total cholesterol, decreasing the oxidation of ldl cholesterol, and increasing HDL cholesterol. The latter is interesting as there are few other herbs that are useful for increasing HDL cholesterol. Drink 3-4 cups of green tea daily and test your blood cholesterol levels after two to three months. If the caffeine in green tea is intolerable, drink decaffeinated green tea or take capsules of standardized green tea extracts from which the caffeine has been removed. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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| HEART HEALTH: Subjects with high cholesterol showed that those who consumed carob pulp—rich in insoluble fiber—had lower ldl cholesterol and triglycerides, and improved LDL/HDL ratio.
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: Another study on the benefits of carob pulp pointed to fat-burning properties of the fruit.
DIABETES: A study done on rats fed locust bean gum with a meal slowed the rate of food digestion, improved insulin response, and prevented rebound hypoglycemia, an abnormal lowering of blood glucose.
Tips for Using Carob
SELECTION AND STORAGE:
• Carob is available in powder, chips, and syrup. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| These macrophages eat the ldl cholesterol, becoming engorged with fat and blowing up like marshmallows, then attach to the arterial walls. Pathologists call them foam cells, as they clog the artery walls. An arterial plaque is born.
As the plaque grows, it reduces the nutrient-rich blood supply through the arteries. And when the marsh-mallow cracks—that is, when the plaque runs out of blood supply—there's a big-time supersonic explosion as a clot fills up the plaque like a bloated tick. The sudden clot formation, like a scab on any cut, closes off the artery. |
| That chili-drenched hot dog doesn't just add to your lousy LDL cholesterol; it also stimulates your genes to produce more inflammatory proteins to make the tissue irritation a whole lot worse. Thankfully, the following foods are good not only because of the heart-healthy nutrients they deliver but because they have strong anti-inflammatory effects.
þ Fruits and vegetables. Many fruits and vegetables—specifically red grapes, cranberries, tomatoes, onions, and tomato juice-contain powerful antioxidants called flavonoids and carotenoids. |
| Niacin (vitamin B3)
Sometimes
A dose of 500 milligrams can lower ldl cholesterol and lower triglycerides, and help raise HDL. Take it with aspirin when going to bed to help decrease the risk of hot flashes, a common side effect. You can take a higher dose but need to talk to your doc because higher doses often need to be prescribed (Niaspan). Niacin is rarely associated with liver problems.
Vitamin D
Yes
Recent research suggests that D isn't just good for your bones and immune system, but is good for your heart. Try 800IU daily if under the age of sixty, 1,000 IU if age sixty or over. |
| When the HPA axis is flooded, we also experience other potentially fatal health problems, like elevated lousy ldl cholesterol or triglycerides combined with reduced healthy HDL cholesterol. Part of this risk comes from a stress-related surge in chemicals called cannabinoids (discussed on page 161), which cause us to eat and can eventually lead to such conditions as diabetes and the biggie, literally, obesity. Cortisol prevents the release of chemicals that strengthen your immune system (see Figure 3.2). That's why you tend to get sick when you're stressed out. |
| Thanks to Viagra and her relatives, which increase the duration of the effect of NO, erectile dysfunction is no longer an in-the-closet, never-to-be-talked-about
What (roes Up: The Anatomy of an Erection
About one-quarter of men with elevated ldl cholesterol have erectile dysfunction, while half of men with depression experience it.
FACTOIP disorder (didn't know she was a she, did you?). |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Garlic has been shown in research to reduce plaque, lower ldl cholesterol, and inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells; the indoles in cabbage fight cancer; and onions are one of four foods found to reduce mortality from heart disease by 20 percent!) And other ingredients in kimchi—chile peppers and ginger, for example—have health benefits of their own.
Why Fermented Foods Are Almost Always Good for You
Then there's fermentation. Kimchi is always fermented, which should be our next clue to the fact that this is going to be a healthy food. |
| In addition, nasunin protects against what's called lipid peroxidation— that means it helps keep fats from turning rancid, including the fats in your body (like ldl cholesterol). The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage, and studies have shown that anthocyanins in general are highly protective of animal brain tissue. Other studies show that nasunin binds to iron, which is a very good thing, as too much iron in the system can cause all kinds of problems.
Eggplant isn't a nutritional superstar, but it's a really nice vegetable with 2. |
| Compared with carbohydrates, for example, monounsaturated fat lowers ldl cholesterol (the bad stuff) and raises the protective HDL cholesterol. In the famous Lyon Diet Heart Study, people following the Mediterranean diet, with its high level of monounsaturated fat (the same kind that's in cashews) experienced 70 percent less heart disease risk than is achieved by taking statin drugs. Monounsaturated fat is really good for you! |
| In mice, ginger extract lowered cholesterol, inhibited the oxidation of ldl cholesterol, and slowed the development of atherosclerosis. Not exactly a bad resume.
Animal studies on ginger also show that it has antitumorigenic effects and helps boost the immune system; it's an effective antimicrobial and antiviral agent. Studies also demonstrate positive effects on the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system, pain, and fever. No wonder that a nice hot ginger tea with lemon is a home remedy for all sorts of variations of "feeling under the weather. |
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