Health :: Body Health |
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Lower Your Cholesterol Without Statins |
| In the early part of her life, my friend Barbara had been blessed with “dream” cholesterol. Her HDL (good cholesterol) was high and her LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides were both low. She credited her excellent cholesterol to having good genes and eating a healthy diet. |
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In the early part of her life, my friend Barbara had been blessed with “dream” cholesterol. Her HDL (good cholesterol) was high and her LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides were both low. She credited her excellent cholesterol to having good genes and eating a healthy diet. As a result, Barbara never gave her cholesterol a second thought until about five years post-menopause when her lipid profile showed that her LDL was climbing. Barbara decided to try lowering her cholesterol naturally by taking phytosterols, which are plant sterols that lower cholesterol absorption in the body. (You can find phytosterols in most health food stores.)
This new regimen helped to lower Barbara’s LDL, but after two years, her levels started to climb again. Her doctor suggested that Barbara start taking a low dose of Lipitor, a commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin drug. After her first month on Lipitor, Barbara’s LDL returned to normal. But just seven months later, she began experiencing extreme fatigue and exhaustion. She literally felt like she was going to collapse at the end of each day, which worried her greatly. In addition, she started having muscle cramps.
After another visit with her doctor, Barbara learned that her liver enzymes were very elevated and her blood count was abnormal. Her doctor advised that Barbara immediately stop using Lipitor, which she believed was contributing to Barbara’s symptoms and abnormal blood work. Barbara followed her doctor’s advice, and within six months, her liver enzymes and blood count returned to normal. After telling another one of her doctors—her endocrinologist—about her ordeal, he told Barbara to avoid all statin drugs completely, since her body obviously could not tolerate them. So Barbara is once again following a natural approach to controlling her cholesterol by taking fish oil, flaxseed, evening primrose oil, and phytosterols.
I know that Barbara is not unique in her experience with statin drugs. Millions of people have side effects such as headaches, muscle aches, liver problems, and digestive upset while using prescription cholesterol-lowering drugs. You may be one of them!
Fortunately, there are safer, more effective natural solutions available. In addition to eating right and exercising every day, here are a few of the latest and greatest ways to safely tame your lipids.
? Sit with caution! New studies indicate that the health effects of sitting most of the day are as grave as the effects of smoking—even if you break up every day with a decent workout. Humans were designed to spend most of their waking hours doing what researchers call “non-exercise activity.” Studies of the cellular regulation of muscle lipoprotein lipase (which is necessary for the metabolism of triglycerides and cholesterol) show that daily, low-intensity, intermittent activity is essential for healthy lipid ratios. No matter what you do for a living, spend at least one minute every half hour on your feet either walking, stretching, bending, twisting, or doing knee lifts.
? Grab some glutathione. This breakthrough nutrient is a naturally occurring peptide that can significantly reduce cholesterol not only in the bloodstream, but also in arteries and cells (December 2007, Atherosclerosis). I recommend taking ReadiSorb’s Liposomal Glutathione (www.readisorb.com). Follow dosage instructions on the label.
? Take omega-3s with plant sterols. Results of a groundbreaking placebo-controlled study show that eating a diet high in omega-3–rich canned tuna significantly improved cholesterol levels, but taking plant sterols or stanols with the tuna was even more effective (June 2007, Medicina Clinica). My advice is to take 3,000 mg of high-quality fish oil daily along with 2,000 mg of plant sterols or stanols, such as Source Naturals Beta Sitosterol with Phytosterol Complex (www.sourcenaturals.com). You can also enjoy two meals per week of tuna. Be sure to choose a brand that has been tested for mercury.
? Take soy isoflavones. According to the Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study, higher intake of soy isoflavones was associated with significantly improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels (June 2006, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism). I recommend that you take 50 g of soy protein a day, which should contain 100 mg of soy isoflavones such as daidzein and equol. However, if you are allergic to soy or are soy intolerant, avoid taking it.
Other cholesterol-fighting nutrients include:
? CoQ10 enhances mitochondrial energy for high-demand heart tissues, helps maintain normal blood pressure, and fights free-radical heart damage. Many studies demonstrate that women in heart failure are consistently deficient in this powerful antioxidant. I recommend taking 30–100 mg daily with food.
? L-carnitine works with CoQ10 by carrying fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they’re converted into energy to help the heart work more efficiently. I recommend taking 1,000–3,000 mg per day between meals.
? Nattokinase is a powerful enzyme that reduces cholesterol and has other cardiovascular benefits. I recommend 200 mg per day.
? Green tea extract is rich in flavonoid polyphenols called catechins that have powerful antioxidant properties for heart health benefits, including reduced LDL cholesterol. I recommend 300 mg per day.
? Pomegranate is rich in polyphenol antioxidants that not only prevent atherosclerosis but actually reverse it by accumulating in artery-scrubbing macrophages and inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (September 2005, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry and 2002 Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research). It also has beneficial effects on blood pressure. I recommend 100 mg of pomegranate extract daily, standardized to 30 percent punicalagins.
For cholesterol-reducing benefits, you can try one, two, three, or all of these nutrients, which are available at health food stores. Your subsequent cholesterol tests will help you determine which combination works best for you. Or, you can take a supplement called HDL Booster (www.enzy.com), which contains several of these nutrients. This formulation has been clinically proven to increase HDL cholesterol by up to 23 percent.
For more information visit http://www.searchhearthealth.com
Dr. Susan Lark is one of the foremost authorities in the fields of clinical nutrition and preventive medicine. A graduate of Northwestern University Medical School, she has served on the clinical faculty of Stanford University Medical School from 1981-1983, and taught in their Division of Family and Community Medicine from 1991-2002.
Dr. Lark is a distinguished clinician, author, lecturer and innovative product developer. Through her many years of clinical experience, she has pioneered the use of self-care treatments such as diet, nutrition, exercise and stress management techniques in the field of women's health, and has lectured extensively throughout the United States on topics in preventive medicine. She is the author of 13 best-selling books on women’s health. Her most recent book is Hormone Revolution, written with Kimberly S. Day.
One of the most widely referenced physicians on the Internet, Dr. Lark has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, and has been featured in magazines and newspapers including: Real Simple, Reader's Digest, McCall's, Better Homes & Gardens, New Woman, Mademoiselle, Harper's Bazaar, Redbook, Family Circle,Seventeen, Shape, Great Life, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and The San Francisco Chronicle. She has also served as a consultant to major corporations, including the Kellogg Company and Weider Nutrition International, and was spokesperson in 2002 for The Gillette Company Women's Cancer Connection.
Dr. Lark's mission is to provide women with unique, safe and effective complementary therapies to greatly enhance their health and well-being.
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Posted 2009-05-01 20:17:54 By Susan Lark
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