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cholesterol lowering suplements
Question:
I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.
Response:
An article in JAMA. 1996:275:55-60 states that all members of the two most popular clases of lipid-lowering drugs (the fibrates and the statins) cause cancer in rodents. There is a natural alternative that was developed by a very reputable company and is research based. We have seen up to 100-point drops in cholesterol in 30 to 60 days and significant drops in triglycerides. If you would like more information, E-mail me directly at Diane McDonnell, RN BSN – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My physician recommended Cholestin, which is over the counter, (amazing for a physician to recommend a non-prescription, although it does contain lovastatin). I have only been using it for a month and will get a blood test in another month or so to see if it does any good. Gordon Held I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.
Response:
My *idea* is as follows. This don’t necessarilly argee with anyone else’s, nor am I any medical professional. 1.- you gotta reduce your intake of fats and cholesterol. 2. – this can be done by elliminating ALL meats, fish eggs, etc, except for (perhaps) a couple of egg whites (up to maybe 5) each day. This will supply ALL the high-quality protein you require. 3.- take abundant metamucil-type fiber twice each day. You can take it more often too. This "excess" fiber absorbs the "bile salts" from your excrement, which otherwise will probably be re-absorbed (!!) by the colon/bowel before it is "elliminated" (crapped-away). So the fiber is like "blotting paper". Insure ("fix") your liver by using NO stuff that might hurt it, like cigarettes, booze, etc. And consider using some good "Mary Thistle", or Blessed Thistle, or "Thistelin" which is a GOOD, well proven herb medicine that helps FIX your "lousy" liver’s performance. You may need to use "Thistelin" (whatever) for 6 months, and the stuff costs about 30 cents per capsule for the good stuff. I’m using the Nature’s Way brand. After you liver get somewhat better, you may elect to take *blessed thistle* for maybe 2 days each month, to keep the liver "cleaned out", or cleared-up and therefore able to do its normal duty. The liver performs (as I understand) the major part of keeping the cholesterol "regulated" in the human body. Alcoholics are very susceptable to arteriosclerosis. You also ought to consider taking numerous antioxidants in your diet as well. These might include taking 2000 mg of vita.C along with 500 mg. of lysine, 3 times per day! This was alleged to be said by Linus Pauling to be useful for removing plaque from the arteries. Be sure to watch out for any kind of "fats" and particularly trans-fats that are "hidden" in *box dinners* and in any "recipe" type food that has been *processed* already when you purchased it. It may have excess amounts of fat in it. These fats can be (they often are) the kind that are harmful, perticularly the hydrogenated ones. These food manufacturers are selling us stuff they know isn’t healthy to eat. Trouble is, who can we protest to, that we (for example) have had our arteries "occluded" by 1/50th of 1 percent, by having consumed a "recipe food" made in some factory? That’s impossible to do, and the *food manufacturers* know we’re unable to assign them any blame. **** – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.
Response:
I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally. Dear Saultc:
Beware of a marketer’s claim that a supplement lowers serum cholesterol. Dr W
Response:
I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.
See the Cholesterol Reduction protocol at: http://lef.org/protocols/prtcl-032.shtml –Tom Tom Matthews The LIFE EXTENSION FOUNDATION – http://www.lef.org – 800-544-4440 A non-profit membership organization dedicated to the extension of the healthy human lifespan through ground breaking research, innovative ideas and practical methods. LIFE EXTENSION MAGAZINE – The ultimate source for new health and medical findings from around the world.
Response:
I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.
Title Modulation of lipid profile by fish oil and garlic combination. Author Morcos NC Address Division of Cardiology, University of California, Irvine 92717, USA. Source J Natl Med Assoc, 89(10):673-8 1997 Oct Abstract Fish consumption has been shown to influence epidemiology of heart disease, and garlic has been shown to influence triglyceride levels. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of fish oil and garlic combinations as a dietary supplement on the lipid subfractions. Forty consecutive subjects with lipid profile abnormalities were enrolled in a single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Each subject received placebo for 1 month and fish oil (1800 mg of eicosapentanoic acid [EPA] + 1200 mg of docosahexanoic acid) with garlic powder (1200 mg) capsules daily for 1 month. Lipid fractionation was performed prior to study initiation, after the placebo period, and after the intervention period. Subjects all had cholesterol levels 200. Subjects were instructed to maintain their usual diets. Supplementation for 1 month resulted in an 11% decrease in cholesterol, a 34% decrease in triglyceride, and a 10% decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, as well as a 19% decrease in cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) risk. Although not significant, there was a trend toward increase in HDL. There was no significant placebo effect. These results suggest that in addition to the known anticoagulant and antioxidant properties of both fish oil and garlic, the combination causes favorable shifts in the lipid subfractions within 1 month. Triglycerides are affected to the largest extent. The cholesterol lowering and improvement in lipid/HDL risk ratios suggests that these combinations may have antiatherosclerotic properties and may protect against the development of coronary artery disease. Supplements of garlic and EPA are an option. You can also try to incorporate more cold-water fish in your diet (salmon, herring, halibut) and garlic dishes. This is probably a better option than simple supplements, as there are healthy things in both of these foods besides allycin and EPA. However, don’t overlook the importance of exercise, as David Wright pointed out. As Effects of diet and exercise in men and postmenopausal women with low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of LDL cholesterol. Stefanick et al found (NEJM 1998 Jul 2 339:1 12-20), dietary changes without aerobic exercise didn’t produce the effects that diet plus exercise did. Greg Nigh National College of Naturopathic Medicine
Response:
I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.
Response:
I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.
Niacin (as nicotinic acid; niacinamide is useless for this) might do it, but you need to have your liver enzymes monitored. Have you already done the other diet & exercise things? — David Wright :: wright at ibnets.com :: Not a Spokesman for Anyone These are my opinions only, but they’re almost always correct. While the unexamined life may not be worth living, the over- examined life is not being lived.
Response:
My physician recommended Cholestin, which is over the counter, (amazing for a physician to recommend a non-prescription, although it does contain lovastatin). I have only been using it for a month and will get a blood test in another month or so to see if it does any good. Gordon Held – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and do not wish to take any prescription cholesterol lowering drugs. I would like to know about any herbs or natural suplements that I can take to lower my cholesterol levels naturally.