cholesterol management/reduction

[Adam Sargant]

I'm interested in hearing about any strategies people have used to reduce cholesterol... I have slightly elevated cholesterol levels and climbing that haven't responded to a reduction in fats/red meat intake (though I don't currently abstain)... I come from a line of males with high cholesterol and a tendency to keel over when young with heart problems My GP put me on statins, but I took myself off because I felt horrible on them.

My current line of thinking is that western treatment is focused on *reducung* cholesterol production, while maybe it is excretion we should be looking at... the body systems responsible for secretion, such as bile production in the liver, could be stimulated with dietary and herbal approaches... traditionally, milk thistle and artichoke leaf extract stimulate bile, so I was contemplating a regime of those (my GP has agreed to monitor cholesterol levels since I've come off the statins), but I am interested in any experiences out there before making any decisions.

In love and light

Adam

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Adam Sargant

I'm interested in hearing about any strategies people have used to reduce cholesterol... I have slightly elevated cholesterol levels and climbing that haven't responded to a reduction in fats/red meat intake (though I don't currently abstain)... I come from a line of males with high cholesterol and a tendency to keel over when young with heart problems My GP put me on statins, but I took myself off because I felt horrible on them.

My current line of thinking is that western treatment is focused on *reducung* cholesterol production, while maybe it is excretion we should be looking at... the body systems responsible for secretion, such as bile production in the liver, could be stimulated with dietary and herbal approaches... traditionally, milk thistle and artichoke leaf extract stimulate bile, so I was contemplating a regime of those (my GP has agreed to monitor cholesterol levels since I've come off the statins), but I am interested in any experiences out there before making any decisions.

In love and light

Adam

Hi Adam

About 3 years ago or so, my Cholesterol was 6.2

I went vegan. Its now 3.

A VEGAN diet has ZERO cholesterol in it.

[Adam Sargant]

Originally Posted by Stephen

A VEGAN diet has ZERO cholesterol in it.

It's not *yet* a route I want to go down, but will consider... my current understanding from my familial pattern is that the levels of choldesterol are not dietary in origin but a consequence of hereditary biology. But the doctor's have been known to be wrong ;-)

In love and light

Adam

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by Adam Sargant

It's not *yet* a route I want to go down, but will consider... my current understanding from my familial pattern is that the levels of choldesterol are not dietary in origin but a consequence of hereditary biology. But the doctor's have been known to be wrong ;-)

Hi Adam,

Current speculation is that cholesterol is more related to the amount of saturated fat eaten rather than a function of cholesterol eaten.
See the AHA's website. Although, meat does contain saturated fat. Some plants do too.

Anyhow, as far as diet goes, processed "junk" foods are probably more to blame than meat itself for causing hypercholesterolemia. Know Your Fats, from the AHA.

Eating LOTS of soluble fiber, especially beta glucan, has been proven to reduce total cholesterol. Oatmeal is an excellent source. Barley, too, but it's not as easy to get and prep.

25mg of soy protein everyday has also been proven to reduce cholesterol.

Garlic extract is suspected of helping prevent HA in people with high LDL. (Koscielny J, Klussendorf D, Latza R, et al. The antiatherosclerotic effect of Allium sativum. Atherosclerosis. 1999;144:237–249.)

Omega 3 fatty acids (as in oily fish), may help, as per Hu's Harvard study of public health "Nurses' Health Study.

(Sorry, no links... I'm copying out of my path. book [2004] here.)

Familial hypercholesterolemia is actually a pretty rare disorder. While I last learned that "genetic" high cholesterol accounted for less than 5% of all cases of hypercholesterolemia (in pathology), wikipedia is citing a much lower number. I can try to hit Medline for you, but it may be a few days before I can get to it.

Although... I must admit, after going vegan, my total cholesterol dropped from 150-something to 126 mg/dl. (70-some hdl, 50-some ldl split; hdl is "good" cholesterol). My triglycerides also came back "low," compared to average US number, but I can't remember what is was exactly; it was under 100 mg/dl. Technically, I've developed hyphcholesterolemia since going vegan. (Which, incidentally, is linked to depression, wtf?)

[Atom]

Anyone interested in lowering their cholesterol will likely find this article very intersting (I did!)

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/12/2006 | A Cholesterol Gamble

[escapee]

As far as i know, a predominantly whole food plant based diet is still the healthiest way to reduce Cholesterol. I think there is no incidence of heart attack where the cause is due to eating tofu, green vege or fruit. But there are plenty of evidence that suggest the artery clogging greasy plague is caused by consuming too much processed food with trans fatty acid (eg : cookies!! ) , junk food , fast food ,ice cream, fat from animal products (excluding fish/fish oil) , deep fried food(trans fatty acid again) and etc.


The proof is in the Spec scan ( Vegetarian Vs Atkin on heart disease)

I used a whole food plant based vegan diet to reverse my gum disease & mild chest pain which i believe is due to the same cause - Poor diet . I strongly believe you can do it too without relying on prescription drug that kills 100000 + a year in US alone.

[escapee]

In addition , try some garlic with green tea everyday. That's what my old dad drinks to keep him sane and healthy for smoking 1-3 packs of cigaratte per day .

[Adam Sargant]

Lotus, Stephen, Atom, Escapee thanks for your responses... I will revisit the dieatary approach.. it was my GP who lead me to believe that it was not likely to be an effective approach (way to install a negative suggestion, as a hypnotherapist I should have known the hell better )

Lotus, if you did get a chance to hit Medline, that would be cool, but I fully understand if opportunity doesn't come up

In Light and Love

Adam

[Donn]

Originally Posted by Atom

Anyone interested in lowering their cholesterol will likely find this article very intersting (I did!)

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/12/2006 | A Cholesterol Gamble

I'm on Lipitor at present. As an experiment, I've cut my dose in half, taken to dosing with fish oil daily, and started a weight training program. I'm three months into the half dose Lipitor trick. I go for a checkup (with blood work) in three days. We'll see.

[Atom]

Let us know how your checkup goes.

[Donn]

Originally Posted by Atom

Let us know how your checkup goes.

Heart, lungs, BP all good. I've scheduled a consultation on the blood chemistry for 23 Jan. They'll call me sooner if they find anything significant.

[Cron]

Cholesterol is only one dietary factor that has to be considered in avoiding a cardiovascular event. You can have low cholesterol and still have a heart attack or a stroke. You can have high cholesterol and not.

I suggest you watch this free online streaming video from Dr. Greger ( the "vegan md" now the medical director at Humane Society Of The United States).

You can even watch it on dial-up.....I have.

Even if you eat meat it will be the one of the most well spent hours of your year as it will teach how to prevent heart attacks and strokes with managing nutrients often not mentioned, but that count as much as cholesterol.

Dr. Michael Greger Talks On-line

[Ibanez]

Your body usually produces three times what you consume in cholesterol, plus research has shown that people with low are just as susceptible to atherosclerosis as individuals with high cholesterol.

[escapee]

I know that

1) Omega acid 3 ( fish oil ) Would help

2) Drinking green tea+garlic or Jiagulian tea daily would help . Jiaogulan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3) Exercise regularly would help

4) Nutritious meal ("lacking" vegetable oil,trans fat, animal fat, refined carbohydrate ) would help

Cholesterol is only one dietary factor that has to be considered in avoiding a cardiovascular event. You can have low cholesterol and still have a heart attack or a stroke. You can have high cholesterol and not.

Homocysteine is another chemical that may serve as an indicator for elevated risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease

IF you have ever heard of a long time vegan dying of heart attack, it's probably due to high level of Homocysteine ( No supplementation of B vitamin and poor choice of food ).

[escapee]

List of Adaptogenic Herbs for cholesterol/ stress management .

Jiaogulan - a member of the gourd family that grows in southern China, Korea, Japan and India, is also relatively new to the list of adaptogens. According to recent studies, jiaogulan contains nearly four times as many saponins as Panax ginseng does.37 These saponins, known as gypenosides, are similar to the ginsenosides and panaxosides found in Asian ginseng. Preliminary studies also suggest jiaogulan may have even more powerful regulatory effects on a number of body systems than does Asian ginseng. In addition, jiaogulan has demonstrated antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity and a beneficial effect on blood pressure regulation; it also has been shown to bolster the immune system, improve fat metabolism, moderate cholesterol levels, and enhance strength and physical endurance.

Summary of scientific studies of jiaogulan and gypenosides

[Donn]

IF you have ever heard of a long time vegan dying of heart attack, it's probably due to high level of Homocysteine ( No supplementation of B vitamin and poor choice of food ).

They don't seem to live longer than anyone else so what do they die of?
(Not being a smart ass...just curious).

[Cron]

Originally Posted by escapee

I know that

1) Omega acid 3 ( fish oil ) Would help

If you don't want the pollution in fish, 5 raw walnuts a day or 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed will do the job too.

[Neblasian]

Hi,

I also had the same problem due to family history. My doctor put me on crestor and it went down slightly. However, my grandmother told me that all I have to do is eat oats. I followed her advice and ate oats everyday for about a month. My cholesterol went down so low that that it didn't give a reading on the meter. Bottom line is EAT OATS EVERY DAY, And, by the way, buy the natural rolled oats not the processed stuff.


Neblasian