Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

If your cholesterol is extremely high and your doctor feels you are at risk, he may put you on statins, a prescription drug to lower your overall cholesterol. But most people only continue these drugs for a year due to high cost and/or adverse side effects. There are ways that your cholesterol can be lowered, and you don't have to wait for a nudge from your doctor to do it. Learn a few simple ways to naturally lower your cholesterol here.

Add cholesterol-lowering foods to your diet. There are a number of foods created especially for people with high numbers, including butters, cooking oils, and macrobiotic yogurt shots. These can be expensive, so if you are on a budget you may want to add foods that are known to help. Oatmeal is a powerful tool in your fight against high cholesterol. Eat some every morning for the best results. Adding garlic to foods also helps lower your overall cholesterol, and heart-healthy fats like those found in olive oil can also do the trick. Everyday new foods are being discovered that help.

Take a supplement. Any supplement containing a significant amount of Omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil or flaxseed oil will do the trick. Other supplements based on food are popular, like garlic and cinnamon if you don't like the taste of these when added to your diet. Cinnamon is helpful for weight loss, too. Vitamins B-3 and B-5 are both great for lowering LDL and raising HDL. Some opt for B-3 (also called Niacin) in larger doses, which is only available by prescription. Guggulipid and Green Tea are plant-based extracts that are popular, as well as magnesium. Whichever supplement you choose, be sure to inform your doctor of any you are taking.

Eat right. Our diet is the largest contributor to cholesterol, so it's important to be conscious of what you consume. Experts recommend a Mediterranean style diet with unsaturated fats and plenty of fresh food. If you're having trouble with your weight, you might want to try some herbal diet pills that don't have the troublesome effects of chemically-based ones. Be sure to get plenty of exercise as well. A natural appetite suppressant such as hoodia may get you on the right track to eating appropriate portions and avoiding temptation.

Susan Patterson has been studying alternative medicine and health for over 10 years. She loves to write to help others, especially in the area of quick weight loss [http://www.weightdepot.com] which can be accomplished safely. She has found several herbal remedies to be effective in her journey to better health without the side effects that medications cause. She is particularly passionate about hoodia for weight loss.

Supplements For High Cholesterol - Overlooked Ways to Lower Cholesterol Levels

If you are familiar with the side effects of statin medication for reducing high cholesterol, then you know that it makes sense to find a natural method of lowering cholesterol levels. One method that can be extremely effective is using supplements for high cholesterol.

The market for cholesterol supplements is loaded with products that have amazing claims attached to them. To read some of these claims, you would think that a pill a day is all that would take to bring down your high cholesterol readings. Well, let's take a more realistic and balanced look at cholesterol lowering supplements.

Let me first state that the most effective way to bring down high cholesterol is through making certain changes in your diet. Reducing the amount of saturated fat consumption while at the same time increasing the amounts of vegetables and whole grains in your diet will in and of itself provide you with extremely good results.

However, combining those dietary changes with supplements that contain certain ingredients will greatly increase the rate of cholesterol reduction.

The most effective substance to look for in cholesterol supplements is plant sterols. Also known as phytosterols, they have been shown over and over again to effectively block the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

Another natural substance that works well in a supplement for lowering cholesterol is rice bran oil. For a long time and was believed that it was the bran itself that was the effective agent. This would make sense, given the fact that bran is high in fiber content.

However, recent studies have shown that it is the rice bran oil that provides most of the cholesterol lowering effect. This is probably due to the fact that rice bran oil contains the highest amounts of plant sterols of any of the natural plant-based oils.

You will also find gugulipid and policosanol listed as ingredients on many supplements for high cholesterol. Many studies have shown both of these to be effective cholesterol lowering agents. However, some of the more recent studies have brought their effectiveness into question.

The way I look at it is that as long as there is ongoing promising research regarding their effectiveness, it makes sense to include them as a part of an effective formula for cholesterol reduction.

Given the fact that many people experience severe side effects from statin medication, this type of natural approach to lowering high cholesterol levels is recommended, leaving medication as a last resort. I invite you to visit my website where I cover the best supplements for high cholesterol along with a thorough discussion of which foods and diets are most effective.

Van Crawford has been researching health related issues for more than eight years. He shares his research into natural ways to lower cholesterol levels on his website, http://www.Lowering-Cholesterol-Resources.com. To learn more about effective ways to lower your cholesterol and to learn how Van was able to lower his cholesterol without the use of medication, visit his website now.

The Link Between Heart Disease & Cholesterol: Fact or Fallacy?

Heart disease is the number one killer in the world. One out of every two men and one out of every three women currently develop heart disease. The UK has one of the highest rates of death from heart disease in the world - one British adult dies from the disease every three minutes - and strokes are the country's third biggest killer, claiming 70,000 lives each year.

Heart disease is the common name given to a range of conditions, including:

Coronary artery disease (including heart attack) Abnormal heart rhythms or arrythmias Heart failure Heart valve disease Congenital heart disease Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy) Pericardial disease Aorta disease and Marfan syndrome Vascular disease (blood vessel disease)

Facts

Before 1920, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) was rare in America, but by the mid fifties it was the leading cause of death among Americans (which corresponds with most Western Countries). So what had changed?

Whilst modern medicine would have us believe that this epidemic is the result of diets that are too high in cholesterol and saturated fat, here are some interesting facts that contradict that claim: between 1910 and 1970, animal fat consumption decreased from 83% to 62%; butter consumption decreased from 18 pounds to 4 pounds per year; and margarine, shortening and refined oils consumption increased by 400%.

In order to determine the scientific validity of the proposed link, it is first essential to examine the role of cholesterol.

Every cell membrane in our body contains cholesterol because cholesterol is what makes our cells waterproof – without cholesterol we could not have a different biochemistry on the inside and the outside of the cell. When cholesterol levels are not adequate, the cell membrane becomes leaky or porous; a situation the body interprets as an emergency, releasing a flood of corticoid hormones that work by taking cholesterol from one part of the body and transporting it to areas where it is lacking.

Thus, low cholesterol – whether due to an innate error of metabolism or induced by cholesterol-lowering diets and drugs – can be expected to disrupt the production of adrenal hormones and lead to blood sugar problems, edema, mineral deficiencies, chronic inflammation, difficulty in healing, allergies, asthma, reduced libido, infertility and various reproductive problems (1).

Other cholesterol facts:

· Cholesterol is the body’s repair substance: scar tissue contains high levels of cholesterol.

· The bile salts, required for the digestion of fat, are made of cholesterol. Those who suffer from low cholesterol often have trouble digesting fats.

· Cholesterol also functions as a powerful antioxidant, thus protecting us against cancer and aging.

· Cholesterol is vital to proper neurological function. About 17% of the human brain is composed of cholesterol.

So what is happening when the body is producing a high amount of cholesterol?

By going back to its function one could hypothesise that it is in a state of repair. From what? Ever heard of free-radicals? Try this on for size: "Once these naked, wildly destructive electrons [free radicals] are on the loose, they also eat holes in arteries that then attract nature's band-aid: cholesterol.” (2)

So what happens when we take statins (cholesterol-reducing drugs)? “Instead of seeing cholesterol as a messenger of free radical overload, or a call to arms to find the underlying problem and fix it, we kill the messenger (cholesterol) with drugs. Unfortunately, the cholesterol-lowering drugs, act by inhibiting the enzyme HMG COA reductase, which turns off the body's ability to make coenzyme Q10. This deficiency guarantees that the victim will go on to get high blood pressure, heart failure, cancer or other consequences.” (2)

Statins – the wonder drug?

Statins, the new “wonder drugs” are currently the top-selling medicines in the world with annual sales of more than US$ 19 billion. In the UK according to the NHS, doctors wrote 31 million prescriptions for statins in 2003, up from 1 million in 1995 at a cost of 7 billion pounds. (3)

That’s a lot of money being taken away from an already depleted health service to fund a drug that’s effectiveness in increasing life expectancy is questionable and has shown to cause serious side-effects.

Here are just a few more facts about statins:

“The November 2003 issue of Smart Money magazine reports on a 1999 study at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London (apparently unpublished), which found that 36 percent of patients on Lipitor’s highest dose reported side effects; even at the lowest dose, 10 percent reported side effects.” (1)

“Active people are much more likely to develop problems from statin use than those who are sedentary. In a study carried out in Austria, only six out of 22 athletes with familial hypercholesterolemia were able to endure statin treatment. The others discontinued treatment because of muscle pain.” (1)

Vioxx – another wonder drug

It has however been estimated that one such wonder drug, Vioxx, could have caused 27,785 heart attacks or deaths since it was approved for use in 1999. In September 2004 Vioxx was withdrawn due to health fears. Today, more than 4,200 lawsuits have been filed against Merck, the company responsible for the drug, and yet still Merck’s lawyers claim that "there is no reliable scientific evidence that shows Vioxx causes cardiac arrhythmia.” (4)

Why is cholesterol the enemy? Good question

Dr Paul J. Rosch gives a better understanding of how results can be manipulated in his article “More on the Preposterous Polypill Panacea”. Rosch examines the new Polypill (a pill combining a statin and various other drugs, claiming to reduce heart disease by 80%) and outlines the concepts of how researchers use the terms ‘relative risk-reduction’, ‘absolute risk-reduction’ and ‘number needed’ to treat to spin the truth. This brings to mind a comment made by Harry Truman: “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.” (5)

Your 3d Coach

Craig Burton

References:

(1) Fallon, S and Enig, M PhD., Dangers of statin drugs: what you haven’t been told about popular cholesterol-lowering medicines, available at http://www.westonaprice.org

(2) Dr. Sherry Rogers, Detox or Die, Sandkey Co., 2002

(3) Barrett, A and Carey, J. Business link online, Wondering about a wonder drug, November 22, 2004, available at http://www.businessweek.com

(4) BBC News, US giant punished for faulty drug, 20/08/2005, available at [http://www.news.bbc.co.uk]

(5) Rosch, P., More on the preposterous, Polypill Panacea, 08/06/2003,

available at http://www.mercola.com

About the Author:

Craig Burton is the founder of 3d pts, a prominent European based holistic health and fitness coach with more than 15 years experience. He is a Sports Science graduate of Edith Cowan University and has postgraduate accreditations in nutrition, massage, athletic training, and corrective exercise therapy.

Craig is the author of "The 21 Day Roadmap to Health", available at http://www.3dpts.com.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to forward it to others, just make sure that his name and URL are included. For more information and articles on health and fitness visit [http://www.3dpts.com/articles].

To join the FREE monthly Peak Performance Newsletter, to find out more about your current health status with our FREE questionnaire, and to receive our FREE 7 part mini series called "Success strategies for transforming the Body, Mind & Spirit", go to http://www.3dpts.com.

I Am Not in Favour of Taking Statins As a Treatment For High Cholesterol Problems

Think about it! Is a high cholesterol reading caused by a deficiency of statins in the body? Of course not! The idea is absurd. The high reading must have been caused in some other way. It is obviously more sensible to address the cause of the problem than to introduce another variable into the matter, especially when that new variable - in this case, statins - too often produces serious, painful health problems of its own, sometimes permanent. I suggest to you that the most likely cause of high cholesterol levels is fluid retention caused by sensitivity to salt, and that the high cholesterol, along with other more serious symptoms of heart problems, is easily and swiftly lowered by avoiding salt and salty food. Go on! - Try it! - Cut down on salt and salty food! You have will feel so much better!

A person not on statins is like a fish not riding a bike. By which I mean that statins are as much use to a person (with or without high cholesterol) as a bike is to a fish. What is the use of lowering or preventing high cholesterol - just one symptom of heart disease - and by no means the most serious symptom, if indeed it is serious or significant at all? Especially as statins are quite expensive and for far too many people also have painful, long-lasting side-effects.

If you want to improve your heart health overall, not just one symptom, and want to do it safely, without unpleasant, harmful side-effects, then you can do that simply, swiftly and very effectively without statins or other drugs. You just need to avoid salt and salty food. When I say that you 'just' need to do this, I must admit that this is not as easy as taking pills. You have to avoid most processed food, since most processed food has had a lot of salt added to it by the manufacturers. This means you will need to buy more fresh food and you will need to cook it yourself. But the health benefits that accrue from sodium reduction are very much worth the effort: lowered high cholesterol, lowered high blood pressure, reduced excess weight, more energy and vitality, greater mental alertness, improved sleep, reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, most cancers, depression, dementia, etc.

How to lose weight
And see Sodium in foods

Tips on How to Lower Cholesterol Levels

The moment one is advised by their doctor that they have high cholesterol usually leads to momentous levels of stress. The first question is usually how to lower the cholesterol levels as quickly as they can. Doctors sometimes may be quick to offer prescription drugs, which are never fun to take.

Frequent exercising and dietary changes are two vital changes to implement sooner rather than later. Yes, this may not sound as easy as simply popping a pill. But it is a basic requirement. Even your doctor will typically tell you so.

The next step is to add suitable natural cholesterol lowering agents to the daily diet. There are very healthy options to consider including natural supplements. You should always consult a doctor before taking supplements all the same for reasons we shall see next.

A person always needs to be aware of the contra-indications associated with these supplements. An example is artichoke extract that can reduce cholesterol but there are people who are prone to allergic reactions from this. Some people experience the discomfort of gas. Beta-sitosterol that is incorporated in margarine may lead to constipation, diarrhea, indigestion and nausea.

There are exceptions to the rule as many side effects are temporary and the most important aspect is lower the cholesterol levels, which may be in more natural supplementation. A doctor will be able to advise you accordingly.

One should also (always) let the doctor know even when taking herbal options to reduce blood fat as certain herbs may counteract or interact with clinical medicine.

Healthy lifestyle choices are usually the best solution to reach desired results. It is not to say that one should ignore what a doctor prescribed. Some cases do need medical intervention.

Seed husk, fish oil, ground flax-seed, garlic extract and green tea extract are natural alternatives to look for in products for lowering cholesterol levels. They are well-known for natural health management and to aid with lowering blood fats.

Reducing cholesterol levels is often not that hard if one is willing to make some lifestyle changes. Simple dietary changes together with medication whether conventional or herbal supplements, bring the positive changes in approximately fifty days. Considering how many years it takes the body to build up the undesired levels, fifty days is a very short time.

Exercise is a very important element in reducing these levels. Mere walking can aid in the exercise regime. It can help reduce LDL, the bad cholesterol, and increase HDL, the good cholesterol.

For those who do not exercise, brisk walking is a good start. A forty-five minute walk is all it takes after taking supper. One should also attempt to walk at least ten thousand steps per day. It can be monitored with a pedometer. These changes together with the correct cholesterol reducing agents can surely work wonders toward lowering cholesterol levels.

You can lower your cholesterol levels without statin drugs. Check out natural cholesterol supplements now. David Kamau offers free information and tips about vitamins and health supplements at his site.

Are Cholesterol Reducing Supplements Safe For You?

Cholesterol reducing supplements are an alternative to cholesterol reducing diets and exercise programs. These tablets or capsules are packed with the necessary ingredients to help keep your blood cholesterol levels well within the normal range. These supplements, although considered to be miracle workers, don't work in a snap of the finger or they don't melt the cholesterol overnight. Like most diet and health programs, it requires that you meticulously follow the program on a daily basis, for several weeks before you could start to feel a difference in your body. But taking the supplements alone shouldn't make you feel like it's the only thing you should do. You should take the supplements and follow it up with exercise and a healthy diet, of course.

There are cholesterol reducing pills that are being advertised and sold in the markets. There are the natural or organic pills, and then there are those which require a written prescription from the doctor. The supplements that require a prescription are actually very effective to say the least. But the bad thing is, they work too well. Some of these medications work by inhibiting the production of cholesterol in the liver. Although having normal levels of cholesterol is the way to go, having cholesterol levels lower than usual could eventually lead to other complications. You don't want that.

Natural or organic cholesterol reducing supplements do not pose this kind of threat. In fact, there are pharmaceutical companies that conducted studies which presented that supplements that contain statin affect not only the production of cholesterol, but also of the coenzyme Q10. Even though statin-containing conventional supplements are found to be very effective, you need to provide yourself with coenzyme Q10 supplements as well. Trying to balance things out may now work for the better as it could result to adverse effects.

The natural supplements that help to reduce cholesterol have been around for a long time already and yes, these natural supplements do the work. They're also effective in lowering the cholesterol level of the body. These supplements contain RYR or red yeast rice, which have been found out to be effective. Yet, there are also other natural supplements which contain ingredients like vitamins C and E, calcium, garlic and even niacin. Natural supplements use organic ingredients to help lower your cholesterol to the normal limits. There are many supplements out there, but you have to make extra sure that the ones you are going to buy and take are indeed effective.

Supplements that contain plant sterols, policosanol, and rice bran oil have been recently found out to be good ingredients to tame your uncontrolled cholesterol. But out of the ingredients actively incorporated into these supplements, phytosterols have a lot of research and studies backing it up. Actually, experts have stated that supplements should have an ingredient that contains sterols.

Eating the right food and performing the right kind of exercise regimen, plus taking in cholesterol reducing supplements will reduce bad cholesterol levels, and put you in a healthier and better shape.

Discover more on how to protect your heart, visit this website: http://www.naturalcholesterolsupplements.com

Easy Ways to Increase Dietary Fiber to Lower Cholesterol

If you want to naturally lower your cholesterol, it is imperative that you increase the amount of fiber in your diet particularly soluble fiber. Most of us eat way too few foods that contain soluble fiber. One of the main reasons for this is that we eat too few whole, plant-based foods. Most of us still have a very meat-centric diet. Meat contains no fiber and eating a fruit at breakfast with high fiber cold cereal, a meat-based sandwich with whole grain bread at lunch, and a salad at dinner isn't going to get you to your soluble fiber targets. You need to be eating a lot more plant-based foods than in the example just given if you want to see cholesterol-lowering results.

So what is soluble fiber and why is it so important in terms of naturally lowering your cholesterol? Soluble fiber is found in varying degrees in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes a gelatinous substance in the body whereas insoluble fiber remains largely intact and helps food pass through the digestive tract. If we use a plum as an example, the flesh of the plum contains most of the soluble fiber and the skin of the plum contains most of the insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber has the ability to coat the intestinal lining so that cholesterol cannot be absorbed into the bloodstream. It also has the effect of slowing the liver's production of cholesterol. As a result, eating soluble fiber will lower LDL cholesterol and greatly improve your heart health.

A frequent excuse people give for not eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is the fact that they are simply too busy. Below are 5 easy ways to incorporate more soluble fiber into your diet even if you are someone who is always on-the-go.

Munch on Carrots: Have on hand in your refrigerator fresh vegetables that don't spoil easily like carrots, cucumbers, and red peppers and serve them alongside a hummus sandwich using whole grain bread.

Always Have Frozen Fruit On Hand: Frozen fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are particularly good for making a quick smoothie. Try adding them to low-fat, unsweetened yogurt too.

Eat Canned Beans: Have unsalted, canned beans in the closet so you can quickly open up a can and mix it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onion, celery, pinch of salt, and pepper and enjoy your bean dish over lettuce or a whole grain like whole grain brown rice for lunch or dinner.

Enjoy Easy-to-Prepare Whole Grains: Soak traditional (not instant) rolled oats in water along with dried fruit, seeds, and nuts and put it into the refrigerator overnight so that you can eat it cold or warmed along with a chopped apple the next morning for a fast breakfast.

Bake Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave: Have sweet potatoes or yams on hand which can be cooked in the microwave or oven and eaten at any time with a little cinnamon to satisfy a sweet craving.

Simple changes to your diet can make an enormous difference in your heart health. Wouldn't you prefer to naturally lower your cholesterol by eating tasty, easy-to-prepare foods like the ones mentioned above versus popping pills or undergoing surgery? Such a switch in your diet will also help you to naturally lower blood sugar, reduce blood pressure, and lose weight so that you have a good chance at a healthier, longer life. Choose one of the cholesterol-lowering suggestions above and be sure to implement it today!

To receive a FREE special report "Top 3 Secrets to Reduce Your Cholesterol Fast" and other heart-healthy information, visit http://www.cutcholesterolnow.com. In this special report I will share with you the top tips I implemented to naturally lower my LDL cholesterol in less than 6 months that you can use too.