TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
WHAT
IS CHOLESTROL, LDL & HDL?
DIAGNOSING
CHOLESTEROL
CAUSES
CHOLESTEROL
MEDICATIONS
NATURAL
TREATMENTS
HERBAL
REMEDIES
LIVING
HEALTHY
INTRODUCTION
Cholesterol
has been around for thousands of years. It’s a
natural
function of the human body. The modern story of cholesterol
and
how it affects us today, actually began during a government study in
1951.
The Pentagon sent pathologists to Korea to examine the bodies of
servicemen who lost their lives during the war. Autopsies
were
conducted on 2,000 soldiers.
The results were astounding to the medical community of that
time. Normally, no one under 35 dies of coronary heart
disease. Remember, this was 1951!
More than 75 percent of the soldier had yellow deposits of
atherosclerotic plaque on their artery walls. The average age
of
these soldiers was 21 contradicting the assumption that such artery
clogging deposits were only prevalent in older men.
The
results of the Army pathologists rocked the medical
community.
Prior to these autopsies, doctors had no idea how early the process
of
heart disease began.
Not
long after this
discovery, a name was given to the major contributor to the buildup of
plaque and to heart disease risk – cholesterol.
More recent
studies have shown that for every 1 percent drop in cholesterol levels,
there is a 2 percent decrease in the risk of a heart attack.
Since
those
original studies, the risk of heart disease stemming from cholesterol
has exploded. In 2002 it was estimated that 107 million
American
adults now have a blood cholesterol level high enough to require
medical advice. Unfortunately, the numbers keep
rising.
Despite
this
epidemic problem, there is good news. You can do something
about
the problem and that’s what this guide is all
about. In
plain English, we will take a laymen’s look at cholesterol,
the
causes, effects and what you can do to reverse the negative impact it
has on your personal health.
WHAT
IS CHOLESTROL?
As
mentioned above,
cholesterol in and of itself, is a natural function of the human
body. Every living being requires a certain amount of fat to
exist. Like everything in nature, it only becomes a problem
when
there is an imbalance.
The
processing of fat begins when it gets absorbed in the
intestines.
From there it heads to the liver. The fat requires a delivery
system to the rest of the body to be used immediately but also to be
stored in fat cells for future use.
In
order for
the fat to enter the delivery system, while it is in the liver it is
split into two different types of fat, cholesterol and triglycerides.
Once
this transformation
takes place, the two types of fat (cholesterol and triglycerides) are
packed into vehicles for carrying the fat to the fat cells throughout
the body using the bloodstream. These vehicles are called
lipoproteins.
There
are three types of lipoproteins:
1.
Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL)
2.
Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL)
3.
High Density Lipoproteins (HDL)
Under
normal
circumstances, the bloodstream does a very efficient job of carrying
the LDL and HDL Lipoproteins throughout the body.
Cholesterol
is a waxy, fat like substance that presents itself naturally in cell
walls and membranes everywhere in your body. Your body uses
cholesterol to produce many hormones. It also uses it to
produce
vitamin D and the bile acids that help to digest fat.
Where
problems
arise is when there is an over abundance of cholesterol in your
bloodstream. The cholesterol deposited by the LDL leads to a
narrowing of the blood vessels.
If
this
occurs, the excess can be deposited in the arteries of the heart which
could result in stroke or heart disease. This is called
atherosclerosis. This is why LDL is known as “bad
cholesterol.”
HDL
usually
collects the bad cholesterol and takes it back to the liver.
That’s why HDL is known as “good
cholesterol.”
Cholesterol
is not the only cause of heart disease, but it is a contributing
factor. Here’s how it works.
Cholesterol
can only attach to the inner lining of the artery if it has been
damaged.
Once
the lining of
the artery is damaged, white blood cells rush to the site followed by
cholesterol, calcium and cellular debris. The muscle cells
around
the artery are altered and also accumulate cholesterol.
The
fatty
streaks in the arteries continue to develop and bulge into the
arteries. This cholesterol “bulge” is
then covered by
a scar that produces a hard coat or shell over the cholesterol and cell
mixture. It is this collection of cholesterol that is then
covered by a scar that is called “plaque.”
The
buildup of plaque narrows
the space in the arteries through which blood can flow, decreasing the
supply of oxygen and nutrients. This cuts down the supply of
blood and oxygen to the tissues that are fed by that blood
vessel.
The
elasticity of the blood vessel is reduced and the arteries’
ability to control blood pressure is compromised. If there is
not
enough oxygen carrying blood passing through the narrowed arteries, the
heart may give you a pain that is called angina.
The
pain
usually happens when you exercise because at that time your heart
requires more oxygen. Usually it is felt in the chest or the
left
arm and shoulder, although it can happen without any symptoms at all.
Plaque
can
vary in size as well as shape. All through the coronary
arteries
you can find many small plaques that cover less than half of an artery
opening. Some of these plaques are completely invisible in
the
tests that doctors use to identify heart disease.
The
medical
community used to think that the primary concern was the larger
plaques. They thought these posed a greater threat because of
their size and that they were more likely to cause a complete blockage
of the coronary arteries.
While
it is true
that the larger plaques are more likely to cause angina, it is the
smaller plaques that are packed with cholesterol and covered by scars
that are more dangerous. They are considered unstable and
prone
to ruptures or bursting releasing their load of cholesterol into the
bloodstream. This causes immediate clotting within the
artery. If the blood clot blocks the artery totally, it will
stop
the blood flow and a heart attack occurs.
The
muscle on the
farter side of the occurring clot fails to get the oxygen it needs and
begins to die. This kind of damage can be permanent.
DIAGNOSING
CHOLESTEROL
Unfortunately,
most
people aren’t even aware they have atherosclerosis until they
have a heart attack or stroke. It is possible to have up to
80
percent closure of the arteries without ever feeling a single symptom!
Most
people
begin to develop cholesterol driven atherosclerosis as children and
it’s unusual if you find an adult in the United States who
does
not have some degree of atherosclerosis.
Diagnosing
cholesterol levels require a simple blood test to determine the levels
of LDL and HDL. Cholesterol tests can be tricky,
however.
Simple screening that is done without “fasting,”
measures
only the total cholesterol and the HDL, the “good”
cholesterol. It will give you a ballpark figure,
but far
from accurate.
The
complete test
is called a “lipid profile,” and even that can vary
from
test to test. This test will measure total cholesterol, HDL,
LDL
and triglycerides.
For
truly
accurate numbers, you should not eat, or drink anything other than
water for 12 hours before testing. Vigorous exercise should
be
avoided for 24 hours before testing and you need to make certain that
whoever tests you is made aware of any medications you may be taking as
they will also affect the results.
Okay,
now
that you have accurate numbers, what do they mean? Before we
discuss the numbers and their meanings, we need to clarify some
terminology.
Dietary
cholesterol means the cholesterol that you eat. The American
Heart Association recommends no more than 300 milligram per
day.
Most food labels in the United States list cholesterol. The
three
terms, blood cholesterol, serum cholesterol and total cholesterol mean
the same thing – the total cholesterol in your
body. This
is what is measured when you have a cholesterol test.
Your
test results will come in with three numbers:
1.
HDL Cholesterol
2.
LDL Cholesterol
3.
Total Cholesterol
For
total
cholesterol the National Cholesterol Education Program classifies
levels below 200 milligrams/dl (milligrams per deciliter) as
“desirable.” A level between 200 and 239
is
“borderline high.” Anything over 240 is
“high.”
Triglyceride
levels over 400 milligrams/dl are considered “high”
and
levels over 1,000 milligrams/dl are considered “very
high.”
For
LDL, the
desirable level is less than 130 milligrams/dl. The
“borderline high” level is 130 to 159.
the
“high risk” level is 160 and above
.
Higher
is better
for HDL. For HDL, the numbers are lower because there is less
HDL
in the blood. Anything lower than 35 milligrams/dl is
considered
“high risk.” If your HDL is very high,
say over 60,
your risk of heart disease is reduced.
The
LDL,
however, is the “bad” cholesterol and the most
important
factor in predicting heart attack. For LDL, lower is better
preferably less than 160. It’s best to keep the
level
around 130.
CAUSES
If you
recall, we
mentioned that cholesterol can only attach to the inner lining of the
artery if it has been damaged. How does that damage occur?
Evidence
points to “free radical” damage as being one of the
culprits of arterial wall damage. Free radicals are found all
around us. They are highly reactive substances like polluted
air,
radiation, tobacco smoke, herbicides, and naturally within our own
bodies as an offshoot of regular metabolic processes
.
Free
radicals
attack and damage cells altering normal cell activity. You
see it
around you every day causing metal to rust and fruit to
spoil.
This is why we take anti-oxidants like vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and
selenium, to combat the attack of free radicals.
Heredity
plays a
role in high cholesterol. Your genes can influence your LDL
by
affecting how fast it is made and removed from your blood.
There
is one particular form of inherited high cholesterol that will often
lead to early heart disease. It is called familial
“hypercholesterolemia” and can play a role in 1 of
500
people.
Weight
is a factor
in determining your LDL. If you have a high LDL level and are
overweight, losing those pounds may help you to lower it.
Additionally, losing weight also helps to lower triglycerides and raise
your HDL.
Age
and sex
should be considered as well. Women, before menopause,
usually
have total cholesterol levels that are lower than men. This
changes as men and women age. Levels will rise until reaching
age
60 to 65. For women, menopause can cause an increase in LDL
and a
decrease in HDL. After the age of 50 women often have higher
total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.
Alcohol
plays an odd role in cholesterol levels. It increases HDL but
at
the same time it does not lower LDL. The medical
community
does not know for certain whether alcohol reduces the risk of heart
disease. We know that too much alcohol can damage
the liver
and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure and raise
triglycerides. There are just too many other risks to even
consider the use of alcoholic beverages used as a way to prevent heart
disease just because it increased the HDL.
Stress
and
personality may contribute to heart disease. Associating a
certain type of personality and heart disease has been suggested for
many years. This goes back to the “Type
A” and
“Type B” personality study conducted in
1959.
Type A
behavior
generally manifests in a chronic sense of time, urgency, aggressiveness
and striving for achievement. Type A people will drive
themselves
to meet specific deadlines which are most often self-imposed.
They
have
feelings of being constantly under pressure and often multi-task to the
point of doing two or three things at one time. To say that
Type
A people are “driven” is an
understatement. They
consider themselves indispensable. All of these
traits add
up to a state of constant stress
Over
the
long term, stress has shown to raise blood cholesterol
levels.
The way it does this is by affecting habits. An example is
over
indulging in fatty foods as a way of consoling themselves when people
are under stress. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these
foods contribute to high levels of blood
cholesterol. We
will explore dietary factors in a later chapter.
\
Type
B
behavior is characterized by just the opposite set of traits.
Type B people are less preoccupied with achievement, less rushed and
generally more easygoing people.
They
don’t
allow themselves to be rushed nor have any particular pressure
regarding deadlines. They are less prone to angry outbursts
and
seem to be better equipped to making distinctions between work and
play.
Studies
completed over a period of eighteen months to two years with a group of
both Type A and Type B people, indicated that Type A participants had a
31 percent increased risk of developing heart disease.
This
was
further substantiated by the discovery of more deposits of plaque in
the coronary arteries of Type A people. Type A behavior also
appears to show an association with other risk factors like smoking,
higher fat levels, increased secretion of adrenaline. All of
which increases the oxygen requirement of the heart muscles and
releasing fatty acids from the body fat.
It
is
important to note that there are not two different types of
people. Each person is an individual and sorting them into
specific categories do not properly identify them.
CHOLESTEROL
MEDICATIONS
We
will review the
different types of medications available for the treatment of high
cholesterol as well as natural remedies. Your doctor may
decide
that you need help in controlling your cholesterol if you are not able
to reduce it using natural treatments.
Even
if your doctor
prescribes any of these medications, you must still follow through with
healthy lifestyle treatments that we will discuss further on.
There
are
several different types of medications used to lower
cholesterol.
They are called statins, bile acid sequestrants, cholesterol absorption
inhibitors, nicotinic acid agents and fibrates and we will review them
one by one.
Statins
What
are they and
how do they work? Statins repress the enzyme HMG-CoA
reductase. This enzyme controls the rate that cholesterol
produces itself in the body. These drugs can lower
cholesterol
from 20 to 60%. They slow the production while they increase
the
liver’s ability to withdraw LDL. Statins lower the
LDL
levels better than any other type of drug.
They
can
also produce a modest increase of HDL while decreasing total
cholesterol and triglycerides. Positive results are usually
seen
after just 4 to 6 weeks of beginning the medication.
Overall
statins are proven for lowering heart attack risks, strokes and other
coronary diseases related to high cholesterol levels. You
should
not take statins if:
You
are allergic to statins themselves or their ingredients
You
are pregnant or breastfeeding
You
have liver disease
You
consume excessive amounts of alcohol
Have a
history of myopathy
Have
renal failure
Brand
names of statins that you might recognize are Lipitor, Lescol, Mevacor,
Altocor, Pravahol, Zocor and Crestor.
There
are
some drug and/or food interactions that you should be aware
of.
More than one quart of grapefruit juice per day can decrease the
ability of the liver to process some statins. More
importantly
there may be other medications that can interact and cause serious side
effects. It’s important to let your doctor know
about any
other medication you are taking, whether prescription or
non-prescription including vitamins, herbal supplements, medication for
the immune system, other cholesterols drugs, medication for infections,
birth control pills, medication for heart failure, HIV or AIDs, or
Coumadin.
Side
effects
from statins are rare. If you experience muscle soreness,
pain,
weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, discolored urine, stop taking the
medication and contact your doctor immediately.
Bile
Acid Sequestrants
Bile
acid
sequestrants bind with bile acids that contain cholesterol in the
intestines and are then eliminated in the stool. They are
proven
to reduce LDL by 10 to 20%. Small doses produce decent
reductions
in LDL. They are sometimes prescribed along with a statin to
enhance reduction. When combined, their effects are counted
together and lower LDL by more than 40%. They do not lower
triglycerides.
People
who
are allergic to bile acid sequestrants should not take this medication
nor should anyone who has a medical history of bile obstruction.
There
may be
interactions with other drugs so make certain your doctor has a
complete list of all prescribed and non-prescribed medications you are
taking.
Bile
acid
sequestrants do not become absorbed from the gastrointestinal
tract. It has been used for 30+ years and is considered safe
for
long term use.
Cholesterol
Absorption Inhibitors
A
newer drug class,
Zetia is a cholesterol absorption inhibitor that was approved in 2002
by the FDA. By itself it reduces LDL by 18 to 20%/
It does
this by decreasing absorption of cholesterol and other drugs within
this class also mildly lower triglycerides.
Very
useful
for prescribing to people who cannot take statins or as another drug
that can be taken if those who take statins have side effects if the
statin dose is increased. Adding a cholesterol inhibitor to a
statin increased the lowering effect by a 2 to 3 fold factor.
There
may be
interactions with other drugs so make certain your doctor has a
complete list of all prescribed and non-prescribed medications you are
taking.
Nicotinic
Acid Agents
Niacin,
Niacor and Slo-Niacin are common names for nicotinic acid agents.
Nicotinic
acid,
which is also called niacin, is a water soluble vitamin B. It
improves levels of all lipoproteins when the doses are given far above
the vitamin requirement.
Nicotinic
acid
reduces total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides at the same time
raising HDL. It reduces LDL by 10 to 20%, triglycerides by 20
to
50% and raises HDL by 15 to 35%. Nicotinamide is a niacin by
product after the body breaks it down. Nicotinamide has no
effect
in lowering cholesterol and should not be used in place of nicotinic
acid.
Individuals
who are
allergic to nicotinic acid, and those who have liver disease, active
peptic ulcer, or arterial bleeding, should not use nicotinic acid agents
.
There
are two types
of nicotinic acid. One for immediate release and one for
extended
release. Immediate release is inexpensive and widely
available
without a prescription. However, because of potential side
effects it must not be used for lowering cholesterol without being
monitored by a doctor.
Niacin
that
is extended release is often tolerated better than crystalline
niacin. But has a greater chance of causing damage to the
liver.
If you
are taking
medication for high blood pressure, the results may be increased while
taking niacin. You should have a system available to monitor
your
blood pressure when beginning a new niacin regimen.
Again,
there
may be side effects when mixed with other medications or
foods.
Discuss with your doctor and make certain you make him aware of all
medications prescribed or otherwise.
Fibrates
Primary
effectiveness is lowering triglycerides. There is a lesser
effect in increasing HDL levels.
Some
serious side
effects may occur so be sure and discuss these with your
doctor.
If you are allergic to fibrates or have liver disease or kidney
disease, you should not take these agents.
NATURAL
TREATMENTS
No
medications can
do a better job than treating your high cholesterol
naturally.
And, if you are one of those lucky people who do not have cholesterol
concerns, you may want to take steps to keep it that way!
What
can you do to improve your cholesterol levels?
Here’s the list and we will cover each item thoroughly.
Reduce
fat in your diet
One of
the best
plans is covered previously in our chart on saturated fat.
But
there is more you can do. Buy the leanest cuts of meat you
can
find. Regularly substitute poultry (without the skin) and
fish
for red meat. Both are lower in saturated fat.
Switch to
low fat cottage cheese and yogurt, reduced fat hard cheeses and skim or
1 percent milk.
Eat
no more than four egg yolks a week
Many
people
don’t have to worry about eating cholesterol.
Normal bodies
adjust to increased intake by cutting back on regular
product.
However, since one third of Americans are cholesterol responders their
blood cholesterol does go up when they eat cholesterol. You
probably don’t know if you fall into this category so play it
safe. Eat no more than four egg yolks a week. An
average
egg yolk contains 213 milligrams of cholesterol!
Eliminate
fried foods
Buying
low fat is
just the beginning. You need to institute low fat cooking
methods
to keep the cholesterol from sneaking back in to your diet.
Remove
fatty skin from chicken and turkey.
Don’t
fry foods. Roast, bake, broil, grill or poach them instead.
Use
fat free marinades or basting with liquids like wine, tomato or lemon
juice.
Use
olive or canola oils for sautéing or baking. Both
are very low in saturated fat.
Use
diet, tub or
squeeze margarines instead of regular. Watch for the term
“hydrogenated,” which means some of the fat is
saturated.
Eat
vegetables and complex carbohydrates
Lowest
fat foods of
all are vegetables, fruits, grains (rice, barley and pasta), beans and
legumes. Try substituting some of these for meat and high fat
dairy products.
Don’t
douse your pasta with butter or your potato with sour cream.
Use
tomato base sauces instead of cream base.
Use
lemon juice, low sodium soy sauce or herbs to season
vegetables.
Make
chili with extra beans and seasonings while leaving out the meat.
Lose
weight
If you
are
overweight, the chances are almost 100% that you have a problem with
high cholesterol. You can lower your LDL and elevate your HDL
just by dropping some pounds. Eat fewer fatty foods and more
fruits, vegetables, grains and beans and it’s a pretty good
bet
that you will slowly but surely lose weight.
Include
your family
Eating
habits carry
through to adulthood. Get your children on a healthy eating
pattern early. Don’t begin until they are at least
2 years
of age, however. Babies need extra fat calories to develop
properly.
Snack
all you want
Yep,
that’s
what we wrote. Snack several times a day on low fat
foods.
Yogurt, fruit, vegetables, bagels and whole grain breads and cereals
are excellent for snacking. In fact, there is evidence that
points to lower cholesterol levels in people who eat several small
meals a day. Eating often can keep hormones like insulin from
rising and signaling your body to make more cholesterol. Make
certain that your total intake of calories doesn’t go up when
you
eat more often.
Nuts
to you!
Do you
like
nuts? If you do, sprinkle a few on your cereal, bake them
into
muffins or pancakes or add them to casseroles or stir-fries.
Walnuts and almonds are especially good. Eating about three
ounces of walnuts a day is shown to decrease blood cholesterol levels
by 10% more than an already low fat, low cholesterol diet.
Walnuts are high in fat, but it is mostly polyunsaturated fat, which is
the kind that lowers cholesterol. Another study shows that
about
three ounces of almonds which are rich in monounsaturated fat, lowers
LDL by 9%!
Eat
chocolate
Aha!
All you
chocoholics rejoice! Studies indicate that the fat in
chocolate
is stearic acid and has no effect on cholesterol levels. The
chocolate does not increase LDL and could raise HDL a wee
bit.
But chocolate is still high in fat and calories so don’t go
overboard.
Drink
fruit juices
You
may have read
about the low rate of heart disease in France. It led
researchers
to believe that the French habit of drinking red wine with meals
contributes to this. Apparently some of the non-alcoholic
ingredients in red wine raises HDL and suppresses the body from
producing LDL.
Purple
grape juice
works the same way. It will work like red wine to lower the
fat
level in your blood. The LDL lowering effect of red wine and
grape juice comes from a compound that grapes produce normally to
resist mold. The darker the grape juice, the better.
Grapefruit
juice does the same thing and it may also help your body get rid of
that nasty plaque that we discussed earlier.
Eat
garlic
Cholesterol
lowering effects of garlic have been demonstrated repeatedly in people
with normal and high cholesterol. Eat all the garlic you
can. It also seems to raise the HDL levels as well.
If you
are worried about the odor, take the tablets instead. They
have
proven to be nearly as effective as the cooked or raw cloves.
Take
niacin – carefully
We
discussed
niacin earlier. Remember as one of the B vitamins, it is
proven
effective for lowering LDL and raising HDL. It is also one of
the
cheapest drugs available for lowering cholesterol. But,
without
medical supervision it may not be totally safe. A dose high
enough to lower cholesterol can cause extremely high blood sugar or
liver damage.
Take
vitamin E
Studies
indicate
that vitamin E may have a positive impact on lowering cholesterol when
taken in fairly large quantities – up to 800 IU per
day.
This is more than you can get from your diet alone. Larger
amounts do not seem to cause any harm. Further studies showed
that even amounts of just 25 IU per day helps in preventing LDL from
sticking to blood vessel walls. That amount is only slightly
higher than the recommended daily amount (RDA) of 12 to 15
IU. It’s interesting to note that even that small
amount
has an impact on preventing that hardening of the arteries.
Take
Calcium
One
study indicates
that when 56 people took a calcium carbonate supplement, their total
cholesterol went down 4 percent and their HDL increased 4
percent. That was taking a dosage of 400 milligrams of
calcium
three times a day with no harmful effects reported. That does
refer to calcium carbonate.
Take
a multivitamin – it can’t hurt
While
you are
building your calcium and vitamin E intake, remember the old standby,
vitamin C. It is the number one immune system booster and
also
drives up HDL. A study of people who took more than
60
milligrams of vitamin C per day (60 milligrams is the RDA) had highest
LDL levels.
Fill
up on fiber
Remember
several
years back when oat bran was the latest craze for lowering
cholesterol? Later studies arrived at inconsistent results,
but
the medical community do agree that soluble fiber, the kind found in
oat bran, does help lower LDL and raise HDL. As little as
three
grams per day of fiber from oat bran or oatmeal can be
effective.
There are 7.2 grams of soluble fiber per 100 grams of dry oat bran and
five grams of soluble fiber per 100 grams of dry oatmeal.
There
are other sources of fiber as well such as barley, beans, peas and many
other vegetables. Corn fiber is also good for reducing LDL,
lowering it by as much as 5 percent in a recent study.
Researchers used 20 grams of corn fiber a day. That would be
a
bit difficult for the average user when you take into account that one
serving of corn has three grams of corn fiber. But, every
little
bit does make a difference. Pectin, which is found in fruits
like
apples and prunes, reduces cholesterol even better than oat bran, as
does psyllium which is the fiber you find in many breakfast cereals and
bulk laxatives.
Quit
smoking
Smoking
promotes
the development of atherosclerosis. Tobacco smoke is actually
more damaging to the heart than the lungs. Smokers have a
higher
chance of having a heart attack (three times greater than nonsmokers)
and a greater risk of dying of the attack (twenty one times greater
than nonsmokers.) Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide,
which
is uniquely damaging to the heart. Not only does it reduce
the
amount of oxygen the heart receives, it also actually damages the cells
of the heart, rendering them less able to produce energy and thereby
weakening the heart. In addition to the dangers of carbon
monoxide, there’s the danger of the nicotine.
Nicotine
interferes with the electrical impulses that cause the heart to
beat. When the blood flow is compromised, the heart can beat
in a
fast, uncontrolled, irregular beats that actually cause a heart
attack. If you smoke, reducing the risks of atherosclerosis
is
yet another reason to stop. Even if you have smoked for
years,
stopping now can still immediately help combat the development of
atherosclerosis.
Reduce
sugar intake
Many
people
don’t realize that sugar affects cholesterol and definitely
affects triglycerides. Sugar stimulates insulin production,
which
in turn increases triglycerides. Men in particular, seem to
be
sensitive to this effect from sugar. The mineral chromium
which
helps to stabilize blood sugar, can also raise the level of
HDL.
100 mcg of chromium three times daily can help to improve your
cholesterol levels.
Eliminate
alcohol
The
jury is still
out and the different schools of thought are still at odds regarding
the benefit or lack of benefit to consuming alcohol. This
suggestion has nothing to do with our previous discuss on red
wine. A moderate amount may be helpful.
The problem
is that to one person a moderate amount might be a glass of wine with
their meal, while to another it might be a half bottle of
Scotch!
Anything above the arbitrary “moderate” amount
elevates
serum cholesterol triglycerides and your uric acid levels as well as
potentially increasing blood pressure all of which promote heart
disease. So, the best bet would be to eliminate it totally.
Exercise
regularly
There
is positive
evidence that exercise can lower LDL cholesterol and boost HDL
cholesterol. Both aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging,
swimming, bicycling and cross country skiing and strength training like
lifting weights or using weight machines all promote the improvement of
cholesterol levels. An analysis of 11 studies on weight
training
showed that this exercise lowered LDL by 13 percent and raised HDL by 5
percent. If you lift weights, use light to moderate weights
and
do many repetitions.
Eliminate
caffeine
We
Americans
definitely have a love affair with our coffee! People who
drink
large amounts of caffeine (more than 6 cups a day) are far more prone
to elevated cholesterol. That connection does not hold for
tea
drinkers. Limit your coffee intake to no more than one cup a
day
and eliminate caffeinated sodas entirely.
LIVING
HEALTHY
Unfortunately,
the
medical community is quick to prescribe another expensive medication to
lower cholesterol but they are far less likely to suggest herbal or
homeopathic measures.
Along
with getting
plenty of fiber there are foods that will help in promoting the
lowering of cholesterol as well as herbs that can further reduce
cholesterol.
Foods
containing pectin are advantageous to lowering cholesterol
levels. Carrots, apples and the white layer inside of citrus
rinds are particularly beneficial.
Avocado,
which is
very high in fat, has unexpectedly become a cholesterol
reducer.
A study of women who were given a choice of a high monounsaturated fats
(olive oil) along with avocado diet or a complex carbohydrate
consisting of starches and sugars reported interesting
results.
In six weeks, the former group on the olive oil and avocado diet showed
an 8.2 percent reduction in cholesterol.
Beans.
Gotta love ‘em. They are high in fiber and low in
cholesterol. What more could you ask for! A cup and
a half
of beans, or the amount in a bowl of soup, can lower total cholesterol
levels by as much as 19 percent!
Garlic.
We discussed garlic earlier but it is well worth repeating
here.
Use it liberally in your diet. Not only will it help to lower
your cholesterol it is also credited with lowering blood
pressure. Be sure you include generous amounts of garlic as
well
as onions in your daily diet.
Cayenne
pepper (Capsicum minimum) and other plants that contain the phenolic
compound capsaicin have a well demonstrated effect in lowering blood
cholesterol levels, as does the widely used spice Fenugreek.
Caraway
is another aromatic spice with demonstrable cholesterol lowering
properties.
A
whole range of Asian herbal remedies new to western medicine are
proving to be valuable in this field.
Remember
when the “low-fat” mantra began? We all
jumped in
with both feet and some of us still live on low fat foods, like having
a baked potato but no butter or sour cream. Maybe you eat
pasta,
veggies and fat free desserts. So how come you still gain
weight?
Good
question. Researchers from the National Center for Health
Statistics studied the eating habits of 8.260 adult Americans between
1988 and 1991. They found that Americans have significantly
reduced their fat intake but still packed on extra pounds in recent
years.
In
fact, a
national health and nutrition survey of over 8,000 American adults
concludes that one third of the population is overweight.
The
answer
is very simple and right in front of us. So many of us jumped
on
the low fat diet and assumed that if it’s low fat it
can’t
make us fat. Right? Wrong. We were so
involved with
the low fat concept that we forgot to count calories!
If
you are
eating more calories that your body needs, whether from fat or
carbohydrates, the body will store them as fat.
Period.
According to an National Institutes of Health study, by 1990 the
average American was consuming hundreds more calories a day than he was
consuming 10 years before.
There
are
researchers who believe that eating small amounts of fat can keep you
from overindulging on total calories. Ohio State University
nutrition scientist John Allred points out that dietary fat causes our
bodies to produce a hormone that tells our intestines to slow down the
emptying process. We feel full and are less likely to overeat.
Add
a little bit of peanut butter to your piece of fruit and it can help to
keep you from a binge later.
Here
is
another trap to avoid. Reducing fat might not be as smart as
it
sounds. Tufts University scientists recently put 11
middle-aged
men and women volunteers on a variety of average reduced and low fat
diets.
The
results
were astounding. Very low fat diets which provided only 15
percent of fat from calories did have a positive effect on blood
cholesterol and triglyceride levels. By the way, that diet is
so
strict there is no way it could be duplicated in real life.
But a
reduced fat diet, which is more realistic, only affected those levels
if accompanied by weight loss.
Not
only that, they concluded that cutting fat without losing weight
actually increased triglyceride levels and decreased HDL!
So
while excess fat
is not healthy, it isn’t a dirty word either.
Without some
fat in our diets, our bodies could not make nerve cells and hormones or
absorb fat soluble vitamins.
If
obesity
is one of your high cholesterol causes, try losing a pound a week with
a 500 calorie solution. No, we aren’t going to ask
you to
only eat 500 calories a week!
What
you can do is
easily lose a pound a week just by cutting 500 calories a day out of
your diet. You can easily burn 250 of them just be spending
about
30 minutes of aerobic exercise, like bicycling, dancing or just
walking. To get rid of the other 250 try cutting out
mayonnaise,
doughnuts and alcohol.
If
there were no other reason to take control of cholesterol,
here’s one that certainly has merit.
A
recent
study found that men with high cholesterol are twice as likely to be
impotent as men whose cholesterol levels are normal or low.
Researchers
recorded cholesterol levels of 3,250 healthy men between the ages of 25
and 83. Men with total cholesterol higher than 240
milligrams/dl
were twice as likely to have trouble achieving or maintaining an
erection than men who cholesterol levels were below 180 milligrams/dl.
Men
who had
low levels of HDL were also twice as likely to suffer from
impotence. The same high-fat diet that narrows arteries and
blocks blood flow to your heart also narrows the arteries that carry
blood to your penis. Blood has to be able to get to your
penis in
order for you to have an erection. Take control now and
you’ll find yourself improving in this area of your life as
well.
The
typical
American diet consists of fatty meats, processed cold cuts, dairy
products and fried foods. As if that weren’t
enough, throw
in commercially baked breads, roles, cakes, chips and
cookies.
This is a surefire path to high cholesterol.
Oddly,
ingesting
cholesterol will not raise the blood cholesterol nearly as much as
eating a type of fat called “saturated
fat.”
Like cholesterol, saturated fat is primarily found in animal products
like cheese, butter, cream, whole milk, ice cream, lard and marbled
meats.
Don’t
believe that if you just change to vegetable oil you can eliminate the
problem. Some vegetable oils are also high in saturated
fat. Palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil and cocoa butter
are
also very high in saturated fat. Unfortunately, these are
also
most often used in commercially baked goods, coffee creams and nondairy
whipped toppings, so make sure you read labels.
Here
is a chart showing the comparisons of different oils.
Product
Saturated
Cholesterol
Polyunsaturated
Monounsaturated
Canola
Oil 7% 0
mg
35% 58%
Safflower
Oil 9% 0
mg
78% 12%
Sunflower
Oil 11% 0
mg
42% 47%
Corn
Oil 13% 0
mg
62% 25%
Olive
Oil 14% 0
mg
12% 74%
Hydrogenated
Sunflower Oil
14% 0
mg 40%
48%
Sesame
Oil 15% 0
mg
44% 42%
Soybean
Oil 15% 0
mg
60% 24%
Margarine,
bottled 17%
0 mg
47% 36%
Margarine,
tub 17% 0
mg
37% 46%
Peanut
Oil 18% 0
mg
33% 49%
Margarine,
stick 19% 0
mg
33% 47%
Cocoa
Butter 62%
0 mg
3% 35%
Butter
66% 31 mg
4% 30%
Palm
Kernel
Oil 87% 0
mg
2% 11%
Coconut
Oil 92% 0
mg 2%
6%
Although
all of the
oils listed above (except butter) contain no measurement of dietary
cholesterol, to lower your own cholesterol level, you must use oils low
in saturated fat. Canola oil (7% saturated fat) is one of the
best available cooking oils. Olive oil (14% saturated fat) is
also good to use.
One
more
rule that makes this chart just a bit misleading. Any fat
that is
hard at room temperature, such as stick margarine, is not good for your
cholesterol. Margarine has been hydrogenated (hardened) and
that
process adds trans fatty acids.
Trans
fatty acids
may be as bad for you as saturated fat, so stick margarine is equal to
butter as far as your cholesterol is concerned. Diet and soft
margarines are a better bet. Also look for brands of
margarine or
shortening that top the ingredient list with oils rich in
monounsaturated fat, like canola oil.
Try
substituting butter and margarine with a fruit puree. Prune
puree
is one particularly popular alternative but try using applesauce and
apricots as substitutes.
What
has the
chefs who specialize in nutrition so excited about using prune puree is
the significant difference in fat grams as well as calories.
One
cup of prune puree has 407 calories and one gram of fat. One
cup
of butter has 1,600 calories and 182 grams of fat. One cup of
oil
has 1,944 calories and 218 grams of fat. You can see now why
bakers are excited about prunes!
Prunes
also contain
large amounts of pectin which helps hold in the air bubbles that make
baked good rise. They also have large amounts of sorbitol, a
sugar alcohol, which helps keep baked goods moist and gives them the
flaky, tender taste of shortening or butter.
The
only
drawback to using fruits like applesauce and apricots as fat
substitutes is that baked goods tend to become soggy and moldy within a
day or two so plan quantities accordingly. Also, when baking
with
substitutes for fat, use cake flour instead of regular all purpose
flour. It will keep the baked good tender.
Don’t over
bake your fat reduced recipes as they do tend to dry out quicker than
traditional recipes that call for butter or oil.
Here’s
another healthy living tip for you. If you really have
trouble
giving up your favorite high fat cheese, try this. Turn it
into a
low fat version. Just zap it in the microwave for a minute or
two. Pull it out and drain off the oil. It will
significantly reduce the fat content of the cheese. This will
work well for cheese sandwiches, toppings and other recipes that call
for your favorite cheese.
Scientists
have discovered that water mixed with fructose suppresses the appetite
better than glucose with water or even diet drinks. Fructose
is
the kind of sugar found in fruits. Drink a glass of fructose
rich
orange juice a half hour to an hour before a meal. You will
eat
fewer calories during the next meal and still feel comfortably full.
Don’t
think
that just because we are discussing “fat free”
regimens
that you must cut beef completely out of your diet. Too much
of
this “good thing” won’t do you any
favors.
However, you can have your steak and eat it too, provided
it’s a cut that is relatively low in fat and cholesterol and
you
do not add fat in the cooking and serving process.
When
shopping for
beef, select grade eye of the round is considered by some to be just
that. A 3 ½ ounce serving has approximately four
grams of
fat, less than half of the amount in a 1 ounce serving of cheddar
cheese. It also contains 69 milligrams of cholesterol, among
5the
lowest for meats, and it is a good soruce of zinc, iron and other
nutrients.
Tip
round, bottom round and top sirloin are also relatively lean and high
in these nutrients.
Turkey
breast and chicken breast are prizes as soon as you remove the
skin. Turkey has less than 1 gram of fat and 83 milligrams of
cholesterol. Chicken has 3.6 grams of fat and 85 milligrams
of
cholesterol.
Pork
tenderloin is the top choice for the “other white
meat,” while leg shank is the leanest choice among lamb cuts.
Cinnamon
has
blood-thinning properties that can help lower cholesterol levels, says
Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc, director of the Ayurvedic Institute in
Albuquerque,New Mexico. He suggests this
tea: Mix 1
teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of trikatu (a lend of
ginger
and two kinds of peppers) directly into a cup of hot water, then stir
and steep for five minutes.
Add
a
teaspoon of honey once the tea has cooled. Dr. Lad says to
drink
this beverage twice daily, once in the morning and once in the
evening. Trikatu is available from Ayurvedic practioners and
in
some health food stores.
One
way to
heal many health problems is with a detoxification diet that cleanses
the body and re-establishes the nutritional balance needed for optimum
health, says Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical
Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying
Healthy With Nutrition. His diet should be practiced for only
three weeks. It is not nutritionally balanced enough for
longer
periods. Do not undergo it if you are pregnant or suffer from
deficiency problems marked by fatigue, coldness or heart
weakness. Here is the detox diet.
Breakfast
Immediately
upon
arising, drink two glasses of water, one of them containing the juice
of half of a lemon. Also have one to two servings of fresh
fruit
– apples, pears, bananas, grapes or citrus fruits such as
oranges
or grapefruit.
About
15 to 30
minutes later, have one to two cups of cooked oatmeal, brown rice
millet, amaranth or untoasted buckwheat. For flavoring, you
can
add two tablespoons of fruit juice or use the Better Butter described
below.
Better
Butter Recipe
Stir
½ cup
of canola oil (look for one labeled “cold-pressed”)
into a
dish with ½ pound of butter, melted or at least softened,
and
refrigerate. Use about one teaspoon per meal for flavoring
and
don’t exceed three teaspoons per day.
Lunch
Have a
big bowl (up
to four cups) of steamed vegetables – potatoes, yams, green
beans, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, cabbage
or others. Use a variety, including stems, roots and
greens. Better Butter can also be used. Then
refrigerate
the water from the vegetables for later use.
Within
two hours,
slowly drink one to two cups of the water from the steamed vegetables,
mixing each mouthful with saliva. You can add a little sea salt or kelp
for flavoring.
Dinner
Same
as lunch, with a variety of vegetables.
Evening
(After Dinner)
No
food at all, but
you can have non-caffeinated herbal teas such as peppermint, chamomile
or blends. No caffeinated beverages.
Throughout
the day,
feeling s of hunger should be satisfied by drinking plenty of water and
eating pieces of carrot or celery. If you are feeling very
fatigued or if hunger persists, then you may add up to four ounces of
protein, such as fish
organic
chicken, lentils or garbanzo, mung or
black beans. Optimally this should be eaten mid-afternoon,
around
3:00 or 4:00.
Again,
this is a
detoxification diet only and is to cleanse the body and re-establish
nutritional balance needed for optimum health. Do not
practice
the diet for more than three weeks and do not undergo it if you are
pregnant or suffer from deficiency problems.
In
a restaurant, opt for steamed, grilled or broiled dishes instead of
those that are friend or sautéed.
Vary
your
veggies. Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other
dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweetpotatoes,
pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans,
kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils.
Read
the Nutrition
Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans
fats. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt (sodium)
and/or added sugars (caloric sweeteners).
If you
eat 100 more
food calories a day than you burn, you’ll gain about 1 pound
in a
month. That’s about 10 pounds in a year. The bottom line is
that
to lose weight, it’s important to reduce calories and
increase
physical activity.
Know
the facts about what you are purchasing to eat. Read labels
carefully.
Most
packaged foods
have a Nutrition Facts label. For a healthier you, use this tool to
make smart food choices quickly and easily. Try these tips:
•Keep
these low: saturated fats,transfats, cholesterol, and sodium.
•
Get enough of these: potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and
iron.
•
Use the % Daily Value (DV) column when possible: 5% DV or less is low,
20% DV or more is high.
Look
at the serving
size and how many servings you are actually consuming. If you double
the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including
the % DVs.
Make
your calories
count. Look at the calories on the label and compare them with what
nutrients you are also getting to decide whether the food is worth
eating. When one serving of a single food item has over 400 calories
per serving, it is high in calories.
Don’t
sugarcoat it. Since sugars contribute calories with few, if any,
nutrients, look for foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the
ingredient list and make sure that added sugars are not one of the
first few ingredients. Some names for added sugars (caloric sweeteners)
include sucrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple
syrup, and fructose.
Know
your
fats. Look for foods low in saturated fats,transfats, and cholesterol
to help reduce the risk of heart disease (5% DV or less is low, 20% DV
or more is high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated
and monounsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake between 20% to 35% of
calories.
Reduce
sodium (salt), increase potassium.
Research
shows that
eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 tsp of salt) per
day may reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Most of the sodium
people eat comes from processed foods, not from the saltshaker. Also
look for foods high in potassium, which counteracts some of
sodium’s effects on blood pressure.
Remember
there is
no substitute for your physician. Make certain that you clear
any
new treatments with him before embarking on any radical health changes
you are anticipating.
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