Cholesterol: Lowering it naturally 

A Natural Way to Lower Cholesterol Without Dangerous Side Effects

The basic goal in cholesterol management is to keep low density lipoproteins (LDLs) low, and to keep high density lipoproteins (HDLs) high. The imbalance we commonly experience is a result of many factors, as seen in the previous article. We've also discussed some natural treatments for lowering cholesterol that have been used for hundreds of years.

Policosanol, Guggul, Niacin, and Garlic can all be effective on their own. If you're currently using one of these natural remedies to control your cholesterol, that's great. They are available through most health food stores, or nutritional supply stores.

I'd like to talk about combining these natural treatments now. If each one of these has been shown to be effective at lowering cholesterol, wouldn't it be great to combine all of the benefits of each into one mixture? As a matter of fact, with almost all herbal remedies, there is a specific ratio of ingredients that results in optimization of each herbs effect.

A fairly new realm of technology has emerged in the neutraceutical arena: Orthomolecular blending. Basically, orthomolecular blending combines the schools of nutrition, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, and medicine, as well as the benefits of clinical physicians and their studies. This helps modern day scientists to develop the perfect blend of ingredients.

Another technology you may have heard of is nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the science of controlling objects or chemicals on a very small scale, typically under 1 micrometer. Since our bodies work on a molecular level, natural treatments produced using nanotechnology would be much more absorbable, therefore usable to our body.

Through my personal research, I have found that there is a natural product for lowering cholesterol, that combines all of the ingredients and technology we've talked about here. That product is: Cholestasys.

Cholestasys has all of the crucial ingredients we've talked about, as well as a few others that have been proven effective in aiding cholesterol management naturally. The manufacturer, MicroNutra Health, is a technology-based company, priding themselves on the use of nanotechnology and orthomolecular blending.

On top of this, the manufacturer does offer a no-hassles return policy for 90 days. So, if you're not happy with the results, they'll refund you, no problem.

Please, don't just take my word on all of this. Visit online medical journals and do some research, like I have. Read over case studies on the ingredients. Don't just believe the flip-flopping media about things like garlic. Make an informed decision.

After you've done the research yourself, I do feel that you'll come to the same conclusion I have, that Cholestasys is the natural, yet scientifically advanced, treatment for cholesterol.

High Cholesterol: An Overview – Cholesterol Background Information

High cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, occurs in individuals when the level of cholesterol in the blood stream exceeds normal levels. High cholesterol is technically a metabolic disorder, and can even be a secondary symptom of a larger, underlying health issue. There is no one cause for high cholesterol, as it can be the result of any of the following:

• Family History
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Anorexia
• Poor Diet
• Hypothyroidism
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise

There are several ways to treat, or manage high cholesterol, but before we get into those, lets see what the different kinds of cholesterol are:

VLDL – Very Low Density Lipoproteins

Very Low Density Lipoproteins are a precursor to LDLs. They are produced in the liver by combining cholesterol and a protein molecule. VLDLs are associated with atherosclerosis. Their basic function is to carry triglycerides to fatty tissue.

LDL – Low Density Lipoproteins

As VLDLs lose some of their triglycerides, they transition into LDLs, or low density lipoproteins. LDLs are responsible for the transportation of cholesterol and triglycerides throughout the body. LDLs are a perfectly normal, natural state of the lipoproteins. They only cause problems when they bind to other particles and cause plaque build-up in the arteries.

HDL – High Density Lipoproteins

High Density Lipoproteins have a totally different job. Their function is to collect cholesterol and bring it back to the liver for salvage. HDLs are the "good cholesterol" we hear so much about. A higher concentration of HDLs is very important to cardiovascular health.

Total Cholesterol

A rating combining the blood cholesterol levels of both LDLs and HDLs. According to the American Heart Association, total cholesterol levels can be interpreted as follows:

While the above table provides some general guidelines for overall cholesterol, it should be noted that one can be within the desirable level, yet have too high a concentration of LDL to HDL. Separate levels of LDLs should be under 100.

Natural Treatment Options

The last few years have shown some interesting developments in health care. More and more people worldwide, are taking their health care into their own hands. This is largely a result of poor performance by doctors, poor performance by pharmaceuticals, or even just the rising cost of getting professional help.

Many of the available medications for treating high cholesterol have deleterious side effects. Some of these are so subtle that they were not picked up in initial testing, and now people are living with severe liver damage, and in some cases permanent muscle damage.

To this end, there are a number of natural ways to remedy high cholesterol. I have discussed these in some of my previous posts, and will add more in the future. For now, I'll just review some of the natural treatments we've looked at:

• Policosanol – a natural extract from the wax surrounding sugar cane. It has been proven effective in lowering cholesterol levels, and raising HDL levels
• Guggul – a natural tree resin from northern India that eliminates cholesterol by stimulating production of bile acids (which contain cholesterol)
• Niacin – naturally occurring vitamin showing great promise in lowering LDLs and raising HDLs
• Garlic – overall support for the cardiovascular system. While not a panacea, very useful

Policosanol: Lower Cholesterol Levels Naturally

Policosanol is a natural extract from the waxy coating found on cane sugar. There have been a lot of studies, lately, on the naturally occurring waxy coatings of some foods, such as cane sugar, beeswax, and yams, and how they may benefit us health-wise. Policosanol is one of them. Let's jump right to the studies, since they really show the benefits of this natural treatment for lowering cholesterol.

Clinical Studies:

Study I

A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of policosanol in obese patients (BMI>or =30) with hypercholesterolemia.

First there was a 5 week cholesterol-lowering diet. 129 patients were given either policosanol 5 mg or placebo tablets, taken once daily for 3 years. At one year testing, the policosanol users significantly lowered serum LDLs by 24 %, total cholesterol by 15 %, and raised HDLs. Changes of lipid variables in placebo were not significant.

This effect was persistent. At study end, policosanol patients had lowered LDL by 31 %, total cholesterol by 20 %, and unexpectedly raised HDL by an amazing 24 %. Policosanol was shown to be safe and was well tolerated. The average policosanol patient also showed that body weight was slightly reduced.

Conclusion – It is concluded that policosanol was effective for lowering cholesterol in obese patients with type II hypercholesterolemia, being also safe and well tolerated.

Study II

This study was to determine the long-term effectiveness, safety and tolerance of policosanol on patients with Type 2 diabetes. 239 patients with Type 2 diabetes were administered policosanol 5 mg/day or a placebo for 2 years.

At one year testing, policosanol patients showed significantly reduced LDL by 21 %, total cholesterol by 17 %, triglycerides by 16 %, and increased HDL by 10 %. No significant changes in the placebo group.

The frequency of serious health problems, mostly cardiovascular in nature, in policosanol patients was significantly lower than in the placebo group. A reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed in policosanol patients.

Conclusion – Policosanol is long-term effective, safe and well tolerated.

Overall Benefits of Policosanol

Policosanol has been extensively studied, and several other benefits have been found to this natural treatment:

• Maintain normal cholesterol levels
• Prevents oxidation of LDL cholesterol
• 100% Natural – not a drug with adverse side effects
• Very effective at reducing LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides
• Helps raise HDL levels
• Inhibits platelet aggregation
• Over fifteen clinical trials prove it's safety

Summary

Policosanol is proving itself to be a very effective aid in the maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels. Coupled this with a healthy lifestyle, good physical activity, and other natural herbs to lower cholesterol, and you can lower cholesterol without the dangerous side effects of many modern pharmaceutical drugs.

Guggul: Natural Cholesterol Control

Origins

From northern Africa to central Asia, there grows a small tree known as the Mukul myrrh tree. Scientifically, it is known as Comminphora wightii, but we know it as Guggul. For thousands of years, Guggul has been used in the practice of traditional medicine to treat such things as obesity, skin diseases, arthritis, and symptoms that, today, would be diagnosed as hyperlipidemia.

In the case of Guggul, it is not the leaves, fruit, or roots that are used in treatment, but a gummy resin extracted from the bark of the tree. Throughout the Mediterranean, this gummy resin is known as bdellium.

Recent Studies

Due to the movement for more natural treatments for diseases such as high cholesterol and obesity, researchers have run some clinical tests on the effectiveness of Guggul at lowering cholesterol. The results?

1. A 16 week study in which 40 heart disease patients were given doses of 4.5 grams of guggul lipid twice daily, resulted in an average 21.75 percent drops in LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides, and a 35 percent increase in HDL. An interesting noted side effect was that Guggul lipid also reduced platelet stickiness
2. A 12-week study with 1500 mg of guggul-lipid had reduction in serum cholesterol of approximately 22%, and triglycerides reduced about 25%
3. Additional study shows that guggul-lipid is most effective for people with elevated cholesterol reading of the type IIb (raised LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides) and type IV (elevated VLDL and triglycerides)
4. Another study involved 233 individuals with elevated cholesterol or triglycerides levels, showing that guggul-lipid worked better than the prescription statin Clofibrate. Guggul users also experienced some improvements in HDL - a good side effect not seen with Clofibrate.

Method of Action

So, how does Guggul work? The causative agent in Guggul is it's guggul-lipid. This lipid is actually able to block active receptor sites in the liver that stop the production of bile acids. Bile acids are produced in the liver by the oxidation of cholesterol.

Making bile acids is a major consumer of cholesterol. An average body uses approximately 800mg of cholesterol per day to produce bile acids. These acids are used by the digestive system to break down foods and aid in digestive absorption. Around 90% of bile salts are recycled by the body, and the other 10% are excreted.

By blocking the receptor that stops production of bile acids, the body keeps on making cholesterol-rich bile acids. This is a very natural and effective way to rid the body of cholesterol.

As shown in the studies above, guggul-lipid also has an anti-platelet effect, thus keeping platelets from clumping together with LDLs and causing cardiovascular disease.

Summary

Guggul, which has been used for thousands of years to treat many symptoms, has now been shown effective at reducing cholesterol levels. With virtually no side effects, this natural way to lower cholesterol is finally becoming available to the rest of the world.

Along with a healthy diet of whole grains, unprocessed foods, and a daily physical routine, Guggul may be one of the most important natural treatments available for high cholesterol.

Niacin: A Key to Healthly Cholesterol – Niacin Lowers Bad Cholesterol

There has been a lot of talk, recently, about the good effects of niacin (or nicotinic acid) on cholesterol levels. Multiple studies have come to the same conclusions: niacin helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL).

Recent studies have shown that niacin actually helps increase the blood level of high density lipoproteins, while inhibiting production of very low density lipoproteins (the precursor to LDLs).

The effectiveness of niacin, on lowering cholesterol levels naturally, is astonishing. One study from the Archives of Internal Medicine (2000), compared niacin therapy to a standard statin, Lopid. The niacin consumers showed a reduction in LDLs by 10% to 20%, reduction of triglycerides by 20% to 50%, and increase in HDLs by 15% to 35%. Lopid actually raised LDL levels in this study.

Natural Sources of Niacin

Niacin is a naturally occurring vitamin, is fairly difficult for our bodies to make. Therefore, we receive most of our niacin from the foods we eat:

• Organ meats such as heart, liver, and kidneys are highest
• Niacin is also food in eggs, milk, beef and chicken
• Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are also a great source of niacin
• Foods such as whole grains, legumes, dates, mushrooms, brewer's yeast, asparagus, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and avacados, as well as leafy vegetables, all provide a natural source for necessary niacin.

Summary

Niacin has proven itself a formidable weapon in lowering cholesterol. It is also a very natural way to do so. However, due to the way our foods are generally processed and stored these days, many of the naturally occurring vitamins are depleted or non-functional. Especially if you are a vegetarian, you may have a deficiency in niacin, and may consider supplementing your diet with this essential nutrient.

While niacin is effective at lowering cholesterol, all treatments for high cholesterol should be taken in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle that involves eating whole grains, unprocessed foods, fresh fruits and vegetables , and a daily activity level to keep you in good shape.

Garlic for Natural Cardiovascular Health

Maybe you've seen the headlines... "Garlic Stinks At Lowering Cholesterol" or "Garlic Powerless Against Cholesterol." These "facts" come from the same sources that basically told us, five years ago, that garlic was a cure-all for cholesterol, heart disease, and cancer. Can anyone ever really believe the news anymore? Why not look at the history and scientific facts, and decide for yourself?

The History of Garlic

Garlic has been cultivated by society for physical health since the beginning of history. Over 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians were cultivating garlic and using it as a natural strength and immune response enhancer.

Garlic was used extensively throughout the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. Hippocrates (400 B.C.) prescribed garlic for a number of ailments, from infections to digestive disorders. Greek and Roman athletes and warriors ate garlic before events or battles for it's invigorating power.

Scientific Facts About Garlic

Today, we have developed advanced scientific methods of testing chemical compounds to see how they react in the body. This is something our forefathers did not have, but that does not mean they were wrong. Let's consider some known facts about the benefits of garlic:

1. In 2005, the Mayo Clinic released a report in which garlic was graded with a "B" for it's effect on blood cholesterol levels. A "B" indicates that there is strong scientific proof that garlic does reduce LDL cholesterol. In this study, garlic was shown to be effective over short periods of time (1-3 months). The highest benefits came from nonenteric-coated tablets, standardized to 1.3% allicin, resulting in LDL drops of 10 points and triglyceride drops of up to 20 points
2. In Germany, garlic is a licensed medicine for atherosclerosis. A study came out of Munich University. Patients on a low fat diet, and the cholesterol fell 10 points and stabilized. Garlic was added, and LDL cholesterol fell another 10 points
3. Garlic contains antioxidants which prevent LDLs from becoming harmful. The power of these antioxidants is irrefutable. Garlic is known to contain selenium, vitamin C, manganese, and quercetin (a phytonutrient). Arteries benefit directly from the antioxidant power of garlic, as the oxidation of cholesterol is one of the major heart health concerns
4. A UCLA Medical Center study shows that aged garlic can actually inhibit the collection of calcium deposits that bind with plaque
5. Garlic has been shown, in studies, to help lower blood pressure. While the effects are not huge, averaging around 10 points dropped, if combined with lifestyle changes, this could be all you need
6. The Mayo Clinic has released studies showing that garlic (unprocessed) might reduce the risk of stomach or colon cancers
7. The National Cancer Institute suggests that two servings of garlic per week may be enough to help protect against colon cancer.

To Use Garlic Or Not To Use Garlic?

Honestly, this seems like a silly question to me. Given the body of evidence, and the proof that garlic is so beneficial, why wouldn't one want to use it? Just because it's not as effective as was originally thought? Garlic has still been proven to be effective at lowering cholesterol. Typically people in poor physical condition have multiple problems, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Garlic certainly isn't going to make these conditions worse, it is just not the panacea it's been toted as.

Garlic has a long-standing history of health benefits. It has also been shown, scientifically, to help with a number of health ailments. When combined with other natural treatments to lower cholesterol, and a healthy lifestyle change, garlic can be a powerful addition to your course of natural treatments.