Cholesterol Talk!

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Chapter Six: Natural & Alternative Healing

“If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature’s way.”  ~Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics

Introduction

There are many natural products that can be used as alternative solutions to treating high cholesterol. This may be especially useful to patients who are regulating their cholesterol levels with diet and exercise and help produce optimal results in cholesterol management.

Natural products reduce cholesterol levels by dissolving fat in the blood. A variety of root and plant products are gaining attention in the medical community as potentially effective and beneficial treatments for high cholesterol condition.

In this chapter, we discover foods with natural healing abilities for high cholesterol condition. Amongst the natural remedies available, red yeast rice is gaining popularity and winning the hearts of high-cholesterol patients. We now reveal the story behind red yeast rice and how it may work wonders for you as well.

Reap The Goodness Of Nature – Cholesterol-Lowering Plants & Fruits

Artichoke Leaf

More than a trendy appetizer or pizza topping, artichokes have found a place on the menus of high cholesterol patients for their ability to fight heart disease by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The artichoke’s spiny green flowers, which are eaten like a vegetable, contain a substance called cynarin. A recent study showed that this compound may help rid the body of artery-clogging cholesterol and lower triglycerides, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.

Randomized controlled trials were conducted to analysis the response of cholesterol levels to artichoke extracts. Two trials involving a total of 167 people met the quality criteria. One trial found artichoke significantly reduced total cholesterol after 42 days of treatment. The other study found artichoke significantly reduced total cholesterol in a subgroup of patients with total cholesterol levels of more than 230 mg/dl.

Adverse events were mild, transient and infrequent. However, larger clinical trials over longer periods are still needed.

Soluble Fibre

Soluble fibre (including pectins and gums) dissolves in the large intestine forming a “gel” that binds with substances containing fat and cholesterol. The result is beneficial because blood sugar and thereby energy levels are stabilized.

It also binds with bile salts containing cholesterol so the higher the soluble fibre in the diet, the lower the cholesterol. Soluble fibre also slows the time it takes for food to pass through the body, especially the stomach and small intestine. Soluble fibre can help lower blood cholesterol and is helpful in controlling blood sugar as well.

Soluble fibre can be found as a dietary supplement, such as psyllium powder, or in foods such as oats, barley, rye, legumes (peas, beans), carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, yam, apples, prunes and berries.

Five to 10 grams a day of soluble fibre has been found to decrease LDL cholesterol by approximately 5%.

Plant Sterols and Stanols

There is growing evidence that plant sterols and stanols help in lowering total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Stanols and sterols appear to enhance the effects of other methods to lower cholesterol. In studies, people taking the statin drugs to lower cholesterol had an additional improvement in their cholesterol levels with stanols/sterols.

Plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, are found naturally in a range of plant sources such as vegetable oils, nuts, grains, wood pulp, seeds and leaves. Stanols are also found in dietary supplements or are added to margarine, orange juice, and dressings.

They are similar in chemical structure to cholesterol. The presence of a methyl or ethyl group in their side chains means that, compared to cholesterol, plant sterols are minimally absorbed in the gut. They help block the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines.

Blueberries

Blueberries may not be good just to put in muffins anymore. In fact, they may be helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. As with many fruits, vegetables, and other organic foods, blueberries contain chemicals called antioxidants that have been linked to lowering cholesterol levels, encouraging heart health, and protecting the body against certain types of cancers.

Blueberries also contain the phytosterol, pterostilbene, which is similar to resveratrol, another antioxidant found in grapes and red wine. In fact, pterostilbene shares the same mechanism of action as ciprofibrate, which is a fibrate that lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

Additionally, studies have indicated that pterostilbene is an effective anti-diabetic agent. This corresponds to studies performed on antioxidants contained in other fruits and vegetables. These chemicals have numerous positive properties, including anti-cancer, memory enhancement, and heart health.

Walnut

Walnuts lower blood cholesterol with a rise in good cholesterol and a drop in bad cholesterol. They may reduce heart disease risks and studies have suggested that people who eat walnuts are less likely to develop coronary heart diseases and heart attacks.

The reason that walnuts demonstrate such heart healthy benefits is because of the presence of high amounts of omega-3-fatty acids, particularly alpha linoleic acid, and phytosterols.

Omega-3-fatty acids reduce triglycerides levels and reduce the formation of atherosclerotic plaque on arteries by increasing HDL levels (high density lipoproteins, or the good cholesterol) and reducing LDL levels (low density lipoproteins, or the bad cholesterol).

In addition to heart healthy ingredients, walnuts also contain a wealth of other nutrients, including vitamin E, the B vitamins, fibre, and several minerals. Many of the studies performed suggest that you only need to consume only a handful of walnuts a day to receive the cholesterol-lowering benefits of walnuts.

Soy

Several well-conducted studies have shown that soy products can reduce cholesterol levels significantly.

Soy comes from the soy bean, which is a member of the pea family. Soy is a legume, meaning it takes in nitrogen and converts this nitrogen into protein.

Soy protein contains all of the amino acids the body needs, and has become very popular in recent years as a substitute for animal protein. Clinical studies have pointed to soy protein’s ability to lower LDL cholesterol levels. One of the studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995 concluded that soy protein can significantly lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as triglycerides (fats), another leading risk factor of heart disease.

Soy, like all plants, contains many different chemical components. One of these components is a class of phytoestrogens called isoflavones, which is a relatively weak form of estrogen. Some say soy isoflavones may help protect against cancer. They can suppress the production of stress proteins, which facilitate cancer cell survival.

Soy isoflavones also have antioxidant abilities, meaning they can help rid the body of toxic chemicals called free radicals, therefore warding off disease, illness, and premature aging.

Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice is gaining popularity as a reliable natural solution to high cholesterol conditions. In fact, it is turned into alternative medicine which has become a staple in the diet of anyone who likes to manage his or her cholesterol. We’ll now understand better what red yeast rice is about and why it warrants such rave about its effectiveness.

If you like the Chinese dish Peking duck, you may be more familiar with red yeast rice than you have thought. Red yeast rice is a substance made by fermenting a type of red yeast over rice. It has been used in China as a preservative, spice and food colouring.

It is used to give Peking duck its characteristic red colour and can also be an ingredient in fish sauce, fish paste and rice wine. Red yeast rice is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for poor circulation, indigestion and diarrhoea.

Red yeast rice contains naturally-occurring substances called monacolins. Monocolins, particularly one called lovastatin, is believed to be converted in the body to a substance that inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that triggers cholesterol production. This is also the way the popular statin drugs work.

Evidence supporting red yeast rice

In a study conducted by the UCLA School of Medicine, the use of red yeast rice was examined in 83 people with high cholesterol.

Subjects were randomized to receive 2.4 grams of either red yeast rice or placebo a day, and they were told to consume a 30% fat diet (with no more than 10% of this from saturated fat and less than 300 mg cholesterol a day).

After the 12-week treatment period, there was a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, compared with placebo. HDL cholesterol was not affected in this study.

In another study conducted in Norway, a cholesterol-lowering effect of red yeast rice in a European population was shown. 40 individuals completed the trials. They were randomised and received either HypoCol, a product containing 100% pure strain red yeast rice, or placebo.

The results showed that patients receiving Hypocol experienced a significant cholesterol lowering effect for both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, compared to those who took placebo.

Individuals with cholesterol levels that remain high despite adequate lifestyle modification may benefit from red yeast rice. Thos who prefer alternative treatment, particularly those without established disease, may benefit from this preparation.

Choosing a reliable red yeast rice product

Unlike prescribed medicines, whereby there are stringent rules controlling the manufacturing processes and packaging, the regulations governing the production of alternative natural products are less certain. It is important to choose one that has established production procedures and quality controls and have undergone stringent tests and trials.

HypoCol – the trustworthy natural solution

HypoCol capsule is an all-natural product derived from 100% natural pure strain red yeast rice, with nothing added and nothing removed. It is a safe and effective option for the management of healthy cholesterol balance.

The naturally occurring HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in the capsule lower the liver’s production of cholesterol. In response to the drop in cholesterol level within the liver, the cells will produce more receptors to absorb LDL from the blood, causing circulating levels of cholesterol to decline.

In addition, HypoCol capsule helps to lower levels of harmful triglycerides and increase the levels of HDL.

Clinical Evidence

In more than 20 clinical studies, thousands of people have achieved healthy cholesterol levels with various dosages of HypoCol capsules, combined with a sensible diet and exercise programme. Extensive clinical trials carried out in the United States and China have shown that intake of HypoCol capsules result in significant reduction of total serum cholesterol levels by 11% to 32% and LDL cholesterol levels by 12% to 22%. Triglyceride levels were reduced by 23% while HDL levels increased up to 14%.

It has also been proven effective in fatty liver patients, diabetic patients, hypertensive patients and renal patients. No liver inflammation and muscle damage were reported in all clinical studies.

More importantly, the safety of HypoCol products was demonstrated in acute and long-tern animal toxicity studies. These studies have demonstrated that even at dosage 533 times the recommended human dosage, the ingredients in HypoCol products did not give rise to any toxic side effects.

Who would benefit from HypoCol?

HypoCol capsule is specially recommended for use by healthy adult men and post-menopausal women for maintaining healthy blood circulating cholesterol levels.

It is suitable for individuals whose total serum cholesterol levels fall within the borderline risk bracket. HypoCol capsule is intended to be used as part of a cholesterol management programme that should include a healthy diet restricted in saturated fat and cholesterol and regular exercise.

You can take 2 HypoCol capsules twice daily (morning and evening) after meals. Do not take more than 4 capsules in any 24-hour period.

You can visit www.HypoCol.com for more information.

Click here to download and click here to find out more about HypoCol!