Controlling Cholesterol Naturally

[Guest guest]

Controlling Cholesterol Naturally

Dena Nishek

 

Dear Group,

I haven't reviewed this article very thoroughly, however I'd like

to post it because of the valuable information regarding Cholestin

(Red Yeast Rice). Take special notice of cautionary advice

pertaining to the liver.

Jo Ann

 

8/1/2003 6:26:13 PM

 

Dietary supplements help optimize lipid profiles.

 

 

If you think middle-aged men are the target sales demographic for

cholesterol-lowering supplements, you're a little off the mark. In

fact, high serum cholesterol is most prevalent among white, non-

Hispanic women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention in Atlanta, but the condition does not discriminate.

 

The conventional course of action for anyone with high cholesterol

is a pamphlet on diet and lifestyle modifications and treatment with

statin drugs such as Lipitor and Zocor. These meds reduce low-

density lipoprotein cholesterol but don't improve other lipid

levels, and also can cause a variety of side effects. Consumers who

are looking for natural supplements for cholesterol control have

several good options.

 

" Conventional drugs lower cholesterol and that's pretty much it.

They don't generally raise [high-density lipoprotein] HDL or affect

the other risk factors for heart disease, so it becomes somewhat

limiting. If you give them Lipitor, you're really only addressing

one piece of the pie, " says Darin Ingels, N.D., author of The

Natural Pharmacist: Lowering Cholesterol (Prima, 1999).

 

" When you look at some of the natural supplements—garlic,

policosanol, red yeast rice—[researchers] have found that not only

do they lower total cholesterol, but they raise HDL, the good

cholesterol; they lower [the blood fat] lipoprotein(a); and in some

cases they may have an effect on homocysteine, " (which is an amino

acid that can block arteries).

 

Good Fat, Bad Fat

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance present in blood lipids (fats)

and all body cells. Manufactured by the liver, the body needs it to

form cell membranes and hormones and to serve other bodily

functions. Too much circulating cholesterol is a major risk factor

for stroke and coronary heart disease, America's No. 1 killer.

 

The American Heart Association estimates 102 million American adults

(out of a total population of 291.3 million) have blood cholesterol

levels greater than 200 milligrams per deciliter, which is

considered borderline high, and about 41.3 million have levels

greater than 240 mg/dL, which is high.

People whose total cholesterol is above 240 mg/dL have twice the

heart attack risk as those whose levels are 200 mg/dL.

 

HDL is the good cholesterol. Keeping HDL levels high (above 60

mg/dL) reduces heart attack risk. According to work published in the

American Journal of Cardiology in 1990, for every percent increase

in HDL levels, the risk of heart attack drops 3 percent to 4

percent. LDL is the bad guy. Keep LDL levels low (below 100 mg/dL is

optimal) because too much of this fat can clog arteries and increase

heart attack and stroke risk. It's also important to keep

triglycerides, another type of blood fat, below 150 mg/dL.

Lipoprotein(a) is another damaging blood fat; high levels carry a 10

times greater risk for heart disease than elevated LDL levels.

 

Diet, lifestyle and genetics all contribute to whether a person will

have cholesterol-control issues. According to the AHA, most people

can increase their HDL levels by improving their diets, exercising,

maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking. Minimizing saturated

fats, trans fats and cholesterol in the diet makes a difference, as

does increasing fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption. These

modifications are often enough, but some people do need extra help.

If their doctors agree there is no danger in trying dietary

supplements, there are several products that can improve lipid

profiles, including policosanol, red yeast rice, gugulipids and

garlic.

 

(The following piece of information is questionable

according to info taken from Andrew Weil's site)

 

Policosanol

This supplement is derived from sugarcane and has been shown to

lower LDL cholesterol levels by 30 percent in some cases, which is

as good as, if not better, than prescription statin drugs.

" The thing about policosanol is that it is one of the few natural

substances they've actually done head-to-head studies on against the

statin drugs, " says Ingels, who practices at New England Family

Health Associates in Southport, Conn. " There have now been three

studies, each against a different statin drug. They were good-

quality studies, and in all three cases they found that policosanol

actually worked better than the statin counterpart, with no side

effects. "

 

Ingels recommends 10 mg of policosanol twice a day. " Why go with

something that might even potentially have a side effect when you

can use something that doesn't have any side effects at all, " he

says, referring to more than 30 studies published on policosanol

showing no adverse effects.

 

Red Yeast Rice

The active components of red yeast rice are similar to those of

statin drugs, Ingels says. " When you take the recommended amount of

red yeast rice, which is 1,200 mg a day [divided into two doses], it

is equivalent to taking 5 mg of a statin drug, " he says.

 

Although there haven't been any long-term studies proving it, Ingels

warns there is a theoretical risk of liver damage,

 

just as with statins, so he encourages people using red yeast rice

to have their liver enzymes checked periodically.

 

David Heber, M.D., and colleagues from the University of California

at Los Angeles, analyzed nine proprietary Chinese red yeast rice

supplements

and found the presence of monacolins, which inhibit cholesterol

production, varied widely.

 

The research, published in the April 2001 issue of the Journal of

Alternative and Complementary Medicine, shows that of the nine

products tested, the monacolin content ranged from zero to 0.58

percent by weight, and only one of the preparations had all 10

monacolin compounds.

 

Since not all red yeast rice products have the same effect on lipid

profiles, ask your supplier about monacolin content.

 

Gugulipid

A standardized extract of the Indian mukul myrrh tree, this

Ayurvedic medicinal can lower both cholesterol and triglyceride

levels. Nancy Urizar and David Moore report in the July 2003 issue

of Annual Review of Nutrition that animal and human studies have

shown that gugulipid can decrease elevated blood lipid levels.

Ingels recommends a dose of 500 mg three times a day.

 

Garlic

Numerous studies show garlic's ability to help improve cholesterol

levels. Allicin, the phytochemical responsible for garlic's pungent

aroma, is also what causes the physiological effects. Ingels says

most studies have used garlic extracts standardized to 1.3 percent

alliin, which is the component converted to allicin.

 

Garlic reduces total cholesterol by about 10 percent to 12 percent,

Ingels says. He recommends 300 mg three times a day in addition to

having patients use more garlic in their cooking.

 

Dena Nishek is a freelance writer and editor based in Boulder, Colo.

She specializes in natural health, home and gardening topics.

 

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXIV/number 8/p. 34, 38

 

Maximize Safety With Statin Drugs

 

Statin drugs are the standard prescription for people with high

cholesterol levels. Also known as MG-CoA reductase inhibitors, this

class of drugs includes atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin

(Mevacor), fluvastatin (Lescol), pravastatin (Pravochol) and

simvastatin (Zocor). According to The Drug-Induced Nutrient

Depletion Handbook (Lexi-Comp, 2001), patients should be monitored

for Co-Q10 depletion during long-term use.

 

Statin drugs inhibit Co-Q10 production, which can lead to

congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and low energy,

according to researchers who published their work in a 1998 issue of

Advances in Therapy. A Co-Q10 supplement may be a wise choice.

 

Not only can statins cause nutrient depletions and possible liver

damage, but certain foods and supplements can also affect how statin

drugs work.

Grapefruit juice increases the potency of some statins. Researchers

reporting in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics found that both

simvastatin and atorvastatin were affected by grapefruit

consumption.

 

People taking these statins should limit grapefruit juice intake or

have their statin dose reduced.