Natural Alternatives for Lowering Cholesterol and Triglycerides

[Guest guest]

Natural Alternatives for Lowering Cholesterol and Triglycerides

 

 

 

Richard Conant, L.Ac., C.N.

http://www.willner.com/article.aspx?artid=190

 

Fat and humanity are inseparable. Setting aside the fear and

loathing about body fat that pervades our culture, we come to

appreciate fat as our friend. More than that, we cannot live without

it.

 

The body contains many different kinds of fats and fat-like

molecules. Known collectively as " lipids, " these fatty substances

include fatty acids, lipoproteins, phospholipids, glycolipids,

triglycerides, steroid hormones and the infamous, dreaded

cholesterol.

 

Lipids (fats) are found everywhere in the body, performing a variety

of vital functions. The brain is a fat-rich organ. Brain neurons and

nerve cells are surrounded by insulation in the form of myelin, made

largely out of fat. Cell membranes consist mainly of phospholipids

(phosphorus-containing fats) arranged in a sandwich-like double

layer embedded with proteins. Sex hormones such as estrogen and

testosterone are lipids, belonging to the group of complex fatty

molecules called " steroids. "

 

The body stores and transports much of its fat supply in the form of

triglycerides. A triglyceride contains three fatty acid molecules,

which have a chain-like structure, linked to backbone made of

glycerol. (There are also mono- and diglycerides, which have one and

two fatty acid chains, respectively, attached to glycerol.)

 

Like many things necessary for life, fat is a two edged sword. Fat

insulates us from the cold, cushions and protects our vital organs

and serves as a storehouse for energy. Yet, when present in excess

to the point of obesity, fat threatens health, happiness, self-

esteem, social standing and longevity. Keeping fat in its proper

place, not eliminating fat or reducing it drastically, is the goal

we should seek.

 

Lipids in the blood, primarily triglycerides and cholesterol, are

essential. Yet they become a health threat when the blood contains

too much of them. Blood lipids must be maintained at the proper

levels and ratios. How do we keep the blood lipids we need balanced

at healthy levels? Diet and exercise are the foundation; these

basics must come first. Along with sound dietary and lifestyle

practices, a number of natural approaches can be used to effectively

maintain blood lipid health. They can also serve as alternatives to

cholesterol-lowering drugs. We will now give several of the most

effective among these a closer look.

 

Gugulipid

 

In the early 1990s, U.S. consumers were introduced to an herb used

for centuries in the Far East to treat problems involving excess

blood lipids. Known in India as " guggul, " this herb has proven

itself to be one of the most effective natural cholesterol-lowing

agents ever discovered. Guggul lowers total cholesterol, LDL and

triglycerides. At the same time, it raises HDL, the non plaque-

forming cholesterol molecule. The changes are substantial; guggul

single-handedly normalizes the blood lipid profile, even in people

with high initial cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

 

Also called " gum guggul, " guggul is a gummy resin tapped from

Commiphora mukul, a small shrub-like tree native to India. India's

famed Ayurvedic herbalists have prized guggul, a cousin of myrrh

gum, for at least 3,000 years. As far back as 600 B.C., guggul was

recommended for rheumatism and poor health caused by overconsumption

of fatty foods.

 

One ancient Sanskrit text describes in detail " coating and

obstruction of channels, " a condition said to result from disordered

fat metabolism due to overeating and a sedentary lifestyle.

Intrigued by the striking similarity between " coating and

obstruction of channels " and atherosclerosis­­­­—the clogging of

arteries by fatty plaque deposits—Indian researchers began a series

of experimental and clinical studies in the 1960s to see if guggul

could lower blood lipid levels. The results stimulated considerable

interest in the ancient folk remedy. In both human and animal

studies, guggul consistently lowered cholesterol and triglycerides.

 

Pharmacological studies conducted by Indian scientists showed that

guggul's lipid-lowering effects are produced by a group of compounds

present in the resin called " guggulsterones. " An Indian

pharmacetical firm then patented a standardized extract of guggul

under the trade name " Gugulipid. " The product contains 2.5 percent

guggulsterones, which is slightly higher than guggul resin in its

natural state.

 

Because Gugulipid guarantees a uniform intake of guggulsterones, it

has become the preferred form of guggul for use in clinical

research. Phase I safety trials and Phase II efficacy trials have

continue confirmed Gugulipid's effectiveness for lowering

cholesterol and triglycerides.,, To date, clinical studies on guggul

and Gugulipid have involved relatively small numbers of subjects.

Small-scale studies tend to leave medical scientists unconvinced

until the results are duplicated in larger trials with a minimum of

200 to 500 people. A large, well-publicized double-blind Gugulipid

trial would go a long way toward giving this time-honored herb the

credibility it deserves. In the meantime, reports from the growing

number of users in the U.S. tell a similar story: consistent,

significant cholesterol and triglyceride reductions.

 

Pantethine

 

Another effective natural solution for blood lipid control that

deserves to be better known is pantethine, a relative of pantothenic

acid (vitamin B5). Pantethine is the active form of pantothenic acid

in the body. Pantethine is converted to CoA, an essential coenzyme

in fat metabolism. CoA transports " active acetate, " an important

byproduct of fat metabolism that provides fuel for generating

cellular energy. By promoting the burning of fats for energy,

pantethine helps keep triglyceride levels under control.

 

Japanese researchers began studying the effect of pantethine on

blood fats nearly twenty years ago. They reported promising findings

from animal studies, at the Seventh International Symposium on Drugs

Affecting Lipid Metabolism, held in Milan, Italy in 1980. Few in the

medical or scientific communities took notice. Italian researchers

followed up on this research with several small clinical trials that

confirmed results of the preliminary reports.6,, An excellent

cholesterol and triglyceride lowering agent that is safe and free of

side effects, pantethine remains for the most part ignored by

mainstream science, although its usage is growing in alternative

medical circles. Pantethine will no doubt prove to be one of the

most important supplements for maintaining healthy blood lipid

levels.

 

Niacin

 

When taken in high enough doses, niacin (vitamin B3) substantially

lowers cholesterol. This has been known to medical science for many

years. Studies on niacin as a cholesterol-lowering agent go back to

the 1950s. There was a fair amount of initial enthusiasm for niacin

because, unlike most lipid-lowering drugs, it improves all

parameters of the blood lipid profile. Niacin reduces total

cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the unstable, plaque-forming

cholesterol) and triglycerides. It also raises HDL quite well.

Interest in niacin has faded, in part because the necessary dose,

1200 milligrams a day or more, can cause side-effects such as

flushing and stomach upset. Very high doses of niacin may be harmful

to the liver if taken for long periods.

 

There is a solution to the side-effect problem with niacin which,

again, has failed to garner much attention. Inositol hexanicotinate

is a flush-free form of niacin composed of six niacin molecules

bonded to one molecule of inositol, a B complex nutrient. Inositol

hexanicotinate is absorbed intact and metabolized slowly, releasing

free niacin into the bloodstream over a period of hours following

ingestion. The flushing effect of ordinary niacin, which metabolizes

much more rapidly, does not occur. Taking up to four grams per day

has not been reported to raise liver enzymes or cause other side-

effects, although prudence dictates that people with liver problems

should avoid very high doses of inositol hexanicotinate, or any

other form of niacin.

 

Tocotrienols

 

Vitamin E is often thought to be synonymous with d-alpha tocopherol.

Vitamin E is actually an entire family of compounds that includes

various tocopherols and a group of lesser-known but highly

beneficial substances called tocotrienols. All have vitamin E

activity. Tocotrienols are similar in chemical structure to

tocopherols, but they have important differences that give them

unique properties for human health.

 

Vitamin E is one of the most recognized antioxidants, nutrients that

deactivate potentially toxic byproducts of oxygen metabolism

called " free radicals. " Vitamin E neutralizes peroxides, which

result from the oxidation of lipids by free radicals. Vitamin E

protects cell membranes from being torn apart by peroxides; it is at

the membrane level where vitamin E plays its most important role as

an antioxidant. While d-alpha tocopherol has generally been regarded

as the form of vitamin E with the strongest antioxidant activity,

tocotrienols are even stronger.

 

The tocotrienol story is another example of a natural product slow

to gain recognition. In 1991, a University of California team

discovered that d-alpha tocotrienol is over six times more effective

than d-alpha tocopherol at protecting cell membranes from free

radical damage. In the presence of vitamin C, which recycles vitamin

E-like compounds, its antioxidant activity is 40 to 60 times higher

than d-alpha tocopherol. Despite these monumental findings, it is

safe to say that few cardiac physicians are well-informed or excited

about tocotrienols.

 

It would be a tremendous service to public health if they were,

because the benefits of toctrienols go far beyond their stellar

antioxidant ability. Tocotrienols also lower total cholesterol and

triglycerides, by impressive percentages. In a double-blind,

crossover trial, 47 people with high blood cholesterol took 200 mg

of tocotrienols for four weeks. Cholesterol was reduced by 15 to 22

percent, while drops in LDL of 10 to 20 percent were recorded.

Another double-blind study looked at the cholesterol-lowering effect

of tocotrienols in combination with the National Cholesterol

Education Program (NCEP) Step-1 diet, which limits the intake of

cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat. Subjects taking

tocotrienols enjoyed reductions of 17 percent in total cholesterol

and 24 percent in LDL. Those on the low fat diet alone posted modest

5 and 8 percent reductions in total cholesterol and LDL. Derived

from food oils such a palm and rice bran oil, tocotrienols have the

same lack of toxicity as ordinary vitamin E.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer

 

The information provided on this site, or linked sites, is provided

for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a

substitute for advice from your physician or other health care

professional. Product information contained herein has not

necessarily been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or

prevent disease.