If your
doctor has
determined that
you have
heightened levels
of bad
cholesterol, he or
she will likely
make some
suggestions about
things you must do
to improve your
health.
Some of
these suggestions
will have to do with
diet and lifestyle
changes. However, if
your cholesterol is
quite high or you
require an aggressive
approach to lowering
cholesterol, you may
be advised to take a
cholesterol lowering
medication or
treatment in order to
lower your
cholesterol.
So it's
important that you
know something about
the treatments and
mediactions that are
available now to
lower cholesterol,
because this will
help you to work with
your health
practitioner in order
to develop a
cholesterol treatment
regimen that will
work for
you.
Lowering Cholesterol
naturally - Healthy
Cholesterol Through Herbal
and Natural
Remedies
Research is
providing good
evidence that there
are several effective
natural herbs and
supplements to help
in lowering LDL and
raise HDL or "good"
cholesterol. This
research has been
done in lab
settings.
If you visit
a naturopath or
health care
practitioner who
specializes in
alternative
medicines, you may be
advised to try some
of these treatments.
If you’re worried
about the side
effects of
pharmaceutical
cholesterol-lowering
drugs, you might want
to speak with your
doctor about
drug-free ways to
lower cholesterol. Or
you might even want
to ask for a
recommendation for a
natural health
practitioner.
Considering
alternative remedies
gives people dealing
with a higher level
of cholesterol new
options. It is
especially good for
those who don’t react
well to traditional
pharmaceutical
cholesterol-lowering
medications.
Guggul Gum
Resin from the Mukul
Myrrh Tree Is Used To
Treat
Obesity
This same
remedy is used to
help lower
cholesterol and
decrease high blood
pressure. Guggul is
also named Gugulipid
and Gum guggulu. The
botanical name is
Commiphora mukul.
Guggul is used to
lower elevated
cholesterol and
triglycerides. The
active ingredients
are resin, volatile
oils, and
gum.
Policosanol
is Considered To Be a
Safe and Effective
Treatment to Lower
LDL
Cholesterol
Whilst
preventing oxidation
of LDL cholesterol it
promotes a normal
blood flow. It comes
from sugar cane wax
and has been studied
in-depth for some 10
years. Human trials
are published in
North American and
International medical
journals.
Pantethine
is also a Very
Promising Cholesterol
Lowering
Product
It has
significantly reduced
serum triglycerides,
total cholesterol,
and LDL_cholesterol
or "bad cholesterol"
levels. It increased
HDL or “good
cholesterol" levels
in several clinical
trials. Pantethine
has the further
advantage of not
producing the
undesirable side
effects of other
synthetic lipid
lowering
drugs.
Curcumin
It’s a very
strong antioxidant
with antiviral,
anti-inflammatory,
anticancer, and
cholesterol lowering
properties. Curcumin
is an extract from
the every day kitchen
spice Turmeric and
has a number of
health
benefits.
Garlic has
been proven effective
by a standard
double-blind placebo
controlled study. A
900 mg daily serving
of garlic will
significantly slow
down the development
of atherosclerosis.
You can read about
this study in the
journal article:
Koscielny J,
Klussendorf D, Latza
R, et al. The
antiatherosclerotic
effect of Allium
sativum.
Atherosclerosis.
1999;144:237–249.
As an added
benefit, garlic has
been proven
beneficial in
fighting off common
colds. It can also
add flavour to meals.
If you want to enjoy
tasty low-fat meals,
use garlic rather
than salt or fat. It
will help you stay
healthy. Many health
experts consider
garlic to be a
super-food that is
generally beneficial
for overall good
health.
Omega 3
/ Fish
Oil has
been shown to be
beneficial for heart
health as well as
brain function. Dr.
Fran Hu of the
Harvard School of
Public Health has
published studies
that suggest that
high consumption of
fish, 4-5 times a
week, cuts back the
risk of women dying
from heart disease by
45 percent compared
to women who rarely
eat fish.
Men with the
highest levels of
omega-3 fatty acids
have an 81 percent
lower risk of dying
suddenly than men
with the lowest
levels. The fat in
fish helps towards
lower cholesterol,
and helps to prevent
blood clots that form
and can cause heart
attacks, and lessens
the chances for the
irregular heart beats
that cause sudden
deaths. One daily
gram of an omega-3
fatty acid supplement
will reduce risk of
sudden cardiac death
by 42
percent.
Beta-Sitosterol when
taken at 300 mgs
twice a day will help
to lower blood serum
cholesterol and
triglycerides, even
with few diet changes
and little or no
exercise.
Psyllium
Seeds are
a common ingredient
in bulk laxative
products. Studies
have shown that
psyllium does lower
LDL cholesterol. This
study showed
improvement for both
children and
adults.
Soy
Protein benefits
your heart health. To
achieve the best
results, eat at least
four servings of 6.25
grams of soy protein
or 25 grams per
day.
For those
with high cholesterol
levels of 260-300,
soy protein will
probably reduce
cholesterol by
15-25%. Countries
which enjoy diets
rich in soy proteins,
and this includes
countries like Japan,
have populations that
suffer a lot less
from cancer, heart
disease, and high
cholesterol.
Women in
countries that have
soy-rich diets seem
to be less affected
by osteoporosis and
other dangers of
menopause. Actually,
the countries that
have traditional
diets which are high
in soy have
populations that seem
to enjoy longer and
healthier lives. This
has lead many
researchers to
investigate the
potential benefits of
soy, and many
research studies have
found that soy
proteins seem to
contribute to a good
heart and overall
health.
Other
Remedies Which Are
Believed To Help
Reduce LDL
Cholesterol:
• Vitamin
E and C
• Green
Tea
• Licorice
Extract
• Aspirin
: 80 mg a couple of times
per week.
• Extra
Virgin Olive Oil : 1
tablespoon
daily.
Herbs and
other natural
medicines and
treatments are best
to be recommended by
natural or holistic
specialists and many
conventional doctors
and specialists may
not know a lot about
herbal remedies. Some
that do might not
believe in their
healing
properties.
Your doctor
might be able to
recommend a natural
health practitioner,
as this field gains
increasing
credibility in the
medical world.
However, you may also
need to seek out a
natural or holistic
specialist yourself.
This may be
challenging, as there
are fewer
professional bodies
regulating these
experts.
To make
sure that you find an
expert who can really
help you, try the
following:
1. Ask for
recommendations from
your friends and
family, especially if
they have had success
with holistic experts
in treating heart and
cholesterol
issues.
2. Look for
holistic specialists
that have some formal
training and
certification. Many
holistic trainers now
have medical degrees
as well as some
training in holistic
medicine. Some even
do research work.
These kinds of
holistic
practitioners may be
harder to find, but
they are well worth
finding, because
their advanced training will help ensure that you get good healing treatment.
3. Always speak to holistic practitioners in a pre-interview before agreeing to accept their services. During the pre-interview, make sure that the natural practitioner listens to you well, has a good knowledge of medicine and seems to be qualified. Request their references. Be wary of natural practitioners that make grandiose claims, seem to advertise one brand of products heavily, offer advice that contradicts basic knowledge about human health, or practitioners that are vague or unhelpful when answering your questions.
4. Even if your doctor doesn’t agree with natural medicine, make sure that he or she knows which natural treatments you’re taking. Natural and herbal products might still interact with your other medication or you may develop allergies to specific products or treatments. Keeping your doctor informed will make it easer for your doctor to help.
5. Always ask for detailed labels or ingredient lists for all natural or holistic medicines or treatments that you take. Read these carefully to make sure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients. Also be sure to check the non-medicinal ingredients in your natural medicines.
Important.
Don't doctor yourself because herbs are potent and some people may react negatively to some herbs. Herbs and plant-based substances can be allergens and may still produce side effects, reactions, and interactions with other medicines. Herbs are not recommended as alternatives to conventional medicine without professional guidance. Always consult with a trained professional for best results.
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