Lowering cholesterol naturally?

[betterhealth4me]

Is there a way that you can lower cholesterol naturally with vitamins and supplements?  I am looking into preventative ways of treating high cholesterol in our family.

[gymdandee]

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[beardflames]

I had great success lowering my bad Chol, raising my good Chol, and significantly decreasing my trigs with diet and exercise. cut my trigs from over 400 to 200. problem was that it was an extreme diet with tons of jogging. and that is hard to be consistent with for too long. its easy to slip up due to lazyness, holidays, injuries. the docs have tried to put me on several meds but i have put exploring other options than statins. i stopped dieting and exercising altogether and my trigs shot back up to 600. i agreed to take lovaza and they went down to 300. i have also recently added no flush niacin 1x per day. i am about due for a blood test.

[gymdandee]

a study found that adding high dose niacin to statin drug treatment in people with heart and vascular disease did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events (including heart attacks and stroke) despite improving HDL and triglyceride levels (NIH News, May 26, 2011 and Boden, NEJM 2011). Patients in the study were given 1,500 to 2,000 mg per day of extended-release nicotinic acid as Niaspan, a prescription drug. The study was stopped early when there was no improvement in outcomes after 32 months of treatment and a small increase in ischemic stroke was noted among those taking Niaspan compared to those taking placebo. However, for patients who cannot tolerate statin drugs, high dose niacin currently remains a viable stand-alone treatment without increasing the risk of ischemic strokes (Maningat, NEJM 2011)

[betterhealth4me]

Thank you so much for the thorough information, the more I can read the better.  If anyone else has any feedback too please feel free to add to it.

[rsarah99]

That is a little bit too much to read through, do you have a summary?

[gymdandee]

Just try to watch your Omega 6 consumption!  Omega 6 is in just about everything read your labels.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are two important essential fatty acids (EFA). Essential fatty acids are so-called for two reasons. They are essential to life and health. You and I must have them. But our bodies cannot manufacture them.
the importance of essential fatty acids in general and omega-3 and omega-6 in particular. Scientific research continues to link an impressive list of health problems to EFA deficiency and imbalance.
Omega-3 and omega-6 imbalance is responsible for many chronic heart conditions. We are concerned with heart disease. But you and I do not merely want to avoid heart disease. Our goal is optimal heart health. In order to build good habits to promote our optimal heart health it is imperative to look at the current subject. Let’s consider the following points…
Where Do We Get Omega-3 and Omega-6? There is Good News and Bad News about Omega-6. We May Be Getting Too Much of a Good Thing. There is Bad News and Good News about Omega-3. What Is the Research Saying?  
So many people take omega-3 for their heart health.
Where Do We Get Omega-3 and Omega-6?
Omega-3 exists in three forms. ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) is found in vegetable sources  flax seed oil, soybean oil, canola oil.
Less potent sources are walnuts, dairy, beans, broccoli.
Omega-3 is also found in two marine forms. They are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). They are found primarily in cold-water fatty fish such as...
salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna.
Research has shown that getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids can help Lower triglycerides, Reduce the risk of having a heart attack, Lower the incidence of sudden cardiac death,  
Reduce the risk of congestive heart failure, Lower blood pressure, Reduce risk of coronary heart disease.
Omega-6 also exists in several forms. The first is LA (linoleic acid) which is found in corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil.
Two other forms of omega-6 are GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid). GLA is also found in plant based oils. ARA is found in many animal based foods. These sources
are important, the benefits and risks of omega-3 and omega-6. omega-6 is essential to health. In fact research has linked an impressive list of health concerns to omega-6. It has been suggested that omega-6 should be used in the treatment of  anorexia nervosa, ADHD, osteoporosis, diabetes, eye disease, certain skin conditions, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, cancer.
The average American diet provides more than 10 times the proper amount of omega-6. Most of us are getting too much of a good thing.
Linoleic acid (LA) is found in the primary oil added to most processed foods. (This indicates another reason to limit our eating of processed foods.) It is also found in the often used oils listed.
Our bodies have the ability to convert linoleic acid (as well as alpha-linolenic acid) into longer chain fatty acids which lead to the production of eicosanoids. Eicosanoids depending, on their source, can have positive and negative influences on our bodies. They may slow intravascular clotting which helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes, suppress inflammation preventing us from overreacting to allergens,
dilate blood vessels reducing hypertension and increasing good blood delivery, control cell growth slowing the rapid growth of cancer cells That is good.
On the other hand they may increase blood clotting which leads to heart attack and stroke, suppress the immune system leaving us more open to infection,
increase cellular growth thereby promoting the growth of cancer cells, create new blood vessels which can feed cancer cells.
Generally  the eicosanoids produced by an overabundance of omega-6 tend to produce the negative affects not the positive. There is Bad News and Good News about Omega-3 We are not
getting nearly enough omega-3. The average diet is horribly deficient in omega-3 rich foods. Because of this fact we are at increased risk for a number of chronic health concerns.
The American Heart Association recommends 2 - 4 grams of Omega-3 per day for anyone with high triglycerides. coronary heart disease is the number one killer of men and
women. The American Heart Association recommends at least one gram of Omega-3 per day for anyone with documented heart disease.
Research scientists recommend ratios varying from 5:1 to 10:1 omega-6 to omega-3. Some experts suggest a ratio of between 1:1 and 4:1 as being optimal.  The current ratio in our diet is estimated to be 14:1 to 20:1.

[betterhealth4me]

Thank you so much to you both for posting.  I am starting to use flaxseed oil more now.  I do feed our family oatmeal a few times a week.  So funny you mentioned avocados with my last pregnancy I ate those like crazy.  I thought maybe it was my body trying to store up Vitamin K to prevent excess bleeding, this is something new indeed.  I have been lucky too all of our family members actually like avocados.

[tschock]

You could also try asking about avacados...

When I was pregnant with my fourth child, I craved them all the time.
I normally have very high numbers ( runs in my family ) and the pills didn't work.

My doctor noticed that throughout my pregnancy my numbers lowered greatly.
She asked what, if anything, I had been doing differently.
I told her that I had eaten a lifetime's worth of avacados during that time. lol
She looked into it, and said that she had read where avacados had been studied, and that what I had said was indeed possible.

This is what she found:

Avocado's support for heart and blood vessels might be surprising to some people who think about avocado as too high in fat for heart health. From a research standpoint, however, many metabolic aspects of heart health - including levels of inflammatory risk factors, levels of oxidative risk factors, and blood fat levels (including level of total cholesterol) - are improved by avocado. In addition, we know that heart health is improved by intake of oleic acid (the primary fatty acid in avocado) and by intake of omega-3 fatty acids (provided by avocado in the form of alpha-linolenic acid and in the amount of 160 milligrams per cup). Since elevated levels of homocysteine form a key risk factor for heart disease, and since B vitamins are very important for healthy regulation of homocysteine levels, avocado's significant amounts of vitamin B-6 and folic acid provide another channel of heart support.

I am by no means telling anyone that this is a cure. I am only stating what had worked for me.
I now eat them at least once a month to retain my lower levels.
I find that my osteoarthritis is helped by these "wonder foods" as well.

[gymdandee]

First speak to your doctor about what I'm recommending!!

Get serious about food. Part of this must be to eat a plant-based diet. Depending on a patient’s particular profile, I suggest either the Dean Ornish heart-reversal diet or the South Beach Diet. If you know anything about heart disease, the Ornish diet is better because it
most effectively cleanses the system of excess fat.The South Beach Diet is usually for those with risk factors but no known heart disease. This diet allows more latitude and can still get a person to the recommended targets.The Ornish diet puts no restriction on calorie intake  mainly because it’s hard to consume too many calories eating fruits and vegetables  you’ll need to limit your calories on the South Beach Diet or a Mediterranean diet (another good one). A typical unrestricted diet for the average adult contains about 2,400
calories per day. Aim to keep your calorie intake to between 1,500 and 1,800 calories. The lower end is for women; the higher end is for men. Maintain your ideal body weight.
One way to judge your ideal body weight is via body mass index (BMI). Your BMI represents the percentage of your total body weight that’s due to fat. It should be under 25. Many health clubs have simple handheld devices that provide a BMI reading. These also can be purchased at drug stores.
your total cholesterol count unless you already had a weight problem was probably in the
120s. That’s the range that’s typical in populations without heart disease. So think “high school (that's what your number probably was in H.S.)
For many of us, that’s a long way to go.You’ll need to approach this target weight, though,
to sufficiently change your biochemistry.
You need to start exercising five days a week for one hour per day. Walking is generally the best exercise available because it doesn’t place too much stress on the knees, hips, and back. If you like to run, you may want to mix running into your walks, or ride a bike.
You must get plenty of sleep Not just eight hours a night, but eight to 10 hours on a regular basis. Sleep is the body’s main way of dealing with stress.
Specifically, and this might surprise you, lack of sleep results in the liver pumping out excess cholesterol!
Slash your cholesterol counts. Remember, there are only two ways to reduce your
cholesterol: Stop the production of cholesterol in your liver, or stop its absorption in the small intestine.
Adding supplements to your diet can help reduce cholesterol, but most people have to be at their targets, eating right, and exercising before supplements can help them stay there.
One supplement works through the liver just
like a statin — because it is a statin, a natural one. Mevastatin is produced naturally by red rice yeast. You can add red rice yeast to your diet by picking up a container at the
health foods store. (I suggest Nature's Plus Herbal Actives Red Yeast Rice Extended Release 600 mg)  
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and vitamin B3 (niacin), remain the champions of the
supplements. Both fish oil and niacin boost HDL, plump up LDL particles, and reduce inflammation.  flaxseed contains three ingredients that aid in maintaining heart health. Flaxseed is rich with the plant form of omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, which contain both
plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities, plus soluble and insoluble fiber. Flaxseed seems to help not only with a person’s cholesterol profile but even in maintaining heart rhythm.
Organic grape juice, apples, and other foods that contain pectin help eliminate cholesterol
through the gut. Garlic has a mild effect as well. A glass of red wine a day, because it contains resveratrol, an antioxidant, also helps maintain heart health. Be careful, though: Two glasses of red wine a day increases cancer risk. In this light, I’d recommend having a glass of red wine no more than 2 or 3 times per week. Wine and other alcoholic beverages also cause triglyceride counts to climb. Oatmeal, oat bran, and other whole grain products can help with a small reduction, about 5 percent, in total cholesterol.

I like Krill oil
Just look that it has total Phospholipids 420, total MG per serving 300, at least 160 mg EPA
and 90 mg DHA and 1 1/2 mg of Astaxanthin. you could have to take 2 pills to get the total
mentioned above even if the bottle says to take 1 per da

[betterhealth4me]

I'm not seeing a post above, sorry :( I'm new to the site do you have a link or something?

[gymdandee]

Read my post above