If you think you must lower cholesterol -- do it naturally /
By Dr. W. Gifford
Jones / Tuesday, December 26, 2006
What’s one of the most important rules in medicine today? It’s "Never
take a drug if a natural and safer remedy provides the same relief".
Today millions of people are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent heart
attack.
But this therapy comes with a price. Some patients develop muscle cramps, liver
and kidney problems and some have died. Good sense dictates that it’s
prudent to first try other ways to lower blood cholesterol.
Take 2,000 mg of vitamin C daily: Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize
winner, says a high dose of vitamin C before breakfast is a smart way to start
the
day.
How much you
take
depends
on your
tolerance of C. Too much may cause diarrhea. But most people can tolerate 2,000
milligrams (mg). Ascorbic acid powder (vitamin C) is the least expensive way
to buy this vitamin. A flat teaspoon equals 5,000 mg and can be mixed with
orange juice. Vitamin C increases the rate of removal of cholesterol from the
blood by converting cholesterol into bile acids that are then excreted by the
bowel. Taking vitamin
C before breakfast often triggers a bowel movement and removes bile acids before
they can be reabsorbed and converted back to cholesterol.
Eat oat bran and other fiberous food: As well, I tell my patients
to start the day with Oat bran. It’s
low in saturated fat and contains neither trans fat nor cholesterol. Oat Bran
is
a soluble
fiber which reduces the body’s absorption of cholesterol from the intestines.
Adding a banana or other fruit to the cereal makes it more palatable. Soluble
fiber is also found in prunes, apples, pears and kidney beans.
Drink wine: During this festive season a glass of wine (but not at
breakfast!) will boost high density lipoprotein (HDL) the good cholesterol.
HDL removes
excess
cholesterol
from the blood. But according to a recent report in the journal, Nature, not
all wines are created equal. Wines from southwestern France are superior since
they contain high levels of procyanidins, found in grape seeds that are heart
healthy. This compound blocks a protein associated with heart disease. Red
wine has two additional advantages. It decreases the formation of endothelium-1,
a chemical that makes coronary vessels less likely to constrict, causing angina.
And by making blood platelets (part of the blood clotting system) slippery,
there’s
less chance of a fatal blood clot. But remember moderation.
Eat two handfuls of almonds / day: There are also natural
ways to lower low density lipoproteins (LDL), the bad cholesterol. Dr David
Jenkins, Director
of Clinical
Nutrition
at St.
Michaels’ Hospital
in Toronto, studied 27 men with high cholesterol for three months. He reports
that two handfuls of almonds a day decreased LDL by 9.4 per cent. And that
it decreased the risk of cardiovascular accident by 20 per cent.
Put cinnamon in your coffee: Researchers at the Nutrition Research Center report
that adding half a teaspoon of cinnamon to coffee, cereal or toast will decrease
LDL by
20 per
cent.
Take psyllium: A
daily dose of five grams of psyllium three times a day with meals also lowers
LDL.
Drink black tea: In another study, black tea consumed three times a day for
three weeks decreased total cholesterol 6.5 per cent and LDL 11.1 per cent.
It’s
believed that tea blocks the absorption of dietary cholesterol.
Eat garlic: And one to two cloves of raw
garlic or a 300 mg garlic powder tablet taken three times a day lowers cholesterol,
LDL and triglyceride levels 8 to 12 per cent. But don’t forget to follow
with a breath mint!
Exercise: Lastly, get out of your chair. Daily exercise increases HDL.
Dr. W. Gifford Jones can be reached at letters@canadafreepress.com
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