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questions, answers, discussion
ways to lower cholesterol?
olfolkie
11 posts
Oct 29, 2008
11:16 AM
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Okay! I got this question from a friend whose husband is curious about natural ways to lower his cholesterol. With a little questioning it sounds like he is a fairly Pitta person, so this influences what materials would work and also be tolerated well. Another basic idea: look at your whole ecology of imbalances and choose ways to treat high cholesterol that also treat these underlying themes and conditions. This takes some tinkering but you are more likely to have an efficient program of coordinated interventions, instead of a shopping bag full of supplements for each individual diagnosis and hundreds of dollars out of pocket for prescriptions and vitamins not covered by insurance. I will list some general categories of materials to try and why I would lean toward one rather than another based on Dosha analysis. You can take the basic Dosha
Evaluation here to get better acquainted with the perspectives of constitutional healing.
1. Your liver makes cholesterol so anything that improves liver and gall bladder function will help normalize fat, triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism-
guggul (Commiphora mukul) resin or Boswellia serrata
resin
triphala, devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens)
oregon grape root, barberry, dandelion root
globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
red yeast rice (fermentation of rice with the mold
Monascus purpureaus)-contains naturally occuring
statins
For a Pitta-dominant person with digestive issues (problems with Hot and Wet) I might combine guggul with the barberry, devil's claw and globe artichoke, rather than use any yeast-fermented product. Triphala could be used ad lib.
2. Soluble and insoluble fibers and gels help bind fat, triglyceride and cholesterol in the gut and in the bloodstream, making them less available for deposition as plaque-
citrus and apple pectin, aloe gel
plantain seed, flaxseed
seaweeds/agar, lecithin
oats, barley
Again considering your constitution I might start with lecithin granules, flaxseed and wheat germ flakes (about wheat germ see below) on warm breakfast cereal of well cooked oats with some apple and cinnamon thrown in. Or sprinkle on applesauce during the day. For a more aggressive and directed therapy you can get capsules of citrus pectin or combine these other things powdered in a capsule to take before and after meals. The nice thing about nutritionally based fibers and gels is they don't tend to interfere with the absorption and use of fat-soluble vitamins and even help replenish some of them at the same time.
3. Antioxidants - generally inhibit lipid peroxidation which contributes to the cascade of materials that lead to atherosclerotic plaque deposition, with increased platelet stickiness and inflammatory mediators causing blood clots in critical places. Antioxidants may directly block or change cholesterol metabolism, but are vital to the cardiovascular health you are seeking, for many other reasons as well-
CoQ10 - good for lots of things but not necessarily for
cholesterol lowering, and expensive
anything in the garlic family
tart cherries and any fruits/veggies with anthocyanins
(red and purple color) ie cranberries, blueberries
sprouted beans, grains and seeds
chlorella, spirulina
green or white tea (Camellia sinensis)
You can end up spending a lot of money here for questionable effect. For my money, I would buy a sprout jar and a juicer, and get local fresh fruits and veggies in season, and make your own yummy, antioxidant-packed drinks. Make freshly sprouted grains and throw in 2 tablespoons worth daily. Then you can get the more concentrated tart cherry powder and add a small amount if you like..Pittas (and others as well) don't tolerate concentrated tart, sour powders and capsules and you don't know how long that stuff has been sitting around oxidizing anyway. So that's my soapbox about antioxidants. White tea is the mildest, cooling-est preparation of Camellia, more antioxidants with less caffeine, and lovely gentle taste, so try this.
4. Anti-inflammatories - lots of research recently about the relationship between "pro-inflammatory states" and high cholesterol and triglycerides. Your history makes me suspect a few under-recognized long-term inflammations so have a physician evaluate these in more detail. These herbs may also be helpful for you in particular-
cat's claw, pygeum, yucca root
PUFA's (polyunsaturated fatty acids), EFA's (essential
fatty acids) and fish oil
You can get into the omega 3,6 and 9 ratio of fatty acids in whole grains, seeds and various oils later. For now get fresh cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and put 1 tablespoon per day in your fresh juice. The wheat germ flakes and flaxseed helps in this category also. If you like you can take fish oil in gelcaps (it does taste fishy) daily.
5. Other metabolic influencers of cholesterol metabolism
Vitamin B3 or niacin - has moderate cholesterol
normalizing effect
Niacin famously causes gastric burning and a prickly flushed feeling..so Pitta's I suspect will not tolerate this well although it is one of the most directed cholesterol-lowering nutritionals. If you would like to try this look for a slow-release form such as Niaspan, and (under supervision) start with a very low dose and increase gradually.
So..you could have one capsule of combined herbs, one tea, one juice with extras in it or cereal with extras on it, and one "commercial" capsule whose materials would lower cholesterol and also address many other of your health issues in a coordinated way for a reasonable cost. Then you can add the statins or other medications as needed, often at a lower effective dose with fewer risks and side effects. I know this is a lot of information but I get so many questions about statins and cholesterol I wanted to give the best overview possible. I skimmed over a lot so please ask more questions! -laurie
Last Edited on 29-Oct-2008 6:58 PM
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