Clinically Proven Ways to Lower Cholesterol Naturally
by Cynthia McMurrayBy all estimations, we are quickly reaching epidemic levels when it comes to high cholesterol levels in North America. Statistics tell us close to 50 percent of the population has a total blood cholesterol level over 200 mg/dL with 17 percent of adults over 20 having levels reaching over 240 mg/dl, a number that puts them at serious risk for heart disease and stroke.
In a healthy person, about 80 percent of your total cholesterol is naturally produced by your liver. The remaining 20 percent comes from dietary sources. Although a certain amount of cholesterol is necessary to help your body produce specific hormones, repair cells, metabolize vitamin D and create bile acids required for healthy digestion, when your cholesterol levels get too high, this fatty substance begins to accumulate in your arteries where it eventually restricts blood flow, causing heart attack and/or stroke (atherosclerosis).
While we are consistently told high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) is bad, the truth is most of us don’t understand the role this fatty like substance plays and the true impact it has on our health. There are essentially two types of cholesterol. Bad cholesterol, also called low density lipoprotein (LDL) is the cholesterol that circulates throughout your bloodstream accumulating in your arteries as plaque. Good cholesterol, or high density lipoprotein (HDL), attaches to these LDL molecules, returning them back to the liver where they can then be broken down and metabolized. The problem today, a result in part caused by the typical Western diet of high trans fat foods, is that most people have more LDL cholesterol than can be naturally eliminated by the liver so it begins to build up within the blood vessels and arteries. This slow narrowing and constricting of these vital passageways quickly becomes a ticking time bomb and because there are no outward warning signs for hypercholesterolemia, until it may be too late of course, the only way to know if you are at risk is to get a simple blood test.
Ideally, you want to lower your LDL cholesterol while you increase your HDL cholesterol. Research tells us our total cholesterol level should be less than 200 mg/dl. Unfortunately, most people today fall somewhere between 200-239 mg/dl (which puts them in the borderline high or “pre-disease” range) and 240 mg/dl or higher, which means they are already at serious risk for heart disease and/or stroke.
In these cases, drug therapy is commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol. In 2001 alone, patients filled over 57-million prescriptions for Lipitor. According to Consumers Reports Best Buy Drugs, as of 2006, this popular statin drug is now among eight prescription medications that make up the over 13-million prescriptions Americans fill every month in an effort to reduce their soaring cholesterol levels. In fact, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently reported the use of statin drugs increased 156 percent between 2000 and 2005. Drug manufacturers make over $20 billion a year on statin drugs, many of which are marked up over 4000 percent. And yet, despite all their claims that statin drugs lower cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease, it is still the leading cause of death in North America. How can this be?
The answer is simple. Statin drugs are risky. While they may in fact lower cholesterol levels, they also increase the risk of liver disease, peripheral neuropathy (nerve problems), muscle deterioration and kidney failure, cancer, and ironically, heart failure. In many cases taking statin drugs may be necessary in order to quickly reduce dangerously high cholesterol levels. But they are never without risk. In fact, researchers are only beginning to understand the side effects of statins.
The good news is there are several natural ways to lower your cholesterol. Ideally, you actually want to increase your HDL cholesterol while lowering your LDL level. For men, a perfect cholesterol balance is an HDL level of 40 mg/dL or above and an LDL level below 100 mg/dl. Women should shoot for an HDL level of 50 mg/dl or higher and again, a LDL level below 100 mg/dl. Essentially, studies show the higher your HDL level, the lower your risk for heart disease.
People who have a statin intolerance or simply want to lower their cholesterol without harmful medications, often ask how can I lower my LDL cholesterol naturally? Apart from lifestyle and dietary changes, there are supplements and vitamins that can help lower bad cholesterol safely, without the often devastating side effects of stain drugs. Plant sterols also known as phytosterols, are especially effective for hypercholesterolemia. In fact, more than 50 years of research and studies show plant sterols can lower total and LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 15 percent, especially when used in combination with dietary changes. This is significant when you consider researchers estimate a 10 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol can lower the risk of heart disease by 20 percent over a lifetime. The problem with the majority of commercial phytosterol supplements however, is they are completely insoluble in water, which means they cannot be effectively absorbed by the body. It is imperative therefore, you purchase only products that use microencapsulation, a unique delivery system that allows the phytosterols to be dispersed and absorbed.
Many plants, herbs and vitamins are also clinically proven to lower cholesterol and reduce arterial inflammation, both of which reduce the risk of heart disease. For instance, studies show common plants such as coriander , fenugreek and garlic are very effective remedies when it comes to lowering cholesterol naturally. As well, less common plants like guggulu (a small thorny plant used in Ayruvedic medicine for centuries), terminalia arjuna (a South Asian ornamental tree), and a plant known as spreading hog weed each have significant healing properties useful in lowering LDL cholesterol and preventing heart disease. When used together and in the right proportions, they can be an effective alternative to Lipitor and other statin drugs.
The bottom line is you need to have your cholesterol level checked now. Treating high cholesterol early can help you avoid the need for costly drug therapy, which comes with many dangerous side effects. There are ways to lower your cholesterol naturally but you need to be proactive. Speak to your doctor and ask about clinically proven, all natural supplements designed to lower cholesterol safely.
