In the next few years you’re bound to hear more and more about natural alternatives for lowering cholesterol and protecting the heart. But before you jump on any bandwagons, take heed: No supplement is a substitute for the lifestyle changes you’ll be making on the Live Jt Down Plan, particularly the new eating habits you’ll adopt. The fact is that scientists will probably never be able to duplicate the complex effects and myriad health benefits of foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains witha pill. And of course, lowering your cholesterol with supplements such as guggul while eating steak and ice cream with abandon, or taking hawthorn or CoQ10 to lower your blood pressure while doing nothing to alleviate the stress caused by your nerve-racking job, won’t do your heart or your arteries much good in the end, Finally, don’t forget the three golden rules for taking supplements: Don’t keep it a secret. Tell your doctor what you’re taking. More...
You’ve just read about the supplements we recommend or think you should consider based on a significant body of research. But evidence is also mounting in favor of other supplements that may prove to help iower cholesterol. While the evidence isn’t strong enough yet for us to recommend taking them regularly, here are eight to keep an eye on. One among them—calcium—is a mineral just about everyone should be taking anyway to protect their bones. That evidence is clear! Dried artichoke extract. Artichokes contain plant chemicals that appear to decrease the amount of cholesterol the liver makes and also help convert cholesterol into less dangerous bile acids. In one German study published in 2000, researchers gave 143 people with high cholesterol either 450-muilligrarn tablets of dried artichoke extract or a placebo for six weeks. Those taking the supplement saw their LDL levels drop an average of 22.9 percent, compared to a 6.3 percent drop for the control group. Blue-green...
Everyone on the Plan will take a daily multivitamin and a fish-oil supplement (or flaxseed oil for vegans), But some may benefit from additional supplements. Next we outline the strongest candidates and who should consider . them. Remember to check with your doctor before deciding to take any supplement. Guggul Guggul, short for guggulsterone (also known as gugulipid), is an extract derived from the resin of the mukul myrrh tree, which grows in India. It has more than 3,000 years of history behind it in treating a variety of medical conditions. Now add high cholesterol to the list. In India and France gugulipid is so effective in treating high cholesterol it’s considered a prescription drug. But in the United States it’s still sold over the counter, often combined with other cholesterol-lowering compounds, such as garlic, macin, and red yeast rice extract. It seems to work by enabling the liver to take in more LDL, thus lowering the amount circulating in the blood. It may also...
The Plan calls for eating fish several times a week. But believe it or not, eating fish regularly is still not enough to give you the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that, according to the latest research, can lower triglycerides, counter inflammation, reduce blood stickiness, and provide other heart benefits. That’s why everyone on the Plan will also take a daily fish-oil supplement. (And if you don’t like fish and aren’t planning to make it a regular part of your diet, it’s especially important that you take this supplement.) Fish oil may have other benefits as well, such as strengthening immune function, staving off depression, helping with allergies, countering inflammation in people with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, and possibly helping stave off certain cancers. If you’re worried about having to swallow a yucky-tasting oil every day (maybe you’re remembering taking castor oil as a kid), you’ll be happy to learn...
The seven supplements you’ll read about later in this chapter are intended for people who fit certain health profiles. But the Plan includes two supplements that everyone should take every day: a daily multivitamin/multimineral (which we’ll call a “multivitamin” from here on for the sake of simplicity) and fish oil. They’re safe, they’re inexpensive, and they offer significant health benefits for all adults. A Multivitamin More Americans take a daily multivitamin than any other supplement. You will too on the Plan. It’s an easy, safe way to get numerous benefits from a variety of nutrients without having to pop a handful of pills every day. Taking a daily multi vitamin is especially important for older adults because as we age, our bodies become less efficient at absorbing vitamins and minerals from food. And if you follow a vegetarian diet, you may not be consuming enough of certain vitamins and minerals to begin with. When choosing a multivitamin, pick a brand...
