The latest research into high lipid levels
I went to a seminar recently on this subject and there were some very interesting findings. Below I will share some of the highlights.
The disease that has the most effect on cholesterol levels is hypothyroidism. Other diseases that effect lipid levels are metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, renal disease, PCOS and alcoholism. And of course menopause.
Hypothyroidism can cause muscle pain with the statins. Some people cannot take statins because of severe muscle pain. Also, low Vitamin D levels,(< 80nmol/L) , high levels of exercise and a family history can also cause extreme muscle pain with statins.
As we know it is LDL cholesterol that is one of the bad cholesterols plus triglycerides. To be more precise small dense(sd) LDLs and apolipoprotein A and B are very important risk factors too which need to be measured as well to determine risk.
sdLDLs (because they are so small) are able to penetrate the artery wall more easily and we get atherosclerosis. They are related to a very high carbohydrate intake especially fructose, found in syrups and fruit.
There are comprehensive pathology tests which test for these but are expensive. There are surrogate marker tests which you can work out yourself using your current total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL levels to work out the size of the LDL particles and apolipoprotein B. If you want to find out give me a call, using your last blood tests for lipids.
So, what herbs are useful in bringing down these sd LDLsizes and numbers?
A herb called Phellodendron is very effective .
The well known herb Cucurmin or more commonly known as turmeric has many uses here:
CoQ10 - The ubiquinol form is best as it gives maximum benefit, 300mg a day. Statins can reduce the levels of COQ10 in the muscles including heart muscle so it is important to keep levels up.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a potent anti oxidant and anti inflammatory agent. It protects the artery walls from damage and stabilises any plaques that may be there. There is the most resveratrol in red wine, particularly pinot noir but you would have to drink an awful lot to gain any benefit! Would defeat the whole purpose of lowering cholesterol! You can buy it in tablet form.
Diet
It seems that saturated fat is not the major issue. Several large studies have shown that whole dairy products have a neutral or positive benefit on cardiovascular health. It is the low fat alternatives laden with sugar that are more detrimental to cardiovascular health.
Fermented foods such as kefir, yoghurt and cheese have been found to increase HDL cholesterol ( good) and increase large LDL particle size(good) and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Red meat - Strong association of coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes with processed meats - salami, chorizo type meats.Must reduce sodium and preservatives.
No association of unprocessed meats with the incidence of CVD.
Summary for diet
If you do not want to go on statins, go on a 12 week diet and see if cholesterol levels are lowered. If that does not work then herbs or statins need to be considered.
If you have sany questions or need some help please do not hestate to call me.
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This edition will look at three topics : calf and foot cramps with ideas on how to treat this common affliction Colds and flu and ways to strengthen the immune system And a couple of weeks of closure of the clinic from Sat 17 June to reopen ion Tuesday 4 July Also, as of 15 June I will no longer have a business land line - 9436 0306. Instead please use my mobile number to contact me and make appointments. 04247192436
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