How to Reduce Cholesterol without Medication

Cholesterol-Foods-Diet-Lower

My advice is intended to assist you in lowering your cholesterol without medicines. The presence of elevated cholesterol represents major risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. The good news is that this is treatable, and we encourage you to read our rather large but thorough handout on atherosclerosis, where you will find more advice than here on heart disease and stroke.

Due to the comprehensive nature of my approach, our recommendations have several components.

• A dietary component
• A dietary supplement component
• An herbal component
• A lifestyle component
• A mind/body component
• A Gastrointestinal/Detoxification component

In this article we shall discus only the dietary solutions. Other components will be addressed separately.

DIETARY ADVICE

THE STEP II DIET

The Step II Diet is the dietary advice endorsed by the American Heart Association for patients who have evidence of atherosclerosis, or who have elevated cholesterol.

The step ii diet consists of the following recommendations:

TOTAL FAT: Calories from fat should account for no more than 30% of total calories.

SATURATED FATS: Calories from Sat Fat should account for no more than 7% of total calories.

POLYUNSATURATED FATS: Should account for no more than 10% of total calories.

MONOUNSATURATED FATS: Can account for up to 15% of total calories.

CARBOHYDRATES: Should account for 55% or more of total calories.

PROTEIN: Should account for approximately 15% of total calories

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CHOLESTEROL: Cholesterol intake should be limited to 200 mg per day.

TOTAL CALORIES: Should be adjusted to allow you to achieve and maintain a desired weight.

The following table will allow you to estimate fat intake at selected levels of calorie intake according to the Step II Diet:

CALORIE INTAKE            TOTAL FAT (IN gm.)

1200      40 OR LESS          LESS THAN 9

1500      50 OR LESS          LESS THAN 12

1800      60 OR LESS          LESS THAN 14

2000      67 OR LESS          LESS THAN 16

2200      73 OR LESS          LESS THAN 17

2500      83 OR LESS          LESS THAN 19

3000      100 OR LESS        LESS THAN 23

THE GOAL OF THE STEP II DIET: The primary goal of the Step II Diet is to achieve an LDL less than 100.

The secondary goals of the Step II Diet are to achieve an HDL greater than 35, and a triglyceride less than 200.

It must be emphasized at this point that the Step II Diet should be followed along with attention to appropriate lifestyle issues and on-going risk factor assessment.

THE FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID

The Food Guide Pyramid is the set of dietary recommendations endorsed by the United States Department of Agriculture. These guidelines have as their basis the consumption of food items in certain proportions, which has the effect of emphasizing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and grains, moderating the consumption of dairy products and meat from animal sources, and minimizing the consumption of fats and sweets.

It also promotes the consumption of foods known to be high in fiber. The benefits of the Food Guide Pyramid include: 

Moderation of calorie intake, allowing for a greater ability to achieve and sustain a reasonable weight; consumption of foods containing vitamins, nutrients, and other substances, such as antioxidants, that have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke; minimizing the intake of saturated fat, and encouraging the consumption of fiber-containing foods, which have been shown to assist in lowering cholesterol; and possibly reducing the risk of certain cancers as well, such as cancer of the colon. 

In addition to the general guidelines given in these two dietary plans, there are specific items in the diet that should be encouraged because of their known ability to lower cholesterol. These would include:

SULFUR-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS 

This group includes garlic, onions and leeks, which are included in what is known as the Allium family of plants. They have been shown to lower cholesterol by approximately 9 percent, which translates into a reduction of heart disease risk of 18 percent. Garlic is also known to lower blood pressure.

The amount of garlic required to produce this 9 percent reduction is 4000 mg per day, or approximately 1-4 cloves of garlic per day.

COLD WATER FISH

Such as herring, mackerel, halibut, ocean-raised salmon, and albacore tuna. Such fish contain Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which have been proven to have significant impact in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Consumption of these fish is encouraged. A goal should be set of at least two servings per week.

ANTIOXIDANT-CONTAINING FOODS

The American Heart Association endorses the consumption of antioxidant-containing foods as a means of preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke. Antioxidant-containing foods include:

Green leafy vegetables

Yellow and Orange vegetables and fruits such as carrots, mangoes, squash, apricots, and yams

Legumes (peanuts and beans), grains, and seeds

NUTS AND SEEDS: These are also encouraged due to their content of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

HIGH FIBER DIET: A diet high in fiber has been shown to be very beneficial in lowering total serum cholesterol. The goal for fiber intake is 35 grams per day.

STEROLS: A small number of plants contain chemicals known as sterols, which have been shown to lower serum cholesterol by 7-10 percent. A reduction in cholesterol of 1% reduces the risk of heart disease by 2%. The products that contain these sterols include: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as olive oil, and little-used oil known as rice bran oil.

FLAVONOIDS: Flavonoids are chemicals that are known to have antioxidant properties. As such, they have an important impact on our health by affecting a number of organ systems and conditions. With regard to heart disease, flavonoids have been shown to be protective against heart disease without question by protecting the arterial lining from free-radical damage. Flavonoids also inhibit platelet aggregation and oxidation of LDL, both of which are involved in the development of an atherosclerotic plaque. Flavonoids are found in tea, particularly green tea, and in soy, onions, and wine.

FUNCTIONAL FOODS:

The FDA has recently endorsed the idea of calling certain foods "Functional Foods." Functional Foods are those foods that contain ingredients in amounts that have been shown to lower the risk of developing certain conditions, most commonly heart disease and cancer.

In addition to containing ingredients thought to be beneficial, in order to be approved as a Functional Food, they must not contain ingredients in amounts thought to be harmful, such as excess sodium or fat, for example.

Once a food is granted status as a functional food, the producer of that food is allowed to sell and advertise that food item with the claim of its' beneficial effect, and you will see advertising and product labeling with these claims. Those foods which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, in addition to the above, and which have been approved as functional foods include oat bran and oatmeal.