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| Cholesterol-Lowering-Supplements-Foods |
The following advice is given if
your decision is to use dietary supplements to deal with your Hypercholesterolemia.
MULTIVITAMINS
We believe everyone should be on
a high-potency multivitamin with minerals.
ANTI-OXIDANTS
Antioxidants are those
substances that defend our tissues from damage by chemicals known as free
radicals. Antioxidants can be supplied from dietary sources, and this would be
best. If you believe your diet to be deficient in supplying adequate amounts of
antioxidants, a supplement should be considered, and should contain at least
Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Beta-carotene. Many antioxidant preparations may also
contain selenium, magnesium, Co-enzyme Q10 and other anti-oxidants.
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (OR OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS)
Essential fatty acids are called
essential because our body cannot make them, and they must therefore be
supplied in our diet. They are used as building blocks in the production of
some hormones and in the walls of our cells. The American Heart Association
endorses the consumption of foods containing Omega 3 Fatty Acids as a means of
reducing the risk of Atherosclerosis. They can be found in large amounts in
cold water fish to include: mackerel, herring, halibut, albacore tuna, and
salmon, as well as in soybeans, Tofun, nuts, black currant oil, Flaxseed oil,
and canola oil.
These fish must be ocean-caught
rather than farm bred, as the source of the fatty acids they contain is the
plankton on which they feed, and is not available to farm bred fish. EFA's can
be supplemented either with fish oil, flaxseed oil, or evening primrose oil. We
believe the best supplement for you would be fish oil.
In addition to the general
advice on supplements given above, the following supplements have been shown to
have cholesterol-lowering properties:
NIACIN:
You may also see niacin referred
to as INOSITOL, as the form of niacin that is tolerated the best is Inositol
Hexaniacinate. The scientific evidence is clear. Niacin is effective in
lowering total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, Lp(a) (lipoprotein a), triglycerides,
and fibrinogen. It also raises HDL. In short, it has a positive effect on all
of the lipids involved in the formation of an atherosclerotic plaque.
Studies have been done comparing
niacin to the "newer" cholesterol lowering drugs, such as the
"statins," as well as to the bile-sequestering agents, such as
cholestyramine, and to clofibrate and gemfibrizol. In short, niacin favorably
effects blood lipids as well as or better than the more expensive and more
commonly prescribed drugs. As well, the effects of niacin appear to last for
years even after therapy with niacin is discontinued.
A very important finding
appeared in what is known as the Coronary Drug Project, a widely respected and
often quoted study on the treatment of atherosclerosis. They found that niacin
was the only lipid lowering agent to show a reduction in overall mortality,
that is, the mortality rate from all causes combined, not just from heart
disease. The explanation appeared to be that patients taking cholestyramine and
clofibrate in this study had an increased risk of dying prematurely from
cancer, gall bladder disease, and other conditions.
It is for these reasons that
many people believe Niacin should be the cholesterol-lowering agent of first
choice. It can be combined with other cholesterol-lowering drugs, and the AHA
has guidelines including the use of niacin in selected patients. The main
drawback of niacin is its' side-effects, most prominent of which is facial
flushing.
Other side effects include
stomach irritation and nausea. These problems can be minimized by using the
form of niacin known as inositol hexaniacinate, by using a gradual increase in
dosage, and by taking it with meals. The dosing schedule is to start at a dose
of 500 mg of inositol hexaniacinate three times a day for 2 weeks, then
increasing to 1000 mg three times a day.
PANTETHINE:
Pantethine is involved in the
metabolism of fat into energy. It has been shown to lower total cholesterol,
LDL, and triglycerides, and to raise HDL. There appears to be no known toxicity
or side effects from pantethine. The dose is 300 mg three times a day.
HERBAL REMEDIES IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA
There are two types of Herbal
Remedies available. One would be what we have come to call "Western
Herbs," the other would be Chinese Herbs. With Western Herbs, we generally
understand the mechanism of action of the Herb. That is, we know what cellular
function or metabolic process those Herbs affect, much like we understand the
mechanism of action of prescription drugs.
Unlike most prescription drugs,
however, many Herbs affect cellular functions in more than one place or in more
than one tissue, so they can be used for more than one symptom or condition.
Chinese Herbs, on the other hand, are not directed at a particular cellular
function or metabolic process. Rather, they are used in combinations, and are
directed at symptoms or conditions that are felt to arise from an improper flow
of energy, or Qi (pronounced "chee"), through the body.
If you decide to use Chinese
Herbs, the combination of herbs given to you will be decided by our
practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine based on her evaluation of you. If
you decide to use Western Herbs, there are several herbal remedies that can be
used in your case:
GARLIC (Allium sativum) AND ONION (Allium cepa bulbous)
Garlic is effective at lowering
blood pressure and reducing the risk of atherosclerosis by lowering total
cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, and by elevating HDL. The component of
garlic responsible for the cholesterol-lowering properties is allicin, which is
also responsible for the odor. An "odorless" form of garlic is
available that contains allin, which is converted to allicin in the GI tract.
It is available as a
time-release preparation, and a dose of 10 mg of allin allows for the
cholesterol-lowering effects to occur without the odor. The German Commission
E, the world's authority on herbal medicines, has approved Garlic for use in
lowering cholesterol, and recommends a dose of 4000 mg per day of fresh garlic,
equivalent to about one clove.
Patients taken anticoagulants,
such as coumadin or warfarin, should be aware that garlic could add to the
anticoagulant effect of these drugs. As well, patients taking aspirin as
secondary prevention may also experience a prolongation of the bloods' ability
to clot.
Onion is also effective at
lowering blood lipids, and prevents atherosclerotic plaque formation by
inhibiting platelet aggregation. It is also approved by the German Commission E
for lowering cholesterol. The dose of onion to achieve these therapeutic
benefits is 50 GM per day of fresh, cut onion or 20 GM per day of the dried
preparation.
SOY LECITHIN AND SOY PHOSPHOLIPID:
These soy preparations have been
shown to be effective in lowering blood lipids. The German Commission E
indicates their use to be primarily in patients with mild elevations of lipids
who have not responded to dietary interventions or other
"non-medical" strategies such as exercise and weight loss. The dosage
is guided by the phospholipid content.
For soy lecithin, the dose
corresponds to 3.5 GM per day of 3-sn-phosphtidylcholine, as a preparation made
from soybeans for natural intake. For soy phospholipid, the dose is 1.5-2.7 GM
of phospholipids from soybeans with 73-79 percent 3-sn-phosphatidylcholine in a
single dose. There are no side effects or drug interactions.
GUGULIPID:
Gugulipid is the standardized
extract of the mukul myrrh tree (Commiphora mukul). It has been shown to lower
total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride, and to raise HDL. It works by
delivering more cholesterol to the liver and then facilitating its metabolic
breakdown. It also inhibits platelet aggregation. The dosing is based on the
content of what is called guggulosterone content. The dose is a standardized
extract containing 25 mg of guggulosterone per 500 mg tablet, given three times
a day. Gugulipid is without side-effects.
ACUPUNCTURE
The National Institutes of
Health (NIH) has established the Committee for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (CCAM), and has accumulated a large database of research published on
Complementary and Alternative Therapies.
In the December 1998 issue of
the Journal of the American Medical Association, an article was published
indicating the effectiveness of acupuncture in a wide variety of conditions.
And, in many conditions for which acupuncture is not an effective primary
treatment, it has been shown to be effective adjunctive therapy. Acupuncture is
often used in combination with Chinese Herbal Therapy to reestablish proper
flow of Qi through the meridians, or channels of energy.
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