This Spice Could Help Slash Harmful Cholesterol

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Coriander is a herb often used in Indian food. It is almost guaranteed to be included in any curry dish. Coriander is also used quite frequently in Thai cooking. It has a delicious taste that is quite distinct and unique. What an added bonus that this tasty herb is also very good for you! Researchers have determined that coriander could help lower blood glucose and LDL cholesterol levels.

A recent clinical trial set out to investigate the potential hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity of coriander seed. In the animal study, coriander extract was given to both obese rats with elevated blood glucose and cholesterol levels and normal rats. The researchers found that the coriander extract suppressed hyperglycemia in the obese rats and helped to lower LDL cholesterol levels. They concluded that coriander seed extract in obese rats normalized glycemia and decreased elevated levels of insulin. The researchers also noted that coriander seed extract lowered cholesterol and exerted a cardio-protective effect. They finished their conclusions by stating the study validates the traditional use of coriander in the treatment of diabetes.

Use coriander seeds as an alternative remedy to fend off diabetes and cholesterol. The seeds are also a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, iron, and calcium. Remember to use the fresh leaves in salads and other recipes — they are a good source of vitamins A and C. Coriander is naturally low in sodium and saturated fat.

The herb has long been used as a natural digestive aid and is said to help relieve gas pains. It is an antiseptic and has actually been used to preserve meat, as it kills off the harmful bacteria that grow as meat ages. It has also traditionally been used as an alternative remedy to combat anxiety and insomnia.

Tags: Cholesterol, cure diabetes, diabetics help, foods for diabetics, natual diabetes cure, natural diabetic cures, prevent diabetes, vitamin A, vitamin C

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There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements

The Next Four Steps to Lowering High Cholesterol

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Continuing from my last article (Half the People You Know Have This Problem), here I have the next four steps that are taken in determining how to manage high cholesterol. They are important to know, as doctors use them themselves to guide a patient’s treatment. See my previous article for steps one and two.

STEP 3: Determine the presence of major risk factors (other than high LDL levels) that will affect your LDL cholesterol count.

– Cigarette smoking
– High blood pressure
– Low HDL cholesterol — – Family history of premature heart disease
– Age (men being over 45, women over 55)

STEP 4: If you have two or more risk factors (other than high LDL levels) without coronary heart disease (CHD), they assess your 10-year (short-term) CHD risk based on the “Framingham Heart Study.” This is based on age, gender, total and HDL cholesterol, smoking history, systolic blood pressure, and whether or not you are on antihypertensive medication.

STEP 5: Determine the category of risk.
– Establish a goal for LDL therapy
– Determine your need for therapeutic lifestyle changes
– Determine the level for drug consideration

Those at higher risks of CHD must keep LDL levels below 100 mg/dL. If they cross the threshold, lifestyle changes will be necessary. If their levels rise above 130, drug therapy must be considered. For people with two or more risk factors, they must try to keep LDL levels below 130. Lifestyle changes are needed if levels rise above 130, and drugs must be considered either then or especially if levels pass 160. And for those who carry no risk factors or just one, they must keep LDL levels below 160, after which lifestyle changes are needed. Drug therapy will be considered if levels rise above 190.

STEP 6: Initiate therapeutic lifestyle changes if LDL is too high.

All of us can influence our cholesterol count simply through lifestyle choices. For the diet, this means limiting saturated fat to less than seven percent of total calories per day. It means limiting cholesterol intake to below 200 milligrams a day. It means considering increasing soluble fiber in your diet to between 10 and 25 grams a day, and plant stanols/sterols to two grams a day as therapeutic options to help drop levels. The other two lifestyle changes should always be in play: weight management and increased physical activity.

Sources:
The Next Four Steps to Lowering High Cholesterol
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, “National Cholesterol
Education Program: Third Report of the National
Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on
Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood
Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III),”
Bethesda, MD: 2002.

Tags: Cholesterol, heart disease

FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
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There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements

The Secret Supplement for High Cholesterol

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In the last article in this important series on battling high cholesterol, I present you with the secret supplement. Not many people have heard of tocotrienols, but the evidence is excellent that they could improve your cholesterol profile.

Read the previous article Two Things You Must Eat to Lower Cholesterol

Tocotrienols are, in fact, vitamins. There are eight different forms of vitamin E; four are tocopherols and four are tocotrienols. Tocotrienols are found mainly in cereal grains, such as oat, barely, rice bran, and rye, with the richest source in virgin crude palm oil. There are several human studies showing that tocotrienol supplements lower cholesterol levels. Here are the key studies:

In a double-blind, crossover, eight-week study, the effects of tocotrienol-enriched palm oil (200 mg “PalmVitee” capsules a day) was compared to 300 mg of corn oil a day. In those treated with the tocotrienols, total cholesterol fell 15%, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by eight percent, and glucose 12%. In seven people with high cholesterol, 200 mg of gamma-tocotrienol a day led to a total cholesterol drop of 31%.

In a good-quality study, 19 type 2 diabetes patients with high cholesterol took tocotrienols for 60 days. They showed a 23% decrease in total blood fat, 30% decrease in total cholesterol, and 42% decrease in LDL cholesterol.

In a study of 120 people whose high cholesterol was over 230 mg/dl, the participants received either citrus flavonoids (270 mg) plus tocotrienols (30 mg), or placebo for four or 12 weeks. The natural remedy lowered total cholesterol by between 20% and 30%, and dropped LDL cholesterol by 19% to 27% and triglycerides by 24% to 34%.

These are very encouraging results. Now let’s compare tocotrienols to statin drugs prescribed to combat high cholesterol:

Statin drugs: Lower LDL levels 18% to 55%…raise HDL levels five percent to 15%…lower triglycerides seven percent to 30%

Tocotrienols: Lower LDL levels 19% to 27%…do not raise HDL levels…lower triglycerides 24% to 34%

Not bad for a natural remedy.

Tags: Cholesterol, Natural Remedies, vitamin E

FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
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There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements

Two Things You Must Eat to Lower Cholesterol

In the second-to-last article in my series on high cholesterol, I want to inform you of two more natural supplements that may aid in the battle. One is fish oil, which is linked to an extraordinary array of health benefits, this being yet another one. The other is the lesser-known herbal remedy artichoke. Both are foods, both are supplements. Let’s take stock of the evidence.

Fish Oil
For healthy individuals, the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish twice a week. For those with coronary artery disease, one gram of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day is recommended. (Both EPA and DHA are strong omega-3s.) Other than fish, walnuts, canola oil and flaxseed are good dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are especially effective in lowering high triglycerides levels. In a recent meta-analysis of 47 human studies, the authors arrived at the conclusion that an average dose of omega-3 of 3.25 gram a day (1.9 gram EPA and 1.35 gram DHA daily) significantly lowered triglycerides (average: 20%) without significant changes in LDL, HDL or total cholesterol.

Even taking a small dose of omega 3 fatty acids (0.85 gram EPA + DHA a day) significantly reduced the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiac death, and sudden death by 21%, 35%, and 45%, respectively. The FDA-approved drug “Lovaza” has much higher concentration of EPA/DHA than over-the-counter fish oil. Each one-gram capsule has 375 mg of DHA and 465 mg of EPA. This drug is recommended for individuals with very high serum triglycerides (over 500 mg/dL), in a treatment of two to four grams daily. But this drug helps to show how powerful fish oil is.

Artichoke
In a meta-analysis of three human studies, there is early evidence that artichoke may be effective in lowering high cholesterol levels. It found that artichoke led to a reduction of total cholesterol levels by 4.3% after 12 weeks. Compared to placebo’s 8.8%, artichoke reduced total cholesterol by 18.5% at the study’s end. Artichoke significantly reduced total cholesterol in those with the highest levels of cholesterol.

We recently talked about artichokes and how they maintain their health benefits, even after cooking in the article, The Best Cooked Vegetable for Your Health.

Both are definite possibilities for those looking for a natural answer to high cholesterol.

Tags: Cholesterol, healthy vegetables, herbal cures, herbal remedies

FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
POPULAR SUPPLEMENTS...

There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements

Can Soy Reduce Cholesterol Levels?

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We come now, in this multi-part series on lowering cholesterol (see the previous article, This Rice Could Combat Cholesterol), to another great natural remedy. This one comes in food and supplement form. Everyone just has to realize that, when it comes to health, soy is not just for vegetarians. It could help you lower cholesterol, for starters.

The cholesterol-lowering effect of soy protein, in sharp contrast to animal protein, has been recognized in animal studies for over 90 years. However, in human studies, the results have not been consistent. The following summarizes the key findings from four recent studies:

In a meta-analysis of 38 studies in which the intake of energy, fat, saturated fat and cholesterol was comparable, subjects either ate a control diet or soy-containing diets. With an average intake of 47 g a day of soy protein, the results were: total cholesterol dropped 9.3%; LDL (bad) cholesterol dropped 13%; and triglycerides dropped 10.5%. The worse off your cholesterol levels were, the better soy protein acted in reducing them.

In a meta-analysis of eight studies, the effects of high (96 mg a day) or low (approximately six mg a day) isoflavone levels were studied. Isoflavones are the main acting substance in soy. All participants consumed similar amounts of dietary fat, cholesterol, and fiber. The results were impressive. LDL cholesterol in those taking 50 g a day of soy with high isoflavone content reduced 5.8 mg/dL more than those on low isoflavone content. LDL cholesterol dropped more in patients with high cholesterol than in those with normal levels. The following foods would yield approximately 90 mg a day of isoflavone: two glasses of soy milk; two packs of fermented soybeans; one block of tofu; or 249 grams of miso (fermented soybean paste).

In a meta-analysis of 26 studies conducted among adults given either soy protein or isoflavones, the researchers concluded that the cholesterol-lowering effects were small and clinically insignificant.

In a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials among adults, the effects of soy isoflavones on serum lipids were examined. The soy isoflavones lowered total cholesterol by 1.77% and dropped LDL cholesterol by 3.58%, while soy-protein-enriched isoflavones significantly reduced LDL cholesterol by 4.98% and boosted HDL (good) cholesterol by three percent. Those who had higher cholesterol levels at the start gained greater benefits.

Let’s compare soy with statin drugs, which are used to treat high cholesterol:

Statin Drugs: Lower LDL levels 18% to 55%; raise HDL levels five percent to 15%; lower triglycerides seven percent to 30%

Soy: Lower LDL levels 3.6% to 13%; raise HDL levels 30%; lower triglycerides 11%

It seems soy is worth it for those who need to better manage their cholesterol.

Sources:

Anderson, J.W., et al., “New Engl. J. Med., 1995; 333: 276-
82.
Zhuo, X.G., et al., “Soy Isoflavone Intake Lowers Serum
LDL Cholesterol: A Meta-Analysis of 8 Randomized
Controlled Trials in Humans,” J. Nutr., 2004; 134: 2,395-
2,400.
Dewell, A., et al., “A Critical Evaluation of the Role of Soy
Protein and Isoflavone Supplementation in the Control of
Plasma Cholesterol Concentrations,” J. Clin. Endo. Metab.,
2006; 91: 772-80.
Taku, K., et al., “Soy isoflavones lower serum total and
LDL cholesterol in humans: a meta-analysis of 11
randomized controlled trials,” Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2007;
85: 1,148-56.

Tags: Cholesterol, healing foods, natural foods

FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
POPULAR SUPPLEMENTS...

There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements