Because food has the power to heal, my patients often ask me for my top list of healthy food – the anti-oxidant foods, heart healthy foods, and nutritious foods that
are central to the Eat To Live program. These high nutrient foods, consumed regularly, will contribute to your health and longevity. What you eat -- now and when you
were growing up -- dramatically affects the state of your health. The effect is cumulative, influencing everything from the amount of energy you have (or lack), to your
emotional state, medical condition, and ultimately longevity.
Top Seven Foods for Good Health and Longevity
Black raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Flax Seeds
Green Leafy Vegetables
Tomatoes
Broccoli sprouts
The healthy and nutritious foods are high antioxidant foods, primarily fruits and vegetables. I selected these healthy foods because they contain the most powerful
phytochemicals and anthocyanins which illustrate strong inhibition of chemocarcinogens.
Other foods with high antioxidant and high anti-cancer potential include walnuts, sunflower seeds, pomegranates, beets, cabbage, peppers, and parsley. Make your diet
strongly cancer-protective and longevity-favorable by including these highly beneficial, nutritious foods.
A good way to think about nutritious food: Produce is the most important health care your money can buy.
Food also has the potential to harm, and these are effective foods for those attempting to die younger. One of my daughters calls this list the Seven Foods of Death.
Worst Seven Foods for Health and Longevity
Butter
Cheese
Potato Chips and French Fries
Doughnuts
Salt
Sausage, hot dogs
Pickled, smoked or barbequed meat
Foods high in saturated fat and trans fat are consistently associated with high cancer rates. Cheese and butter typically contain over ten times as much saturated fat
as fish and white meat chicken and turkey... Read More
Last Updated: 15 December 2009
Nutrition for LIFE:
Preventing and Reversing Disease With useful information on cholesterol and heart disease.
This page presents an overview of a nutrition-based approach to optimal health, disease prevention and disease reversal. We examine a scientifically valid,
clinically proven dietary program developed by Joel Fuhrman MD,
a board–certified family physician who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods. His program is based on the concept
of nutrient density and focused on the physiological benefits of thousands of phytochemicals found in green plants. This approach has proven effective in the treatment of
obesity, elevated LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, atherosclerotic heart disease, diabetes, asthma, allergies, headaches, migraines, and more.
Second, we look at cholesterol and triglyceride numbers relative to the current US guidelines, reviewing what your numbers mean in common units
(milligrams per deciliter of blood: mg/dL), and in the metric, internationally adopted SI system (millimoles per liter: mmol/L) used in Canada
and most other countries.
Third, we examine a clinically demonstrated all-natural cholesterol-lowering supplement that contains plant sterol and stanol esters, policosanol derived
from sugar cane, red yeast, guggul, selenomethionine, and inositol hexanicotinate; each of these cholesterol-lowering ingredients is reviewed in depth, and a list of references is
provided for each at the bottom of the page.
We begin with Fuhrman's work, which is well-researched, shows results in a very short period of time, and is of proven benefit even in very difficult cases. We have found
no nutrition-based program we can or want to follow verbatim, but Fuhrman's research dispels a host of dietary myths and the concepts and principles he presents make a great deal of sense.
We can confirm from personal experience that Fuhrman is quite correct: As you experience the effects of a nutrient-dense diet, you simply don't want the low-nutrient foods you previously
craved or consumed as a matter of habit.
Lose Weight Naturally
Lower Cholesterol
Joel Fuhrman MD (2005:304pp; revised and updated: Jan 2011)
Lose 10 pounds or more a month until you reach your ideal weight.
Reverse high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
The key concept in Fuhrman's approach is nutrient density. Consider the following excerpt from his seminal work, Eat To Live.
Health = Nutrient/Calories
Your health is predicted by your nutrient intake divided by your intake of calories.
H = N/C is a concept I call the nutrient density of your diet. Food supplies us with both nutrients and calories (energy). All calories come from only three elements:
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Nutrients are derived from noncaloric food factors — including vitamins, minerals, fibers, and phytochemicals. These noncaloric nutrients
are vitally important for health. Your key to permanent weight loss is to eat predominantly those foods that have a high proportion of nutrients (noncaloric food factors)
to calories (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins). In physics a key formula is Einstein's E = mc2. In nutrition, the key formula is H = N/C.
Every food can be evaluated using this formula. Once you begin to learn which foods make the grade — by having a high proportion of nutrients to calories — you are on
your way to lifelong weight control and improved health. [...]
Eating large quantities of high-nutrient foods is the secret to optimal health and permanent weight control. In fact, eating much larger portions of food is one of the
beauties of the Eat To Live diet. You eat more, which effectively blunts your appetite, and you lose weight — permanently.
The Eat To Live diet does not require any deprivation. In fact, you do not have to give up any foods completely. However, as you
consume larger and larger portions of health-supporting, high-nutrient foods, your appetite for low nutrient foods decreases and you gradually lose your addiction
to them. (p.7)
Much has been written about nutrient density, and researchers apply the concept in various ways.
Fuhrman's application reveals that most people eat a diet in the low-nutrient range, less than 100 in the table at left, below.
In the five-minute video segment below, part of a 90-minute presentation at the 2006 Healthy Lifestyle Expo, Fuhrman
discusses diets that don't work, and describes the concept of nutrient density as the key to healthy eating. Here, nutrient density is
calculated using an RDA/calories formula described at about the 4-minute mark; one of the illustrations in the segment is adapted in the table, below left.
This video has been on YouTube since 8 November 2006, and has been viewed more than 4 million times. It's well worth your time to watch.
Nutrient Density
1000
Kale
916
Collards
886
Spinach
839
Bok Choy
462
Romaine
412
Boston Lettuce
395
Broccoli
352
Artichoke
344
Cabbage
310
Green Pepper
288
Carrots
280
Asparagus
269
Cauliflower
254
Strawberry
197
Tomato
197
Cherries
155
Blueberries
132
Iceberg Lettuce
130
Orange
120
Cantaloupe
91
Apple
88
Peach
84
Kidney Beans
84
Green Peas
81
Sweet Potato
74
Soy Beans
69
Tofu
61
Mango
59
Cucumber
55
Oatmeal
53
White Potato
49
Brown Rice
48
Salmon
46
Shrimp
43
Skim Milk
40
Grapes
37
Corn
36
Avocado
36
Banana
35
Walnuts
33
Almonds
32
Chicken Breast
31
Low-Fat Yogurt
30
Apple Juice
29
Eggs
25
Feta Cheese
25
Whole Wheat Bread
23
Whole Milk
22
White Pasta
21
White Bread
21
Peanut Butter
18
Swiss Cheese
17
Ground Beef
13
Potato Chips
6
Vanilla Ice Cream
2
Olive Oil
0.6
Cola
See Nutrient Density of Green Vegetables, comparing the nutrients present in 100-calorie portions of
broccoli, sirloin steak, romaine lettuce, and kale.
In Eat To Live (pp.120-121), we find a somewhat different list (adapted below). Fuhrman refers
to what he terms the "one pound-one pound" rule: try to eat at least one pound of raw green vegetable a day and one pound of cooked, steamed or frozen green
vegetables a day as well. While that may seem an ambitious goal, Fuhrman adds that "the high volume of greens will not
only be your secret to a thin waistline but will simultaneously protect you against life-threatening illnesses".
Note that these tables suggest the essence of Fuhrman's nutritional program, but they do not define it. We present them merely to illustrate the idea that the dietary constructs to which
most of us have subscribed for years are, in fact, upside-down. When you look at these lists, where do you find the foods you customarily consume — at the top or the bottom of the
nutrient density ladder?
The Nutrient Density Line
The nutrient-density scores below are based on identified phytochemicals, antioxidant activity, and total vitamin and mineral content. Eat To Live (2005:121-22)
100
Solid green vegetables (raw, steamed, or frozen)
artichokes, asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, kohlrabi, okra, peas, peppers, snow peas, string beans, zucchini
97
Non-green, non-starchy vegetables
beets, eggplants, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, yellow and red peppers, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, cauliflower
50
Beans/legumes (cooked, canned, or sprouted)
red kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, cowpeas, navy beans, cannellini beans, soybeans, lentils, white beans, lima beans, pigeon peas, black-eyed peas, black beans
Raw nuts and seeds
almonds, cashews, filberts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
20
Fish
15
Fat-free dairy
11
Wild meats and fowl
11
Eggs
8
Red meat
4
Full-fat dairy
3
Cheese
2
Refined grains (white flour)
1
Refined oils
0
Refined sweets
Eat To Live provides excellent analysis of current research and disabuses the reader of many
nutritional myths. We have come to think of meat, fish, eggs, dairy as the centerpiece of any meal, chiefly because they comprise the protein. But how much protein do we really need, and are
those foods the only real sources of it? In addressing these questions, Fuhrman tells us that
Over the years the amount of protein recommended by authorities has bounded up and down like a yo-yo. It wasn't until nitrogen-balance studies became available that we could actually measure
protein requirements.
Today the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 0.8 gm/kg body weight, or about 44 grams for a 120-pound woman and
55 grams for a 150-pound male. This is a recommended amount, not a minimum requirement. The assumption is that about .5 mg/kg is needed, and then a large safety factor was built into the RDA
to almost double the minimum requirement determined by nitrogen balance studies...
Health authorities such as the World Health Organization recommend only 5 percent of calories from protein. In fact, as little as 2.5 percent of calories from protein may be all that is necessary
for normal people. Regardless of the many opinions on adequate or optimal protein intake, most plant foods, except fruit, supply at least 10 percent of calories from protein, with green vegetable
averaging about 50 percent. The high-nutrient diets that are plant food predominant, like I recommend, supply approximately 40-70 grams of protein daily in the range of 1,200 to 1,800 calories
per day. That is plenty of protein... (pp.138-39)
Protein Content of Common Foods
In Increasing Order of Protein Per Calorie Eat To Live (2005:138)
PROTEIN (GRAMS)
CALORIES
PROTEIN PER CALORIE
PERCENT PROTEIN
One banana
1.2
105
0.01
5
One cup of cooked brown rice
4.8
220
0.02
9
One corn on the cob
4.2
150
0.03
11
One baked potato
3.9
120
0.03
13
One cup of regular pasta
7.3
216
0.03
14
One 6-oz. fruit yogurt
7.0
190
0.04
15
Two slices of whole wheat bread
4.8
120
0.04
16
One Burger King cheeseburger
18.0
350
0.05
21
Meatloaf with gravy (Campbell's)
14.0
230
0.06
24
One cup of frozen peas
9.0
120
0.08
30
One cup of lentils (cooked)
16.0
175
0.09
36
One cup of tofu
18.0
165
0.11
44
One cup of frozen broccoli
5.8
52
0.11
45
One cup of cooked spinach
5.4
42
0.13
51
Note that green vegetables have the most protein per calorie of all the above.
We've only scratched the surface in describing the contents of this nutritional approach to optimal health. One of the greatest benefits to be gained from such a dietary shift involves
the increased amount of phytochemicals (phtyo- = plant) nutrients you'll be consuming. Newly discovered substances in plant foods have been shown to have anti-cancer properties
and are otherwise tremendously beneficial for human physiology. Consumption of a sufficient amount of these nutrients, eating a variety of raw and conservatively cooked plant foods, enables
us to gain the benefits of thousands of phytochemicals that are essential to health. Supplements can prove useful, and certain types of supplements are recommended, but they certainly cannot
make a bad diet into a healthy one. The key to reversing and preventing conditions such as atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more, involves the consumption
of sufficient amounts of phytochemicals and other essential nutrients from a diet that contains a low percentage of calories derived from whole natural foods.
Adapted from Eat To Live (2005:187).
Eat For Health
Fuhrman recently published Eat For Health, an expanded, less academic,
2-volume presentation of his program. Eat For Health is also available in a complete support pack, including videos and a free copy of Eat To Live.
He discusses why low nutrient foods — that most Americans consume — lead to a higher desire for more calories and ultimate obesity.
He provides simple steps to overcome food addiction so you can lose weight and keep it off without diets, gimmicks, drugs or gastric bypass.
He presents inspiring success stories of
real people who have rid themselves of food addiction and lost hundreds of pounds.
He delivers meal plans with hundreds of great–tasting high nutrient recipes that you can customize to meet your own personal objectives.
And he details how people get well
from inflammatory conditions, get rid of their pain, and reverse diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol with his high-nutrient eating style — not drugs.
In Book 1 — The Mind Makeover, Dr. Fuhrman will teach how you should fuel
your body everyday in order to eliminate hunger, food cravings, headaches, and the jitters that fuel overeating behavior. Without this knowledge all diets fail.
This program actually repairs all the emotional interference created by your mind that has sabotaged your ability to achieve good health and your ideal weight.
The program trains you to prefer eating healthfully and you will never want to go back. To make it easy, Dr. Fuhrman has scored thousands of foods on their ability
to "rev–up" your fat burning biochemistry.
In Book 2 — The Body Makeover, Dr. Fuhrman will take you through the
four easy steps to achieving "nutritional excellence" in your life. Where Book 1 is for understanding the principles and the science, Book 2 is for the kitchen
and putting the principles into action! In this book, you will be introduced to hundreds of recipes and eating ideas that will make Eating For Health simply
delicious. These secrets will enable you to change your taste buds in as little as 14 days, conquer temptation, learn how to Eat For Health
and enjoy it, and even fit it into your busy life.
Wake up, America, and get slim and healthy! Dr. Fuhrman's dietary program is good medicine and the results are simply amazing.
— William Menzin MD MPH Faculty, Harvard Medical School
If you took a pill every day that made you slimmer, healthier and reversed most disease processes in your body, you would call it a medical miracle. I have
witnessed that Dr.Fuhrman's Eat For Health program can provide that miracle makeover that you have been looking for. Plus, it is a delicious and pleasurable way to
eat. Eat For Health and create your own miracle – today.
— Michael Klaper MD Family and Emergency Room Physician Author and Nutritional Researcher
Dr. Fuhrman's message is scientifically valid, clinically proven, and very much worth considering for anyone who wants to really enjoy personal health. This
prescription for health is both profound and broad in its effect.
— T. Colin Campbell PhD Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry Cornell University
Cholesterol Protection for Life
Cholesterol Protection For Life explains Furhman's nutritional approach to heart disease and lowering cholesterol. The dietary program he recommends has been intensively
studied in the scientific literature and has been found to lower cholesterol more powerfully than statin drugs. A study was published in the April 2001 issue of the medical journal,
Metabolism, documenting the results. Fuhrman's dietary program was shown to lower cholesterol an average of 33 percent.
This book describes the safest and most potent natural cholesterol-lowering agents that can be used in conjunction with his dietary approach to assure that dramatic lowering of cholesterol
can be achieved without the risks associated with taking drugs. You will learn which supplements have risks, which don't, and which ones really work.
Cholesterol Protection For Life gives you menu plans and recipes that make healthy eating a real pleasure.
The book describes the most effective way to get better and reverse your condition if you have heart disease, and, if you don't have heart disease, this book provides information that
will help you ensure that you never do. This program will enable you to slowly reduce your heart medication, lower your blood pressure, stop your angina symptoms, and become well again.
You can avoid bypass surgery and angioplasty. You can avoid medical intervention and be in control of your health. With this program, you can save your life. Learn More
Cholesterol Protection for Life (2006:160pp), by Joel Fuhrman MD — Special Offer (Good through June 15th, 2009):
Buy one and get a second at 1/2 price,
or buy one and get $10 off LDL Protect (available at check out) $23.95$14.95 USD
Dr. Fuhrman’s
LDL Protect
Features:
100% natural, food–derived ingredients
Combines powerful, cholesterol lowering and cardio–protective compounds
Proven to lower LDL cholesterol
Safe and effective in clinical trials
Benefits:
No side effects or adverse reactions
No known contraindications
Contains polyphenols with dramatic benefits to the heart and blood vessels
Reduces atherosclerosis and blood pressure
Protects against diseases of aging, like dementia and strokes
This unique product was designed by Joel Fuhrman MD, specifically to meet the needs of his patients who desire effective cholesterol lowering, without toxic drugs and their
well–known risks and side effects.
For those who still have LDL cholesterol above 100 mg/dl after dietary intervention, Dr. Fuhrman designed this mixture of high quality, cholesterol–lowering and cardiac protective
compounds — plant sterols and pomegranate. No other product on the market offers this combination of ingredients. LDL Protect is an all natural, high quality formula that is
effective and safe.
Plant sterols have long been recognized, and are FDA approved, for their capacity to reduce LDL cholesterol. Pomegranates' potent antioxidative compounds have been shown
in medical studies to reverse atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. All pomegranate extracts are not equal. Some cheaper grades are not certified to contain
high levels of active polyphenols; we utilize the best.
About Plant Sterols
The benefits of cholesterol–lowering plant sterols are well established in the scientific literature. Plant sterols (also known as phytosterols) are found naturally in a
range of plant sources such as vegetable oils, nuts, grains, and seeds. Plant sterols are almost identical in structure to human cholesterol and are processed by the body
in the same way. They compete with cholesterol to get absorbed and transported into the body. They function as cholesterol lowering agents in blood by blocking the absorption
of cholesterol from food during digestion and also by blocking the re–absorption of cholesterol manufactured by the liver. In addition to their cholesterol lowering properties,
plant sterols possess anti–cancer, anti–inflammatory, anti–atherogenicity, and anti–oxidative activities.
About Pomegranates
Pomegranate juice is a rich source of phytochemical compounds shown to benefit the heart and blood vessels. It not only lowers cholesterol, but lowers blood pressure
and increases the speed at which heart blockages (atherosclerosis) melt away.
Recent medical research completed in 2004 studied heart patients with severe carotid artery blockages. They were given an ounce of pomegranate juice for a year,
and not only did their blood pressure lower by over 20 percent, but there was a 30 percent reduction in atherosclerotic plaque.
Pomegranate's potent antioxidative compounds have also been shown to reduce platelet aggregation and naturally lower blood pressure, factors that prevent both heart
attacks and strokes. Pomegranates contain high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols, potent antioxidants offering protection against heart disease and cancer.
The pomegranate extract used in LDL Protect contains the full array of polyphenols present in the fruit’s seeds, husk and juice and is particularly rich in punicalagins.
Punicalagins are the major component responsible for pomegranate’s antioxidant and health benefits. LDL Protect delivers the potent synergistic effects that have been
observed in natural spectrum extracts of pomegranate.
In the dosage recommended in LDL Protect, there are no known contraindications to the use of this supplement. No adverse reactions have been reported in the scientific literature.
Suggested use:
2 tablets daily deliver the lowest recommended dose. Dosage may be increased to 4 tablets if needed (2 twice daily) to increase cholesterol lowering.
Measuring the Levels
In the United States, customary units are used to measure cholesterol levels (including serum
cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and other serum lipids) in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). Cholesterol is reported in millimoles per liter of blood (mmol/L) in Canada, in Europe, and
in most other countries using The International System of Units
(SI) [Le Système International d'Unités],
which is the metric standard. Figures in brackets above and at right show mmol/L equivalents for the US guidelines.
Triglycerides
< 150 mg/dl (< 1.7 mmol/L)
Desirable
150-199 mg/dl (1.7 - 2.2 mmol/L)
Borderline high
200-499 mg/dl (2.3 - 5.6 mmol/L)
High
≥ 500 mg/dl (> 5.6 mmol/L)
Very high
VLDL cholesterol (very-low-density lipoprotein) is usually estimated as a percentage of the triglyceride value.
The conversion factors are as follows:
Cholesterol —
To convert mg/dL to mmol/L, multiply mg/dL by 0.02586 (0.0259)
To convert mmol/L to mg/dL, divide mmol/L by 0.02586 (0.0259)
Triglycerides —
To convert mg/dL to mmol/L, multiply mg/dL by 0.01129 (0.0113)
To convert mmol/L to mg/dL, divide mmol/L by 0.01129 (0.0113)
David A. Kessler MD, former Commissioner of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, takes an in-depth look at the ways in which we have been conditioned to overeat. He presents
a combination of fascinating anecdotes and newsworthy research — including interviews with physicians, psychologists, and neurologists — to understand how we became a culture addicted
to the over-consumption of unhealthy foods. He also provides a controversial view inside the food industry, from popular processed food manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants,
and fast food franchises. Kessler deconstructs the endless cycle of craving and consumption that the industry has created, and breaks down how our minds and bodies join in the conspiracy
to make it all work. He concludes by offering a common-sense prescription for change, both in our selves and in our culture.
New Health Corp — LipidShield™ & Heart Savior™
You've heard about HDL :: LDL ratios, the need to increase high density lipoproteins (HDLs) and reduce low density lipoproteins (LDLs), but the method for attempting this typically
involves taking prescription drugs. That doesn't work for everyone, because these drugs have many potential side effects.
NOTE: LipidShield™, manufactured by New Health Corp. (Florida), has shown positive results in clinical
trials, and anecdotal reports of its effeciveness are readily available. It should be noted, however, that individual results
may vary. A close personal friend in his late 60s tried LipidShield™ and followed the recommended dosage over the course of
two months; he did not alter his diet. On retesting, he reported no change from his previously established, moderately elevated LDL level.
Sugarcane- (not beeswax-) derived policosanol, an ingredient in LipidShield™, has been clinically tested and is considered
safe and effective (see below), though some studies question
its efficacy. One reader took the time to contact me about its widespread use in Cuba, where he obtained the product. When he stopped
using policosanol after many years of daily supplementation, without changing his diet, his LDL spiked unexpectedly and, a short time later, he decided to
resume his daily regimen. Sugarcane-derived policosanol is available from Natural
Factors ("Policosanol Cholesterol Formula"), and is widely distributed in Canada (check the site for retailers near you).
LipidShield™
is a proprietary blend of well known natural ingredients that reduce cholesterol and promote overall heart health. Developed after years of clinical research, LipidShield™ is a revolutionary product — a unique combination
of these ingredients (described in detail, below), resulting in an excellent, natural, non-prescription alternative to help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
During the past 13 years as a cardiac surgeon, I've treated thousands of patients, but I'm often hesitant to prescribe
the common pharmaceutical drugs because of their potential negative side effects. LipidShield Plus offers an all-natural,
clinically-proven alternative that achieves great results quickly without side effects. R. Carlson, MD, FACS
Nationally Renowned, Board-Certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon
To order LipidShield Plus in Canada, call 1-877-263-3555.
Warning:
Not intended for anyone under the age of 18. Do not use if you are pregnant, nursing, using
statin drugs, or other cholesterol lowering medications. Consult a physician before use if
you are taking any prescription medication or being treated for a pre-existing medical condition.
The ingredients used in LipidShield™ are
always of the purest form available on the market today.
There are many versions of theses ingredients available, but LipidShield™ only includes the
precise forms used in the clinical trials performed on these ingredients and at
the levels necessary to get the published results.
Plant Sterols and Plant Stanols
Plant sterols and stanols represent a group of compounds
that are an essential constituent of cell membranes in animals and plants.
Cholesterol is actually a sterol of human cells, whereas phytosterols are
produced by plants. The most common plant sterols are sitosterol, campesterol,
and stigmasterol. Plant sterols, although structurally similar to cholesterol,
are not synthesized by the human body and are very poorly absorbed. The specific
plant sterols that are currently incorporated into foods and supplements are
extracted from soybean oil. The plant sterols, currently incorporated into
foods, are esterified to unsaturated fatty acids (creating sterol esters) to
increase lipid solubility, thus allowing maximal incorporation into a limited
amount of fat. Some plant sterols currently available are saturated, to form the
stanol derivatives, which are also effective at lowering cholesterol.
The plant sterols and stanols in
LipidShield™ have been extensively studied clinically
and have proven not only to lower cholesterol but protect the heart as well.
These plant chemicals are similar in structure to cholesterol. They have a
slight chemical structure difference, which means that, in comparison to
cholesterol, plant sterols and stanols are not absorbed, or are minimally
absorbed. Plant sterols and stanols simply reduce cholesterol absorption by
competing with cholesterol. When less dietary cholesterol is absorbed, less
cholesterol is returned to the liver and through this process LDL is also
decreased.
By lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels, plant
sterols and stanols may also reduce your risk of heart disease. Studies have
shown that taking plant sterols daily can lower cholesterol measurements by an
average of 10% to 14%. The National Cholesterol Education Panel has suggested
taking plant stanols and sterols along with a proper low fat diet and regular
exercise program to help maintain normal cholesterol levels. References — Plant Sterols and Plant Stanols
Policosanol
Policosanol belongs to a family of wax-like phytochemicals
prevalent throughout nature. This substance is used in the dietary supplement
industry sourced from several foods that include: sugar cane, rice bran,
beeswax, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa and oats.
Sugar cane derived policosanol is a new face on the
cholesterol scene in the United States but is a popular hypocholesterolemic in
other countries. The main policosanol form in sugar cane is octacosanol, a
long-chain fatty alcohol found in the waxy film that covers the leaves and fruit
of the plants that contain it.
Policosanol is a hypocholesterolemic compound that
protects LDL cholesterol against oxidation, inhibits thromboxane, discourages
blood clot formation when inhibits platelet aggregation, and increases exercise
tolerance. Policosanol, at clinically evaluated dosages, has shown
cholesterol-lowering properties comparable to low to medium dosage levels of the
statins. According to several studies, policosanol has also shown antiplatelet
effects, it prevents lipoprotein peroxidation, and beneficially affects
atherosclerosis development. It has good tolerability and a low rate of clinical
and laboratory adverse effects.
Policosanol is an effective alternative to lowering
cholesterol for many people. In a study, 20 mg a day (over a 6- to 12-week
period) resulted in the following lipid improvements: LDL cholesterol reduced
about 28%, total cholesterol about 20%, and HDL increased by 7-10%.
Triglycerides were unaffected. During the course of the trial, participants
continued on a low cholesterol diet. In other studies policosanol was shown to
lower triglycerides as well as lowering total and LDL cholesterol and raising
HDL cholesterol.
The diversity of beneficial effects from policosanol
represents an effective alternative of natural source to lowering cholesterol
for those seeking and in need of lipid-lowering resources who are reluctant to
use chemically derived drugs and would prefer a natural alternative. References — Policosanol
What is cholesterol?
Most of the cholesterol in your body is made by your liver from saturated fat
in your diet. Some cholesterol also comes from foods such as eggs, meats and
dairy products.
Why is a high cholesterol level unhealthy?
While some cholesterol is needed for good health, too much cholesterol in
your blood can raise your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
The extra cholesterol in your blood may be stored in your arteries (blood
vessels) and cause them to narrow. (This is called atherosclerosis.) Large
deposits of cholesterol can completely block an artery, so the blood can't flow
through.
If an artery that supplies blood to your heart becomes blocked, a heart
attack can occur. If an artery that supplies blood to your brain becomes
blocked, a stroke can occur.
When should I start having my cholesterol level checked?
Men aged 35 and older and women aged 45 and older should have their
cholesterol checked periodically. Depending on what your cholesterol level is
and what other risk factors for heart disease you have (see the box below), you
may need to have it checked more often.
Risk factors for heart disease
Having already had a heart attack
Being a man 45 years of age or older
Having a father or brother who had heart disease before he was 55
Being a woman who is going through menopause or has completed menopause
Having a mother or sister who had heart disease before she was 65
This natural ingredient is derived from the mixture of
plant chemicals (ketonic steroids) from the gum resin of commiphora mukul,
called guggulipid, and is an approved treatment of hyperlipidemia in India. It
has been a mainstay of traditional Indian herbal medicine (Ayurveda) approaches
in preventing high cholesterol and atherosclerosis. Clinical studies indicate it
to be effective in the treatment of elevated cholesterol, elevated triglyceride
levels and elevated LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Studies have also shown that
LDL oxidation, which is the main cause of plaque build in the arteries, can be
prevented or at least decreased by the antioxidant activity of Guggul. Clinical
studies on Guggul indicate that its hypolipidemic activity (decreasing
cholesterol and other lipids) can be attributed to more than one mechanism.
Three of the possible mechanisms include inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis,
enhancing the rate of excretion of cholesterol and promoting rapid degradation
of cholesterol. Guggul is typically manufactured in a standardized form that
provides a fixed amount of guggulipid, the presumed active ingredients in
Guggul. Guggul helps reduce high cholesterol, because it lowers harmful LDL
(low-density lipoproteins) while elevating the beneficial HDL (high-density
lipoproteins). Guggul also has anti-inflammatory activity and
reduces the levels of C-reactive protein. It helps prevent blood platelet
aggregation and breaks up blood clots. Thus Guggul can be used not only to lower
bad cholesterol but can be used as a preventative against heart disease and
stroke. References — Guggul
Red Yeast Rice
Red Yeast Rice has been used in China for centuries as
both a food and as a medicinal substance. It is made by fermenting a type of
yeast called Monascus purpureus over red rice. In Chinese medicine, red
yeast rice is used to promote blood circulation, soothe upset stomach, and
invigorate the function of the spleen, a body organ that destroys old blood
cells and filters foreign substances. In addition, this dietary supplement has
been used traditionally for bruised muscles, hangovers, indigestion, and colic
in infants.
In a study conducted at UCLA School of Medicine, by David
Heber, 83 people with high cholesterol levels received red yeast rice over a
12-week period. The study concluded that red yeast rice significantly reduces
total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and total triacylglycerol concentrations
when compared to those who received placebo.
In a study involving 187 patients with elevated
cholesterol were treated with red yeast rice daily for eight weeks. At the end
of this eight-week trial, total cholesterol decreased by 16%, LDL by 21%,
triglycerides by 24%. HDL cholesterol also increased by 14%.
In another 8-week trial involving a 324 people with high
cholesterol levels, those who received red yeast rice experienced a significant
drop in cholesterol levels compared to those who received placebo. Total
cholesterol fell by 22.7%, LDL by 31%, and triglycerides by 34% in the red yeast
rice group. HDL cholesterol increased by 20% in the red yeast rice group as
well. References — Red Yeast Rice
Selenomethionine
Selenium—prevents ventricular tachycardia, is a
hypolipidemic, and improves diabetic symptoms, congestive heart failure, and
cardiomyopathy. "Cardiomyopathy" is defined as any disease that affects the
structure and function of the heart. For example, the heart may become disabled
as fibrous tissue partially replaces the heart muscle; the fibrous tissue
degrades the heart's performance and the blood no longer moves efficiently. The
World Health Organization recognizes cardiomyopathy as a selenium deficiency. In
addition, French researchers showed that chronic heart failure (associated with
oxidative stress) appears to be relieved by selenium supplementation.
Inositol Hexanicotinate
Flush-free niacin may lower cholesterol while boosting the
beneficial HDL fraction. In a report on the antiatherogenic role of HDL (high
density lipoprotein) cholesterol, flush-free niacin (inositol hexanicotinate)
"appears to have the greatest potential to increase HDL cholesterol by 30%."
This study was made over a 5-year period and focused on the effect of high LDL
numbers exhibited before a patient's first coronary event(s).
As reported in a November 1998 American Journal of
Cardiology research study, "Nicotinic acid (niacin) has been shown to decrease
triglyceride, increase HDL cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol, and decrease
lipoprotein (a); it also decreases fibrinogen," an additional benefit that
reduces the risk of related cardiovascular disease.
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Phytosterols effectively reduce LDL-cholesterol when given as supplements.
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Plant sterols reduce cholesterol absorption, which leads to a decrease in plasma and LDL-cholesterol concentrations.
Nestle Research Center, Nestec Ltd, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Efficacy and safety of sitosterol in the management of blood cholesterol levels.
University of Connecticut, Department of Nutritional Sciences, 3624 Horsebarn Road Ext., U 4017 Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Cardiovasc Drug Rev. 2005 Spring;23(1):57-70.
Varady KA, Ebine N, Vanstone CA, Parsons WE, Jones PJ.
Plant sterols and endurance training combine to favorably alter plasma lipid profiles in previously sedentary
hypercholesterolemic adults after 8 wk.
School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal,
and the Veterans' Hospital, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Quebec.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Nov;80(5):1159-66.
Policosanol
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A 12 months study of policosanol oral toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats.
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Arruzazabala M.L., Molina V., Mas R., Fernández L., Carbajal D., Valdés S., Castaño G.
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in healthy volunteers and dyslipidaemic patients.
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Ioanna Gouni-Berthold, MD and Heiner K. Berthold, MD,PhDb
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Rotenburg an der Fulda and Bonn, Germany.
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Jenkins AJ.
Might money spent on statins be better spent?
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Kannel WB, Castelli WP, Gordon T, et al.
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Kawamura N, Moser HW, Kishimoto Y.
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Más R., Castaño G., Fernández L., Illnait J., Fernández J., Alvarez E.
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Menendez R, Arruzazabala L, Mas R, et al.
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Menendez R, Fernandez SI, Del Rio A, et al.
Policosanol inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis and enhances low density lipoprotein processing in cultured human fibroblasts.
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Pearson TA, Laurora I, Chu H, et al.
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Pons P, Rodriguez M, Robaina C, et al.
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Rodriguez MD, Garcia H.
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Rodriguez MD, Garcia H.
Teratogenic and reproductive studies of policosanol in the rat and rabbit.
Teratog Carcinog Mutagen. 1994;14:107-13.
Rodriguez MD, Sanchez M, Garcia H.
Multigenerational reproduction study of policosanol in rats.
Toxicol Lett. 1997;90:97-106.
Sacks FM, et al.
The Effect of Pravastatin on Coronary Events after Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Average Cholesterol Levels.
New England Journal of Medicine. Oct 3, 1996; 335(14):1001-1009.
Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study Group.
Randomized trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease: the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S).
Lancet. 1994. 344; 1383-1389.
Sempos CT, Cleeman JI, Carroll MD, et al.
Prevalence of high blood cholesterol among US adults: an update based on guidelines from the second report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel.
JAMA. 1993;269:3009-14.
Sever PS, et al.
Prevention of coronary and stroke events with atorvastatin in hypertensive patients who have average or
lower-than-average cholesterol concentrations, in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial — Lipid
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Lancet. 2003 Apr 5;361(9364):1149-58.
Singh H, Derwas N, Poulos A.
Very long chain fatty acid beta-oxidation by rat liver mitochondria and peroxisomes.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 1987;259:382-90.
The Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin In ischemic
Disease (LIPID) Study Group.
Prevention of cardiovascular events and death with pravastatin in patients with coronary heart disease and a
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New England Journal of Medicine. 1998.Vol.339:1349-1357.
Zardoya R, Tula L, Castano G, et al.
Effects of policosanol on hypercholesterolemic patients with abnormal serum biochemical indicators of hepatic function.
Curr Ther Res. 1996;57:568-77.
Guggul
The hypolipidemic natural product Commiphora mukul and its component guggulsterone inhibit
oxidative modification of LDL.
Atherosclerosis. 2004 Feb;172(2):239-46
Nityanand S, Srivastava JS, Asthana OP.
Clinical trials with guggulipid. A new hypolipidaemic agent.
J Assoc Phys India. 1989;37:323-8.
Singh RB, Niaz MA, Ghosh S.
Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of commiphora mukul as an adjunct to dietary therapy in patients with
hypercholesterolemia.
Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1994;8:659-64.
Urizar NL, Moore DD.
Guggulipid: a natural cholesterol-lowering agent.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. nurizar@bcm.tmc.edu
Szapary PO, Wolfe ML, Bloedon LT, et al.
Guggulipid for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia: a randomized controlled trial.
JAMA. 2003;290(6):765-772.
Red Yeast Rice
The medicinal properties of red yeast rice favorably impact lipid profiles of hypercholesterolemic patients.
Altern Med Rev. 2004 Jun;9(2):208-210.
Center for Human Nutrition, Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA: David Heber, Ian Yip,
Judith M Ashley, David A Elashoff, Robert M Elashoff and Vay Liang W Go.
Cholesterol-lowering effects of a proprietary Chinese red-yeast-rice dietary supplement.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 69(2):231-236, February 1999.
Li, C et al.
Monascus purpureus-fermented rice (red yeast rice): A natural food product that lowers blood cholesterol in animal models
of hypercholesterolemia.
Nutr Res. 18,71-81(1998).
Bonovich, K, Colfer H, Davidson M, Dujovne C, Greenspan M, Karlberg R, et al.
A Multi-Center, Self-Controlled Study of Cholestin In Subjects With Elevated Cholesterol.
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Wang J, Lu Z, Chi, et.al.
A multi-center clinical trial of the serum lipid-lowering effect of Monascus
purpureus (red yeast) rice preparation from TCM.
Cur Ther Res. 1997;58:964-978.
LipidShield™ by New Health Corp
Clinical Research
In a recently completed clinical study, LipidShield Plus™ demonstrated statistical evidence of improving several
aspects of blood lipids.
LipidShield Plus™ has been clinically proven to lower LDL cholesterol by up to 34%, VLDL cholesterol by up to 76%,
triglycerides by up to 76% and total cholesterol by up to 28%, while also helping to improve circulatory health.
Based on the lack of changes in standard clinical markers of hepato-renal function, the safety profile of LipidShield™ appears
to be acceptable, at least during eight weeks of continuous use.
I have treated many patients with elevated cholesterol and have found the statin drugs to be causing
unpleasant side effect for many of these people.
The natural herbal ingredients of LipidShield provide my patients a safe, reliable natural alternative
to prescription statin medications. I highly recommend LipidShield™ to my patients and anyone concerned
with elevated cholesterol.
Rene M. Reed, DC, NMD Chiropractic Orthopedist
Naturopathic Medical Doctor
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New Health Corp was founded on the basic principal of Safety, Purity and
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meet the most rigorous standards, far more stringent than what is
required by government regulations. All ingredients must be the purest
and most effective available. The ingredient amounts are included at the
optimal dosage. Our products are only manufactured in facilities that
have been inspected and registered by the FDA.
All ingredients are verified against standards for purity prior to
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pledge to our customers.
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