Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Cholesterol is a fatty substance needed by the cells. Not only is it needed for the production of certain hormones, but is also essential for cell maintenance and growth. It can be said that without cholesterol a person would die. Fortunately, the body makes enough to maintain itself.

When we eat foods high in cholesterol, our blood levels will show the increase from dietary intake. If one maintains a high blood cholesterol level for a long enough time, it can accumulate in the artery-cell walls causing a plaque buildup. This is when cholesterol is no longer helpful, but becomes dangerous.

The accumulation of cholesterol has been positively linked to many cardiovascular diseases and to the blocking of blood vessels leading to oxygen lack in the heart or brain and eventually heart attacks and strokes. A diet, therefore, low in cholesterol foods and rich in cholesterol lowering foods are crucial in preventing artery damage and heart attacks.

A superfood for heart attack and stroke prevention is oats or oatmeal. An early finding on oatmeal is that it contains the soluble fiber known as beta-glucan. As beta-glucan passes through the digestive tract, it breaks down into a gel that absorbs cholesterol-rich bile acids thereby reducing the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

It acts on lowering LDL or bad cholesterol levels without affecting HDL or good cholesterol levels. This action by beta-glucan is reputed to lower LDL levels by as much as 20% on a daily breakfast bowl of cooked oatmeal containing only 3 grams soluble oat fiber. This greatly lowers the risk of heart disease.

Oats is also a rich source of the antioxidant compound called tocotrienol which, together with tocopherols, is an important compound in producing Vitamin E. Tocotrienol lowers cholesterol by reducing the capability of blood cells to adhere to the inside of artery walls.

But oats has many other important health benefits, which is only now being appreciated by consumers.

Oats contain many phytochemicals, which lessen a person’s risk of getting cancer. The lignans or phytoestrogen compounds in oats have been positively implicated in lowering a woman’s estrogen levels. And lower estrogen levels have been found to lower a woman’s risk of being stricken by hormone-related diseases like breast cancer and to similar hormone-related cancers affecting the ovaries, uterus and in males the prostate.

Oats are full of insoluble and soluble fiber, which are critical in maintaining regular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water, turns spongy in the gut and, like a sponge, absorbs many times its own weight in liquefied matter. By making stools heavier, the insoluble fiber speeds up the passage of fecal matter through the digestive system, preventing constipation and reducing the formation of carcinogens in the gastrointestinal tract.

Soluble fiber, on the other hand, forms into a gel, which makes the contents of the stomach more “sticky” or viscous. The gelatinous fiber delays stomach emptying to make one feel full longer, promoting weight reduction. Recently, a study showed that 2-18-year-old children who regularly consume oatmeal are 50% less likely to be fat when compared to children who did not eat their oats.

Like all cholesterol-lowering agents, oats are most effective when consumed regularly. The beneficial health effects of oats are best if 40-80 grams or half a cup to one cup of oats are eaten every day.

This contention is backed up by several studies. One study found that the daily intake of 40 grams of oatmeal for two months led to a total cholesterol loss of 3% and a 14% reduction in LDL. A similar study confirmed that a one-and-a-half month to two-month daily dose of 40-80 grams of oat lowered total cholesterol by 20% and LDL by as much as 25%. A third study discovered that the daily consumption of 100 grams of oat bran reduced cholesterol by up to 15%.

The USDA National Nutrient Database has summarized the high nutritional value, which can be found in 100 grams of oats:

• Energy – 390 kcal / 1630 kJ
• Carbohydrate – 66 g
• Dietary fiber total – 11g (beta glucan – 5g; insoluble – 6g)
• Total fat – 6 g
• Protein – 17 g
• Cholesterol – 0 g
• Minerals: calcium – 54 mg; iron – 4.72 mg; magnesium – 177 mg; phosphorous-523 mg; potassium – 429 mg; sodium-2 mg; zinc-3.97 mg; copper – 0.626 mg; manganese – .916 mg
• Vitamins: thiamin (B1) – 0.763 mg; riboflavin (B2) – 0.139 mg; niacin – 0.961 mg; pantothenic acid -1.349 mg; Vitamin B-6 – 0.119 mg; total folate – 56 mcg; Vitamin B-12 – 0 mcg; Vitamin A – 0 IU; retinal – 0 mcg
• Amino acids: tryptophan – 0.234 g; threonine – 0.575 g; isoleucine – 0.694 g; leucine – 1.284 g; lysine – 0.701 g; methionine – 0.312 g; cystine – 0.408 g; phenylalanine – 0.985 g; tyrosine – 0.573 g; valine – 0.937 g; arginine – 1.192 g; histidine – 0.405 g; alanine – 0.881 g; aspartic acid – 1.448 g; glutamic acid – 3.712 g; glycine – 0.841 g; proline – 0.934 g; serine – 0.750 g.

Have you been to your doctor and he or she has said, “Your cholesterol is too high. We’re going to start you on medication”?

Wait a minute hold the phone! After hearing God only knows how many spoken-high-speed disclaimers (which often times are unintelligible) on TV – those that occur after medication ads – now, do you really want to start on those pills?

What if you replied to your doctor, “Can I lower cholesterol naturally – without medication?”

I would believe that most doctors would try to work with you and give you a suggested diet and exercise plan for lowering cholesterol naturally.

Lately when I go and pick up medication for my father-in-law, it comes with several pages of fine print – all the known problems that this medication might cause. In effect a huge disclaimer. Do you really want to start popping similar pharmaceuticals daily?

Today on TV there are advertisements that make your mouth water. You see chicken, hamburgers, pizzas – the list goes on and on. The advertisers know exactly how to grab your undivided attention, tantalize you, entice you into running down to that restaurant and buying that food dish – right now! Even though that food might be exactly what your doctor does not want you to have. Because it will definitely raise your cholesterol and is as far away from a natural food as one can get. I’m sure it tastes incredibly well and will leave you wanting more. Nevertheless, it is a manufactured food with food additives and cooked in a way that leaves your mouth watering every time you see the same dish on TV.

Advertisers do their job well. Sometimes I think they work hand and hand with the pharmaceuticals. They raise the cholesterol with these delectable foods and the phramas bring it down at a good price – medications are not cheap.

Anymore I am quite immune to the food commercials. This is because I know these foods do taste like something out of this world, but at the same time they come at a price – I feel crappy for two days after I eat them.

I like eating fresh carrots and peas, and corn and broccoli and grilled steak or salmon. Fresh fruits and vegetables do not cause me any problems in digestion. I’m not overweight. I exercise everyday, and I eat natural foods. I’m not on medication and I feel great – why mess with that?