Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

I’ve always loved blueberries and finding out that they contain a powerful antioxidant in their skins makes me even happier. Blueberries and red-skinned grapes contain pterostilbene (pronounced “tero-STILL-bean”) a phytochemical (a natural chemical in plants) which has been shown to be a powerful antioxidant as well as a cancer fighter. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in the bloodstream preventing LDL bad cholesterol from oxidizing and more easily penetrating the artery cell walls; thus, helping to prevent hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.

Pterostilbene is a derivative of resveratrol a phytochemical that is found in red grapes and wines and is attributed to longevity especially in France where red wine is often drunk as part of the dinner meal.

Researchers at the US Dept. of Agriculture found that pterostilbene was similar in activity to ciprofibrate, a commercial drug that lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. They point out, “But ciprofibrate can have side effects such as muscle pain and nausea, pterostilbene targets the same specific receptor as ciprofibrate, but it’s likely to have fewer side effects.”