# Need to lower cholesterol!!



## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

I do not want to be put on pills. I had a blood test today and my cholestorol is out of this world at 220. :nono: My bp is fine at 118/70 (its always stayed this) and my bloodsugar is text book perfect for my age. I also have about 20 lb.s to lose. The good thing is my doc asked if I was an althleat as my resting heart rate is very good (im not an athleate, im way too clumsy to be one LOL)
I am really concerned about the cholestorol though, so could use some good advise on lowing the bad stuff and raising the good.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

You might find this thread interesting:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbal/msg0312420919514.html

Vitamin C helps to prevent blood clots and fatty deposits in the arteries.

Lecithin will break up cholesterol and carry it away.

Magnesium and calcium protect against fatty deposits.

Pectin, in Apples, helps to prevent the absorption of cholesterol.

Garlic, Onions, and Eggplant have the ability to balance the cholesterol level.

Eat plenty of Apples, and drink Apple juice often. Include Avocado regularly in the diet. 

Eat plenty of Cabbage in the diet to lower elevated plasma cholesterol. Eat plenty of Globe Artichokes.

Drink 1-2 cups Lemongrass tea per day.

To reduce cholesterol levels: Boil 10 pieces of Cinnamon sticks (2.5cm each) in 5 teacups of water. Add a tablespoon of honey and drink hot.

Any of the following herbs will help to regulate cholesterol levels: Dandelion leaves, eaten or as a tea; Garlic, eaten regularly; Oats (seeds eaten regularly as rolled Oats as porridge or in cookies etc, or a tea made from the straw and drunk; Walnuts, eaten.

Reduce FATS and salt in your diet. Drastically. Start reading labels - you'd be surprised to know how much salt is added to everything! Also - no smoking, lots of suitable exercise. See your doctor before beginning on any dietary or exercise program.


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## lynpea (Feb 11, 2003)

Quit eating animals and their byproducts! Last winter my col. was about 188.... to high for me, since we are vegetarians. So... I started eating oatmeal 5 out of 7 days in the a.m., col went down to 166, then I added a handful of walnuts to oatmeal and it is down to 144 now. Perfectly acceptable. As we age we simply cannot eat like we did when we had enough energy to burn off the calories...........


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## QuiltingLady2 (Jan 3, 2007)

Oatmeal


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## vicki in NW OH (May 10, 2002)

rice bran oil


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

1200 mg fish oil twice a day


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## FUNKY PIONEER (Sep 20, 2005)

It's the carbohydrates and sugar. Cut them out and you'll have normal results in 2 weeks. Also take niacin (no flush or you will suffer)


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

My cholesterol first spiked, when we moved to Italy and were on an Italian diet. I was tested with numbers over 400. I cut out red meat and milk [cheese and mayo] and all fried foods, then eggs. But we found that olive oil, while being slightly lower than corn oil, will still raise your numbers. We shifted over to Grapeseed oil, and that made a big improvement.

Fruits and veggies and fine, but we must avoid all fruit juices and veggie juices as those will spike your triglycerides. I learned the hard way. Whole fresh fruits or veggies, but no dried fruits as they have more sugar.

I take garlic oil [the unscented stuff does not work], C and E, and I eat sardines once a week.

And I am on Simvastatin [Zocor] 80mg 1X, and Gemfibrozil [Lopid] 600mg 2X.

And of course due to my drugs I must stay away from all grapefruit juice, including fresca.

I was just tested Monday and I am holding level at 246.


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## largentdepoche (Dec 9, 2005)

lynpea said:


> Quit eating animals and their byproducts! Last winter my col. was about 188.... to high for me, since we are vegetarians. So... I started eating oatmeal 5 out of 7 days in the a.m., col went down to 166, then I added a handful of walnuts to oatmeal and it is down to 144 now. Perfectly acceptable. As we age we simply cannot eat like we did when we had enough energy to burn off the calories...........


Actually it's just like cows and pigs that have alot of cholesteral in their meat. Fish is very healthy for you and I know of alot of vegetarians that eat it. Chicken that is baked and isn't fat fried/has the skin still on is actually quite healthy for you too.

I know alot of vegetarians that have had heart attacks though, sometimes you just can't beat your genes.

Kat


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## largentdepoche (Dec 9, 2005)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> 1200 mg fish oil twice a day


I definitly second this! I also take garlic too.

You can find Rexall supplements at Dollar General. They are good quality and we use them alot.

Kat


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## largentdepoche (Dec 9, 2005)

Oh yeah, if you drink alcohol in big amounts, that can mess up your cholestoral. If you drink it in moderation though, it shouldn't be too bad.

Kat


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## oberhaslikid (May 13, 2002)

I had to go on a Low GI diet and watch my Chol.I started eating oatmeal every morning with ground flax meal.The flax is full of Omega3 which is your good and helps to lower you Bad chol.You take 2 TBLs.a day I have it in oatmeal and then again in a lowfat yogurt.Last DR. visit He extended my visits longer and I will go every 6 months if I keep it up and everything looks good next time.YAAA! I also use only Olive oil.


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## chris30523 (Jun 11, 2005)

exercise will raise your good cholesterol and diet will lower your bad. Sugars and carbs will give you high readings on your blood work. I know it doesn't seem right but it does. The best diet for anyone is moderate meat consumption(your brain needs chol.),veges,and complex carbs(whole grains).No quick or miracle cure and if it is heriditary you can probably control it but may need meds anyway at some point.


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

Nickie, Exercise and a healthy diet are good, obviously, but at 220, your cholesterol is not "out of this world". The American Heart Association classifies cholesterol levels of 200-239 as "borderline high risk". If your HDL:LDL (good:bad) cholesterol ratios are good, and your total triglycerides aren't high and you don't have a family history of heart disease, you certainly don't need to panic. I think that the only things that raise HDL (good) levels are exercise and estrogen. LDL levels respond to diet and cholesterol-lowering drugs, among other things.


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## Getting There (Mar 11, 2007)

#1 go to westonaprice.org and put in the search word "cholesterol." Be prepared to question everything you've been taught by allopathic doctors about cholesterol & heart disease.

An example off the website for "The Cholesterol Myths" by Uffe Ravnskov, MD,PhD. (http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm) (also discussed on the weston price website):

"Cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance vital to the cells of all mammals. There are no such things as good or bad cholesterol, but mental stress, physical activity and change of body weight may influence the level of blood cholesterol. A high cholesterol is not dangerous by itself, but may reflect an unhealthy condition, or it may be totally innocent."

If indeed in your case cholesterol is indicating a problem, I'd start with Funky Pioneer's advice & eliminate sugar/carbs. There are many healthy fats (including fats from grass-fed cows) & a low fat diet will do few people any long-term good. Many healthy foods, supplements, etc have been listed in this thread. But the human body is much too complex to pick out one single health issue, be it cholesterol, high blood pressure, what have you, and focus singly on that item. Sure you could lower your numbers, but throw something else off whack if you aren't looking at your health holistically.

Sorry, got on my soapbox there. Best of luck in your health journey!


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## cozyhollow-gal (Sep 11, 2002)

To add to the excellent suggestions above, which I do a lot of myself. I use
Herbal teas. and Pysllium. My main tea is Hibiscus Flowers tea. I swear by it! For decreasing HBP. 
It brought myHBP down 18-20 points. But your problem is Cholesterol. 
Isn't it strange that though everything else is functioning great, the cholesterol remains a problem.? 
I found that taking Psyllium couple times daily helps clean out the bad cholesterol and brings it down. Of course other good fiber foods are helpful. Also regular BM is a must to help keep cholesterol down. 
They say the family 'genes" sometimes has a lot to do with it though. 
Good suggestions:
>regular exercise
>Pysllium daily
>garlic daily
>oatmeal
>Pet and/or groom your favorite pet daily. (stress relief)
>Perhaps changing cooking oil, ( I changed to coconut oil,) I learned from this thread that Grape seed oil is real good for lowering cholesterol. Thanks... I will be trying that now. 
>eliminate cholesterol building foods
>1 tsp vinegar in 8 ounces (or so) of water, drink daily (honey optional) 
I have eliminated a lot of Stress out of my daily life. I feel better for it. 
Wishing you success as you search for better health...(*_*)


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

220 chol level is NOT out of this world....anything above 350, IMO would be excessivley high. There is some bad advice posted above.

Scientifically, the only foods proven to elevate blood serum cholestrol is saturated fats, not carbohydrates and sugars. There also has been some excellent advice given, EAT OATMEAL DAILY, which by the way is a carbohydrate. Also, garlic in all form, raw, cooked, dried, greens, bulb, and exercise.

Chol level of 220 is certainly not high enough for any doc to prescribe medicines.


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

culpeper said:


> You might find this thread interesting:
> 
> http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbal/msg0312420919514.html
> 
> ...



Actually, there is a lot of excellent advice here, the foods I know about. Afraid I know nothing about teas, but the other advice is sound advice that I would look into the teas.

And reducing SATURATED fats is the only fat that can reduce your blood serum cholestrol. Out body needs about 2 T. of fat in our diet daily.


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## Rita (May 13, 2002)

A friend lowered his cholesterol 30 points by using red rice yeast (2 caps a day) and the same for ginger.


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