I'm interested in finding out if anybody has experimented with non-traditional (herbs, etc) ways to reduce either their cholesterol or triglyceride levels?  I am currently taking gemfibrozil & niaspan (2000 mg) and I can't get below 400 on my triglyceride level.  It was 1,400.  It is genetic, but I could still help myself out by eating better, believe me.  Easier said than done, though.  I worry about my liver functions holding up over time with the conventional medications.  Last summer I was in the best shape of my life and I still had high ldl, low hdl and high triglycerides.  Much improved, but still not a pretty picture.
205097
There are several effective ways to reduce high triglycerides:\n\nReduce your intake of carbohydrates. Avoid refined flour, sugar, etc. It is simple carbohydrates that cause an increase in triglycerides.\n\nAvoid alcohol, especially beer.\n\nExercise regularly.\n\nIf overweight, lose weight.\n\nDo not smoke.\n\nTake a psyllium type laxative preparation (such as Metamucil). It adds soluable fiber that can cut triglyceride levels in half.\n\nTake fish oil capsules, which reduces triglycerides.\n\nHope this helps.
434808
I have been on Medifast; Optifast and other like it.  Don't waste your time.  I have been on Atkins, weight watchers, South Beach and taken diet pills.  He is what finally worked for me.  I cut out deserts, bread and pasta.  I eat a lot of salads, chicken, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables.  But, I drink a whole load of water.  To make it tastier, I squeeze fruit into the water.  I found this helps me loose weight and still feel full.  I also do some exercise.  In my opinion, these diets are all full of crap.
425874
OMG!!!! That is MY FAVE GREENS!!!!\nCongrats on taking a wicked product!\nI use it in my healthy lifestyle regime that got me to lose 54 lbs...check out my before and after pics here http://www.healthandstrength.net\nI have also tried the herbagreen tea! I like it too!  The antioxidants are so important nowadays!  The more we can help our bodies the better!
343987
dont want to promote unhealthy living/pills etc... BUTTTTT\n\nIm in the same dilemma and my wedding is in 30 days. \nIm trying Cylaris - supposed to be the strongest diet pill on the market. Im getting myself a bottle today.\n\nwww.buycylaris.com and other health stores like GNC carry it.\n\n\ngood luck!
363629
I dont want to promote unhealthy living/pills etc... BUTTTTT\n\nIm in the same dilemma and my wedding is in 30 days. \nIm trying Cylaris - supposed to be the strongest diet pill on the market. Im getting myself a bottle today.\n\nwww.buycylaris.com  and other health stores like GNC carry it.\n\n\ngood luck!
246647
I think it's great that you are so informed.  Why don't you make a search that shows up on your "my yahoo" page whenever anyone asks about cholesterol so you can educate people?  When you do a search, at the bottom there's a button that says "add to my yahoo".\nThere are a lot of stupid people in the world and they just want points for answering.  That's why people who know what they are talking about, like you, get frustrated and leave Answers.\nBTW, I'm morbidly obese and my cholesterol level is something like 130 which no one believes. I know it has nothing to do with diet!
395015
Hi scared....Boy do I know how you feel!  I walked into the emergency room on June 23, 2003 holding my chest.  My Cholesterol was >500, triglycerides >1200, and I weight 230 pounds....about 70 pounds over for me.  For some reason I turned down an angiogram and anything invasive and started on a quest for health.  I’ve been a Chef for years but the idea that food (and exercise) could so dramatically affect health escaped me somewhere....as it does just about all Americans.  The fact is that we in America have created this nice little fantasy world that exists apart and separate from the environment that nourishes us; the earth.  My journey has led me to a greater understanding of my own body and how it fits into the earth system.  I took two drugs for a few days over 1 month, just until my Doctor indicated that the momentum had switched to blood lipid reduction and I through them away and realized way more than half of my blood lipid reduction through diet and exercise alone.  In under 6 months I had bounced off of 150 ponds and settled about 160...my cholesterol was <150, triglycerides <100, I’d put on 10 ponds of muscle mass....I felt and looked GREAT...the best I’ve looked or felt in 45 years!\n\nI’m presently studying to become a Registered Dietician so that I can help plain folk like you and I help themselves faster and easier.  Although I could....and WILL in the future....offer some very concrete advise, especially on how to get through this on a day to day basis, I’m going to defer to several well qualified sources below that will get you going...spend a few hours on the vegsource website....find a teacher-Doctor there that appeals to you....I’ve highlighted two below.....get their DVDs (as well as the vegsource lecture DVDs) and books......put what they teach into daily practice......turn off the TV and tune in to life......exercise DAILY and eat right....become apart of the earth environment!  \n\nGood luck.....you can do this...I KNOW because I did it MYSELF.....I and others are with you!!\n\nDr. John McDougall\nhttp://www.drmcdougall.com/index.html\n\nDr. Neal Barnard\nhttp://www.nealbarnard.org/index.htm\n\nJohn Robbins\nhttp://www.foodrevolution.org/\n\nVegSource....a great resource for tons of health oriented teachers...\nhttp://www.vegsource.com/
18415
First of all, that's a lot of questions to answer in the small space provided here, but I will try to give you some starting points. \n\nTalking with your doctor is your best place to begin. He / she can steer you in the right direction toward meeting your health goals. \n\nAs for food.... consult with a registered dietician or nutritionist for professional advice. Some basic pointers are:\n-- Avoid high-sugar content foods.Trade out regular soft drinks for more healthy options such as water, tea (not sweetened with sugar), or diet soft drinks. \n-- Avoid high-carb foods. Carbs are often metabolized as glucose and will cause your blood sugar to rise in much the same fashion as sugary foods. Potatoes, pastas, and breads are among high-carb foods. \n-- Avoid high-fat foods, in order to reduce cholesterol. Plan out low-fat meals and avoid frying when possible. Cholesterol and diabetes go hand in hand, so reducing one (also reducing your triglycerides) will have a positive effect on the other. \n-- Avoid high-sodium foods. Try to watch your salt intake as much as possible. Sodium is a cause of high blood pressure, which is also a sister-syndrome of diabetes. \n-- Avoid alcoholic beverages. Limit your alcohol intake to the minimal. While most alcoholic mixed drinks are high in sugar content (in the mixers) and beers are high in carbs, alcohol can actually cause hypoglycemic reactions. \n\nWhen it comes to diabetic meal planning, portion control is really the main key. Limit your portion sizes and avoid over-indulging. Some sugar, carbs, fats, and salt are actually okay and are impossible to avoid, but avoid excess. \n\nThere is no set time interval at which you should eat, however it is recommended that you eat small snacks (healthy, of course) throughout the day and 3 meals a day. Being on a regular meal schedule has a major effect on your blood sugar levels so try to eat around the same time everyday. \n************************ \nUnfortunately, there is no cure for diabetes, but with proper medical control you can definitely lead a healthy and happy life. Control is the key to taming the disease. Take medication as prescribed, eat the right diet, and exercise regularly. \n\nThere are great resources around in nearly every community so take advantage of those. Join a diabetic support group in your area or solicit the services of a Certified Diabetes Educator near you. Your local health department is likely a great resource as well when it comes to diabetes. \n\nGood luck and best wishes...
239032
It's good for you if you eat salmon or flax seed oil to get omegas (there is also omega-6). I prefer salmon. Any "additive" of omegas in a product is not enough to be considered beneficial (just like those bogus claims on calcium), so that yogurt with omega-3 is just a marketing gimmick. \n\nIf you eat omegas about 3 times a week, that should be enough. It's true that too much animal products can still increase your cholesterol levels. As for the claims against taking too much, maybe look for articles on Eskimos whose diet consist mainly of salmon. They had survived for thousands of years on this type of food and it would be interesting to know if they had any complications that these research claims suggest.\n\nI hear the best advice for preventative/reduction of heart disease is cardio exercise (4-5x a week for 30 min), stress reduction, and a vegetarian diet.
45930
1)  Don't smoke or take tobacco products.  2)  Keep your blood pressure down to normal.  3)  If you are diabetic, control it extremely well.  A deficiency of chromium has been proven to cause some type II diabetes.  A supplement of 200 micrograms a day of chromium picolinate will remedy this.  4)  check your cholesterol, your good cholesterol (HDL) and the bad cholesterol (LDL).  You want to maximize the HDL and minimize the LDL.  Also, check the triglycerides, and minimize them.  If fat, you want to get the weight down and keep it down.  Regular exercise, even just walking a mile nonstop 3 times a week will help your cholesterol.  GET OFF ALL trans fats.  Trans fats are partially hydrogenated oils, contained in shortening, margarine, and many processed foods. Keep the total amount of fat in your diet fairly low.  Keep off all trans fats.  Next most important is to keep the saturated fats low.  Then the total fats low.  Don't eat junk food, which is food high in sugar, refined flour, and fat.  Eat lots of whole grain cereals and breads and pastas.  Eat lots of vegetables and fruits, and some lean meats and fish.  5) check your homocysteine level.  If high, take 2 mg of folic acid per day (3 of the big 800 microgram tablets).  6)  If you can't drink alcohol without drinking heavy, then abstain totally from alcohol.  Otherwise, take one or two glasses of dry red wine each evening.  7)  consider taking one adult aspirin per day to reduce blood clots, esp. if over 50 years old or strong family history.  8)  Get plenty of the essential (required in diet) omega 3 oil.  You can do this by eating 3 servings of cold water ocean fish per week, such as salmon, sardines, or white albacore tuna, etc.  or you can take 1-2 tablespoons of cold pressed flax seed oil daily, either added to cold cereal or salad or fruit or mixed into low fat cottage cheese (this is rec. by Dr. Johanna Budwig, the doc who has done extensive research on it.  the cottage cheese provides sulfur containing amino acids which complement the omega 3)  9)  Get plenty of all your vitamins and minerals.  If you eat well, this shouldn't be a problem.  It's hard to get too much vitamin C.  Dr. Linus Pauling, the Nobel winner, recommended 10-15 grams of vit C per day.  1 gm = 1000 mg.  Other important antioxidant vitamins are vit A and its precursor caratenoids, and vit E.  Coral calcium is a good natural source of calcium, as well as all the other minerals.  The bioflavenoids, such as those found in grape seed extract and in elderberry concentrate or wine seem to be important antioxidant vitamins.  10)  Don't get real stressed out!  The old expression about "something breaking your heart" has some truth in it.  11)  Keep your teeth and gums clean.  When you develop rotten teeth and gums, it may somehow spread inflammation to cholesterol placques.  We don't really know, but we do know that inflammation is part of the heart attack condition, of thrombosis of placques.  12) The monounsaturated oils, either olive oil, or canola oil, are considered to be your best oils for cooking, from an arterial standpoint.  I think real butter is better for you than margarine, since it doesn't have any trans fats, but go easy on it.
49801
Hey Brian.  Diagnosed w/Addison's in 94 and all risidual effects due to such; also living with Epilepsy, three ulcers, effects of surgical abdomal tumor removal, blah, blah, blah, etc... meds include but not limited to:\ncortef, diazide, topomax, protonix, provigil, sodium suppl., potassium suppl., \nOldest daughter diag. Leukemia, in remission now, just had her baby 5 months ago. I am a successful business woman, will rule a small country some day.  I cope great, take meds regularily, just cannot miss that's all.  Eat maybe 2600-4000 calories daily to keep my weight of 130 lbs up, lots and lots of beef-go figure??? \nI am happy, content, healthy, sexy, kind, gentle, wonderful, I say healthy cause I really am considering-everything is under control. There is more, but can't remember due to seizures. he he he
71471
My boyfriend had high cholesterol and I got his bad cholesterol down and his good cholesterol up.\n\nIt's not just what you eat but also what you don't eat.\n\nThere is no 'one' food that will lower it, you have to maintain a healthy and varied diet along with regular exercise. It is a slow process.\n\nMake sure you eat steamed fish and spinach.\n\nDo running, martial arts, aerobics, etc at least once a week to start with, building up to twice and then three times a week.\n\nDrink plenty of water. Pomegranate juice is VERY good in reducing cholesterol.\n\nGood Luck
529765
Well I can't find the site you were on but Orthosiphon is just an herb that company's are putting into there weight loss pills. If they are not giving you a lot of info on the product I would stay away from it. If you want a recommendation I did some research and I right now am taking lipo6 from nutrex. I have not been taking the recommended doses cause it strong stuff and I am trying to get use it to. I need to step up my work out but it seems to be working. Check out GNC.com and see what out there. You can get stuff there for like 40 buck and get it right away instead of waiting for shipping and paying for shipping
262929
I drink like  a fish too. Was shocked to see results of a general blood test.\n\nNever actually believed in alternative medicine, but decided to try "Liv 52".  Friggin thing works!  I pop a Liv 52DS every single day from the past 2 years.  \n\nIt also helps to pop a "PartySmart" capsule (made by the same pharma: http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/) about half an hr before a binge.\n\nOne year later, my liver fn test is more or less normal - I haven't cut down on the booze ;-)
640426
Don't take that unless you want to but it is just wasting money.  If you decide to take it, make sure that you get the no flush niacin and follow the instructions on the bottle.  If its not that, it could make your skin appeared flushed and red.  I was told when mine came back at 297, to lose weight and eat lower fatty foods and to eat more vegetables and drink water.  In doing that, it went down to 211 in 6 months.  Now it is still high because there is a family history of high cholesterol.
81470
I'm afraid the vitamins will not affect LDL levels at all. Soluble fiber helps drop cholesterol level, as do very large doses of niacin (Vitamin B3), but vitamins E & C are anti-oxidants that help quench free radicals & they don't really do anything with cholesterol.
302040
Cinnamon and Garlic does work. Red yeast rice also works, but you have to take a lot of it. If you only have high LDL that may be all you need.\n\nIf you also have high triglycerides, those will not help a lot. \n\nI have hyper triglyceride and taking Tricore.... but I do not like adding a bunch of dangerous chemicals into my body.\n\nI research this thoroughly and come up with a combination that works.\n\nSince no one put out this combination, I had to find the raw herbs and make my own capsules.\n\nThe combination is as follows:\n\n1 part Guggul\n1 part sage\n1 part red yeast rice\n1 part bilberry leaf\n1 part blueberry leaf\n\nI take two 500 mg capsules daily.\n\nHope this is helpful!