Cholesterol...Supplements vs. Statins

According to the American Heart Association an estimated 106.7 million adults in the United States have total blood cholesterol values of 200 mg/dL and higher, and of these about 37.2 million American adults have levels of 240 or above. Statin drugs remain the primary treatment for individuals diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, but they do come with numerous side effects and many of them are not benign.

For years well-meaning physicians have prescribed statins to lower cholesterol, because high levels have been thought to be a main predisposing factor to heart disease. Unfortunately, the body is not that simple. High cholesterol is not a direct link to heart disease, in fact we are not even sure if it is ONE of the links at this point. What we do know is that our bodies NEED cholesterol. It is vital in hormone development, nerve sheath development, brain health ect. If we are going to focus on the numbers game when in come to measuring cholesterol.....we should be equally as concerned about LOW levels of cholesterol as we are of high levels. The fact of the matter is if your levels are too high or too low it could suggest that your body is out of balance and may indicate that you make some lifestyle and/or dietary changes.

If your levels of cholesterol are significantly on the higher side and you and your physician wish to have them lower...there are other options aside from the statin drugs. Published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a study conducted by cardiologist David Becker, MD of the University of Pennsylvania and his colleagues studied 74 people with high cholesterol.

Half took the statin drug Zocor and the other half took red yeast rice supplements. They were followed for 12 weeks.

The medication group took 40 milligrams of Zocor daily and received traditional counseling in the form of handouts on diet and exercise. The supplement group took three fish oil capsules twice daily. In addition, those with an LDL cholesterol higher than 160 mg/dL took 3.6 grams of red yeast rice daily, divided into two doses. If the initial LDL level was 160 or less, they took 2.4 grams of red yeast rice daily, divided into two doses.

The supplement group also attended weekly meetings and was taught about lifestyle changes by a cardiologist and a dietitian. The group was urged to follow a modified Mediterranean diet, limiting fat intake to less than 25% of daily total calories, and to exercise for 30 to 45 minutes five to six times a week.

"We followed them for a three-month period," Becker says. At the stuy's end, the levels of bad cholesterol had declined nearly the same amount in both groups. "The LDL declined 42% in the supplement group and 39% in the Zocor group," Becker says.
The supplement group also lost an average of 10 pounds in 12 weeks, but there was no significant weight loss in the medication group. Triglyceride levels, while on average normal in both groups at the start, decreased by 29% in the supplement group but just 9.3% in the medication group — a significant difference, Becker says.

Supplements and dietary/lifestyle changes can be a viable option in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels in many individuals and should be recommended prior to taking a statin drug.

If you have cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL and more importantly have low levels of HDL (good cholesterol) or high triglycerides consider the following:

• Modify your diet. Don't worry so much about the cholesterol levels in foods (cholesterol in food does not increase cholesterol systemically as we once thought) Focus on a diet low in processed foods, especially AVOID refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, refined carbohydrates (white breads, pastas, sweets, juices). Focus more so on a diet with whole grains, fresh fruit/vegetables, lean proteins, legumes.


• Exercise...walk, play, get active. REGULARLY.


• Omega 3 fish oil...2000mg per day. Try Nordic Naturals.


• Red Yeast Rice extract as prescribed by your physician.

Honey Better Than Cough Medicine....

While in medical school I took a course on extracting herbs, making tinctures, decoctions and other natural remedies. One such item was a homemade natural cough syrup made from honey and sliced onions. Doesn't sound so tasty, but once the honey naturally broke down the onions, you were left with a sweet syrup and no onion undertones.

Recently, studies have placed a spotlight on honey. The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine published a study where researchers studied 105 children between the ages of two and 18 who were having trouble sleeping due to cough. The participants were given either a small dose of buckwheat honey, honey-flavored dextromethorphan or no treatment at all a half-hour before bed.

Children who were given the honey had less frequent and severe nighttime coughing than either the children given dextromethorphan or those given no treatment at all.

Manuka Honey in particular is making headlines. It has been shown to kill resistant superbug bacteria that antibiotics are ineffective on. New products such as Medihoney are showing to be superior in the realm of wound healing and management and are being used in hospitals and doctor's offices throughout the world.

Homemade Cough Syrup
Here is a great recipe for a natural and effective cough syrup. This is non-toxic and excellent for that disturbing cough that keeps your kids up at night. Obviously, do not use this on children under the age of 1 where honey is not indicated.

Ingredients
1 large brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced.
Honey, preferably Manuka honey (this is made from tea-tree flowers)
1 glass jar slightly larger than the onion with a lid.

Instructions
Place the sliced and peeled onion into the glass jar, tightly packed.
Cover with honey and close lid.
Let sit overnight. The onions will become dry as the honey extracts the onion juices out.
Remove the onion left-overs.
Keep refrigerated. Take as needed for cough.
Typical dose is 1 tablespoon for children under 6 and 2 tablespoons for 6 years and older.

DO NOT give honey to children under the age of 1.

Dish Soap Can Help Save The World....And Oil.

With the cost of oil and gasoline on the rise, there has been plenty of discussion regarding the state of oil dependency in the U.S. and how we can reduce it.

I have been a proponent of environmentally safe, non-petroleum based household cleaners for several years and aside from the non-toxic and hypoallergenic benefits of such products we are also reducing our oil dependency.

If every household in the U.S. replaced just ONE bottle of 25 oz. petroleum-based dishwashing liquid with a natural plant based product...we could save...

81,000 barrels of oil.....enough to heat and coll 4,600 U.S. home for 1 YEAR!!

Source:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/384932/dish_soap_can_help_save_the_world_environment.html?cat=7

Yet Another Reason You Should Be Taking Omega 3...

(NaturalNews) A diet that contains fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help the body metabolize fat better and thereby gain less weight, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Kao Corporation in Tochigi, Japan, and published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Researchers took mice that had been bred with a predisposition to obesity and fed them a high-fat diet (containing 30 percent of its calories from fat) for five months. Half of the animals had this diet supplemented with 8 percent fish oil.The mice whose diet had been supplemented with fish oil showed greater activity of several genes related to the metabolism of fats, including carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a, cytochrome P450 4A10, and malic enzyme.

The mice whose diet had been supplemented with fish oil showed greater activity of several genes related to the metabolism of fats, including carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a, cytochrome P450 4A10, and malic enzyme.

The supplemented mice also showed greater activity of enzymes related to metabolism. Activity of enzymes related to fatty acid beta-oxidation was 1.2 times higher in the supplemented mice, while the activity of enzymes related to omega-oxidation and malic was 1.6 and 1.7 times higher, respectively.

The results follow a study conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia at Adelaide in May, which found that overweight adults between the ages of 25 and 65 who exercised and received a fish oil supplement each day reduced their fat mass by approximately 1.5 kilograms. In addition, blood triacylglycerol levels decreased by 14 percent, and blood levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol increased by 10 percent.

In the Australian study, participants were given 260 milligrams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 60 mg or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) each day.

A third study, conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia in 2006, found that DHA appeared to decrease fat accumulation and positively influence the programmed death of fat cells.A number of studies have previously linked omega-3 fatty acids to improved cognitive function and decreased risk of cancer and heart disease.

Source: NaturalNews http://www.NaturalNews.com/023651.html

ADD/ADHD and Diet.

Recently, I had a family member consult me regarding the prescription of medication for her son who has been diagnosed with a "mild form of ADD". The physcian recommended that he be given a low dose of medication to treat his symptoms. Immediately her mother's intuition sparked and she felt that this may not be the best course of action, however, she didn't know what her options were.

Interestingly enough, many physicians may not tell you, but diet plays a huge role in symptomology produced by ADD or ADHD. Many times it is not considered in treatment, but The British Medical Journal stated recently that properly supervised trial eliminating colors and preservatives from the diet of hyperactive children should be considered a part of the STANDARD treatment.

If your child is experiencing symptoms consistent with ADD or ADHD consider the following dietary changes:

• Eliminate artificial colors and flavors from their diet.
• Make sure that the child is eating some protein with every meal and snack. Helps to regulate blood sugar.
• Eliminate sodas and juices....even natural sugars can cause blood sugar spikes if the whole fruit is not eaten (the fiber of the fruit is the important part!).
• Consider eliminating wheat and gluten from their diet. There are several links to gluten sensitivity and/or allergy in ADD/ADHD children.
• A good quality multivitamin and Omega 3 supplement is a MUST!

Gimme a Break....Statin Drugs Pushed on 8 Year Olds!

We have hit new low, the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee has announced that infants as young as two years old need to be screened for high cholesterol, and children as young as eight years old should be put on prescription statin drugs. This absurd advice is being offered even though statin drugs have never been tested on young children. Even so, the FDA has granted approval of statins in children as young as 8.

If these children do indeed have elevated cholesterol, we need to look at the underlying issue...nutrition and diet in America. The advice to "drug" them in no way corrects the problem, not to mention will most likely cause more. The list of side effects for statin drugs cautions me from prescribing them to an adult much less a child:

• Memory Loss/ Mental Confustion
• Muscle Breakdown /rhabdomyolysis
• Nausea
• Irritability / hostility
• Homicidal impulses
• Kidney failure
• Diarrhea
• Tingling or cramping in the legs
• Problems sleeping
• Constipation
• Impaired muscle formation
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hormone imbalance
• Temperature regulation problems
• Nerve damage /neuropathy
• Liver damage and abnormalities
• Destruction of CoQ10, a vital nutrient for health

So why the recommendation of statins for children...why else... selling more pharmaceuticals equals more money$$$$ and there is your definition of MARKET EXPANSION.

Mosquitoes!

Summer is here and so are the bugs. I personally avoid bug repellents with any chemicals, especially DEET, so what can one do to avoid getting bitten?

Research has shown that CATNIP OIL is 10 times more effective against mosquitoes than DEET! You can purchase a spray whose label lists Catnip oil, or neptalactone--or you can make your own by shaking 6 drops of oil in 3 ounces of water.

Enjoy summer!