Cholesterol: The top 4 foods to lower your numbers

Cholesterol: The top 4 foods to lower your numbers
Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Discover four foods that can lower your cholesterol and protect your heart.
By Mayo Clinic staff


Can a bowl of oatmeal help prevent a heart attack? How about a handful of walnuts, or even your baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A few simple tweaks to your diet — like these — may be enough to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level and help you stay off medications.

Oatmeal and oat bran

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes.

Soluble fiber appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Ten grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you'll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

Walnuts, almonds and more

Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds and some other nuts appear to have a similar effect.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease.

But all nuts are high in calories, so a handful will do. As with any food, eating too much can cause weight gain, and being overweight places you at higher risk of heart disease. To avoid gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.

Olive oil

Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL) cholesterol untouched.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day to get its heart-healthy benefits. To add olive oil to your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade, or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat.

Some research suggests that the cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But avoid "light" olive oils. This label usually means the oil is more processed and lighter in color, not fat or calories.

Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols

Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.

Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks

To read the full (excellent) article:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

15 Reasons to avoid Vegetable Oils

15 REASONS TO AVOID VEGETABLE OILS

1. THEY ARE NOT FOOD:
"...Chemically speaking, free oils are chains of carbon found in a purified state. Extraction processes have removed all of the other ingredients of the whole food. Thus, free oils are no longer intermixed with the naturally-designed and balanced environment of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and ten thousand other chemicals found originally in the plants. Free-oils are not food..."

...and don't forget the 100+ pure fat calories PER tablespoon.

FROM:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

2. PREMATURE AGING:
"In a study released today by The Lancet Oncology, Dean Ornish, M.D., and colleagues found that comprehensive lifestyle changes, including a low-fat vegan diet, increase the body's ability to fight premature aging, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases... Among other beneficial effects that were previously reported, the intervention led to increased levels of telomerase, an enzyme that protects and repairs DNA. Blood levels of telomerase increased by an average of 29 percent during the study..."

PCRM PRESS RELEASE:
http://www.pcrm.org/news/archive080916.html

STUDY CITED:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470204508702341/abstract?isEOP=true

3. CLOTTING FACTORS:
"...One of the most important clotting factors predicting the risk of a heart attack is an elevated factor VII. All five fats tested-rapeseed oil (canola), olive oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and butter-showed similar increases in triglycerides and clotting factor VII..."

FROM:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

STUDY CITED:
Larsen LF, Bladbjerg EM, Jespersen J, Marckmann P. Effects of dietary fat quality and quantity on postprandial activation of blood coagulation factor VII. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997 Nov;17(11):2904-9.

4. ALTZHEIMER'S DISEASE:
"... A review published in the Nov 2008 issue of Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care suggests... that by restricting your intake of calories, a practice known as caloric restriction, you may not have to contract Alzheimer's disease in the first place. The review led by Gillette-Guyonnet S and Vellas B. from aGérontopôle Toulouse, France bInserm, U558, Toulouse, France says caloric restriction does not just extend lifespan, but may benefit brain functioning as well.

SOURCE:
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/G_eneral_H_ealth_34/101506092008_Want_to_prevent_Alzheimer_s_disease_Eat_less.shtml

5. PLAQUE FORMATION RUSSIAN ROULETTE:
"...Every forkful of fat, he [Esselstyn] says, causes an immediate biochemical assault on the endothelium, the lining of the arteries. White blood cells collect there, gobbling up bad cholesterol and creating fatty deposits over time. For many people, especially those who smoke or have other risk factors, accumulation of plaque is a time bomb for a coronary event..."

INTERVIEW SOURCE:
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2008/06/exsurgeon_caldwell_esselstyn_e.html

SHORT VIDEO ON PLAQUE FORMATION:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNeWCvLZaFM

6. BLOOD VESSEL ELASTICITY/PRESSURE:
"... Back in 2000 Vogel ...wanted to see how olive oil, salmon (fish oil) and canola oil actually affect the blood vessels. Using the brachial artery tourniquet test he had 10 healthy volunteers with normal cholesterol ingest 50 grams of fat, in the form of olive oil & bread, canola oil & bread, and salmon. Measuring their arterial blood flow before & after each meal Vogel could tell whether or not a meal was causing damage to the endothelial lining of the brachial artery, based on how the blood was flowing through the artery after the meal was eaten. The results really surprised him. The olive oil constricted blood flow by a whopping 31% after the meal; the canola oil constricted it by 10%; and the salmon reduced it by only 2%. Why should we care? Because when the arteries constrict, the endothelium (the vessel's lining) is injured, triggering plaque build-up, or atherosclerosis..."

SOURCE:
http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2008/07/im-going-to-miss-my-olive-oil---who-knew-it-wasnt-so-healthy-after-all-drs-esselstyn-ornish-vogel-rudel-did.html

STUDY:
Vogel RA. Corretti MC. Plotnick GD. The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 36(5):1455-60, 2000 Nov 1.

ALSO:
"High-Fat Fast-Food Meals Cause the Heart to Beat Harder and Blood Pressure to Rise: A new study from the Journal of Nutrition finds that a single fatty meal can cause the heart to beat harder and blood pressure to rise..."

STUDY:
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/137/4/935

7. HEART ATTACK PROOF YOURSELF:
"Every day, nearly 2,600 Americans die of some type of cardiovascular disease, an average of one death every 34 seconds, and 7.1 million Americans have had a heart attack during their lifetimes." --- (American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2005 Update. Dallas, Texas: American Heart Association; 2005)

20 years of peer-reviewed research by Drs. Ornish and Esselstyn, independently shows that a very low no-added fat vegan diet can reverse and prevent heart disease. Modern science has
NOT accomplished this feat by any surgery, drug, or mechanism.

THE ORNISH "LIFE CHOICE" DIET:
http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Dean_Ornish_Diet

DR. ESSELSTYN'S WEBSITE:
http://www.heartattackproof.com

8. THE MEDITERRANEAN STUDY MYTH:
"After four years on the Mediterranean Diet, 25 percent of the people either died or had another major cardiac event. To me, that has absolutely nothing to do with the arrest and reversal of heart disease; that is simply slowing the rate of progression. We want to use nutrition that can arrest and reverse disease, not slow the rate of progression... When you think about it, what does olive oil have in it? A tiny bit of vitamin E, no minerals, no other vitamins, and no fiber. All you are getting is 100 percent fat, 14 percent of which is artery-clogging."

FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. ESSELSTYN:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0876/is_97/ai_n21193775/pg_5

9. DIABETES:
"Eating a low-fat vegan diet may be better at managing type 2 diabetes than traditional diets, according to a new study... Researchers found 43% of people with type 2 diabetes who followed a low-fat vegan diet for 22 weeks reduced their need to take medications to manage their disease compared with 26% of those who followed the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA)... Forty-nine of the participants followed a low-fat vegan diet consisting of about 10% of daily calories from fat, 15% protein, and 75% carbohydrates..."

FROM:
http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20060726/low-fat-vegan-diet-may-treat-diabetes

10. IMPOTENCY:
"... when you control your risk of a heart attack, you also control your risk of stroke, impotence, kidney failure and even wrinkles. A major cause of all of these is arterial aging, and while arterial aging is typical, it is neither normal nor necessary."

FROM:
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/magazine/article/509629

11. BREAST CANCER:
"... The researchers found that doubling fat intake, from 20 percent to 40 percent, was associated with a 15 percent increase in breast cancer risk. The increase in risk was similar for all types of fat-saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated..."

FROM:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321161542.htm

12. COLON & PROSTATE CANCER:
"Most importantly, population studies tell us that, worldwide, the lower the total fat intake, the less the risk of common cancers, such as breast, colon and prostate."

FROM:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

STUDIES CITED:
21) Carroll KK. Experimental evidence of dietary factors and hormone-dependent cancers. Cancer Res. 1975 Nov;35(11 Pt. 2):3374-83.

22) Rao GN. Influence of diet on tumors of hormonal tissues. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1996;394:41-56.

23) Weisburger JH. Worldwide prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases based on knowledge of mechanisms. Mutat Res. 1998 Jun 18;402(1-2):331-7.

13. OBESITY:
LOW-FAT VEGAN DIET MAY SPUR WEIGHT LOSS: (09/23/05):
"A diet free of animal products and low in fat may help trim the waistline without the task of strict calorie watching, a new study suggests. Researchers found that of 64 postmenopausal, overweight women, those assigned to follow a low-fat vegan diet for 14 weeks lost an average of 13 pounds, compared with a weight loss of about 8 pounds among women who followed a standard low-cholesterol diet. The weight loss came despite the fact that the women were given no limits on their portion sizes or daily calories -- and despite the fact that the vegan diet boosted their carbohydrate intake.

[Dr. Neal] Barnard and his colleagues at George Washington and Georgetown universities report the findings in the American Journal of Medicine. Despite the restrictions of going vegan, Barnard maintained that it's easy to take on the lifestyle. "Just eat fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains," he said. "Everything you're eating is good for you." It is wise, he noted, to take a multivitamin, particularly to get enough vitamin B12, which is found naturally only in animal products."

SOURCE: American Journal of Medicine, September 2005.

Note: the write-up above is no longer on the web, but you can read about the study, including abstract, at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TDC-4H3H3D5-D&_user=10&_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2005&_rdoc=12&_fmt=summary&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235195%232005%23998819990%23606135%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5195&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=37&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=206b5ede2e92106c530fa68ba0b213b2

14. CRAVINGS FOR FAT:
MC: "... What happens to the cravings for fat?"
Esselstyn: "Within about 8 to 12 weeks you've down-regulated the fat receptors and it's no longer an issue."

[You can read the full interview (with embedded links) and downloadable copies of the Interview to Print and/or Distribute at:
http://www.madcowboy.com/02_MCIview05.000.html

15. DR. T. COLIN CAMPBELL:
Author of "The China Study" (history's largest study on diet and health):

"S.J.: What kind of treats do you use when you are feeling like a treat?

T.C.C.: Oh, a treat. I had some of my wife's cookies for one thing. She makes cookies now with no fat and just a very minimal amount of sugar and she puts in fruits, dried fruits and things like that and grains.

S.J.: Ground nuts.

T.C.C.: Yes.

S.J.: So that takes the place of oil, for example, using the whole food nut.

T.C.C.: Exactly, I just find that I am adapted to that taste now and that to me is a great treat. Just to get her to make some of those cookies."

INTERVIEW (AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS, THIS IS FROM PAGE 114) AT:
http://climatehealth.net/Interviews.html

Cholesterol: The Top 5 Foods To Lower Your Numbers

Cholesterol: The top 5 foods to lower your numbers

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cholesterol/CL00002/METHOD=print
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

Can a bowl of oatmeal help prevent a heart attack? How about a handful of walnuts, or even your baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A few simple tweaks to your diet — like these — may be enough to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level and help you stay off medications.

Oatmeal and oat bran
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes.

Soluble fiber appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Ten grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you'll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

Walnuts, almonds and more
Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks.

A cholesterol-lowering diet in which 20 percent of the calories come from walnuts may reduce LDL cholesterol by as much as 12 percent. But all nuts are high in calories, so a handful (no more than 2 ounces or 57 grams) will do. As with any food, eating too much can cause weight gain, and being overweight places you at higher risk of heart disease. To avoid gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids help the heart in other ways such as reducing blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduces the risk of sudden death.

Doctors recommend eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. However, to maintain the heart-healthy benefits of fish, bake or grill it. If you don't like fish, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil.

You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the beneficial effects, but you won't get all the other nutrients in fish, like selenium. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.

Olive oil
Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL) cholesterol untouched.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day to get its heart-healthy benefits. To add olive oil to your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade, or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat.

Some research suggests that the cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But avoid "light" olive oils. This label usually means the oil is more processed and lighter in color, not fat or calories.

Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols
Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.

Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks fortified with plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce (237 milliliters) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day.

Plant sterols or stanols in fortified foods don't appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Nor do they interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K.

The American Heart Association recommends foods fortified with plant sterols for people with levels of LDL cholesterol over 160 milligrams per deciliter (4.1 mmol/L).

Consider your diet first
Before you make other changes to your diet, think about cutting back on the types and amounts of fats you eat, which can raise your cholesterol. That way, you'll improve your cholesterol levels and health overall.

When cutting fat from your diet, focus on saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats, like those in meat and some oils, raise your total cholesterol. Trans fats, which are sometimes used to make store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes, are particularly bad for your cholesterol levels because they raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), "good" cholesterol. You should try to limit the number of calories you eat daily to less than 10 percent from saturated fat, and eliminate as many trans fats from your diet as possible.

Foods That Raise "Good" HDL Cholesterol

Foods that Raise *Good* HDL Cholesterol:

Garlic (fresh is best)
Grape Seed Oil
Almonds
Macademia Nuts
Avocadoes
Onions, raw
Leeks,Scallions
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vitamin C rich foods(bell peppers, broccoli,cauliflower)
Beta-carotene-rich foods (carrots, spinach, broccoli)
Red Wine in moderation
Caution: Diets containing even minimal amounts of hydrogenated or
partially hydrogenated oils and fats *depress* HDLs.

From: "Food your Miracle Medicine"
(How Food can Prevent and Cure Over 100 Symptoms and Problems)
by Jean Carper