Preventing Cardiovascular Disease - Part 4

Lifestyle and dietary recommendation to address cholesterol issues:

In addition to the following suggestion it is extremely important to reduce excess weight, stop smoking and to follow a program of stress reduction if applicable. Each of the following recommendations are important. Excellent results can be achieved from a synergy of the following program, no single factor is more important than the other.

Lifestyle Changes

Avoid saturated fats.

• A reduction by 1% in saturated fatty acids can decrease total cholesterol by 3%. Foods that contain high levels of saturated fats include meats, dairy products, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter.

Avoid hydrogenated oils.

• These oils increase LDL levels and decrease HDL levels. Avoid: salad dressings, margarine, shortening, deep fried foods and processed foods. For more information on the web go to Trans Fats.

Use Omega 3 (EPA/DHA and alpha-linolenic)

• Fish Oils: Combine the fish oil with garlic to decrease serum cholesterol. These oils cause a large reduction in triglyceride levels, a substantial increase in LDL particle size. (Remember it is the small LDL's that cause the problem) Flax Seed Oil: Reduces serum cholesterol but does not effect triglyceride levels.

Use monounsaturated oils.

• Olive oil (Dark green cold pressed) results in a decrease of the total cholesterol and LDL counts. These oils are resistance to oxidation.

Use garlic in your food and as a supplement

• Garlic inhibits LDL oxidation, and prevents abnormal platelet aggregation. Human patients fed a daily dose of Kyolic ("Aged Garlic Extract") over a 10-month study showed that ". . . adhesion to fibrinogen (fibrinogen helps to form clots) was reduced by 30% . Take 900 to 8000 mg a day.

Drink green tea

• Green tea lowers LDL cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels. It also inhibits the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Drink green tea with each meal or take green tea extract at 350 mg per day.

Increase soluble fiber intake

• Soluble fiber lowers total cholesterol and LDL levels while preserving HDL levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, legumes, guar gum, guava, peas, beans, certain citrus fruits, and psyllium. Take 4-6 grams before any high-fat meal. A bowl of oatmeal contains 3 grams, Cheerios 1 gram (Not Honeynut Cheerios).

Use soya products

• Soya products decrease total cholesterol levels, inhibits of LDL oxidation. Drink soya milk, eat tofu, soya nuts, soya burgers, or use soya beans in cooking.

Take selenium

• Individuals with diets low in selenium have two-to-three times greater risk of heart disease than those eating selenium rich diets. Selenium is an antioxidant that reduces oxidation of LDL's Take 200-600 micrograms daily.

Supplement Your Diet With Vitamin E

• Vitamin E lowers the oxidation rate of LDL's and slows the progression of atherosclerosis. Results of a study in the Journal of Circulation Research, August 1998 suggest that vitamin E and selenium inhibited atherosclerosis as effectively as an equally hypocholesterolemic dose of the drug Probucol. Take 400-800 IU daily.

Exercise and Lose Any Extra Weight

• Exercise increases HDL counts, removes triglycerides from the circulation. It also changes the ratio of LDL particle size moving more harmful small particles to large particle size.

In part the last section (Part 5) of Preventing Cardiovascular Disease we will cover Homocysteine, Fibrinogen, and Insulin. 

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