Alternative Ways to Lower Cholesterol Levels

Last February my mother was diagnosed with heart sickness. Two of her symptoms were high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. For treating her high cholesterol levels her doctor prescribed Crestor, a Statin drug. She was given a sample of Crestor, which she began taking a few days later. She had severe nausea and colitis as a result of taking Crestor, only a couple of times. The pain was so bad she couldn’t sleep and had to stop taking it. Like my mother, thirteen million Americans have been prescribed Statin drugs such as Crestor and Lipitor.

Even though, Statin medications are effective in lowering cholesterol, they do have undesirable side effects. They make the body even more toxic than it already is, this exacerbates the problem. Many mysterious deaths have been reported, even in cases where the patient had lowered their cholesterol levels. Other than nausea there are other even more serious side effects linked to Statin drugs. These side effects include liver damage, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, and in some cases, heart failure.

Statin drugs rob the heart of CoQ10, a much need heart enzyme. CoQ10 is vital for the heart to function well. Therefore, even if you are controlling your cholesterol levels, if you are robbing your heart of this precious enzyme, that is needed for your heat to function well, you are doing yourself a disservice. Statin drugs may bring about that heart attack, you have been avoiding, simply because your heart doesn’t have enough CoQ10 to protect itself.

I wouldn’t be writing this if I didn’t have some good news to share. There are alternative ways to lower cholesterol. According to Energy Times Magazine there are some very good alternative remedies that are very effective and safe for controlling cholesterol.

List of Cholesterol Regulators

Fenugreek: This is a spice common to many Asian Countries—it has been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in people with type2 diabetes.

Garlic: A common herb that does uncommon things—Helps lower blood pressure along with cholesterol and triglycerides, blood fats linked to heart disease.

Green Tea: A very popular tea from the Orient, with many antioxidant properties-- has been shown to lower total cholesterol and raises HDL, may even block cholesterol absorption in the intestines.

Milk Thistle: European herbalist premiere liver cleansing herb—supports the liver, and this controls the overall cholesterol in the body.

Niacin (vitamin B3): A member of the water-soluble B complex family—helps lower LDL and raise HDL; also helps improve poor circulation.

Oyster Mushroom: A fungus traditionally used for food and medicine—help reduce fat and sugar levels in the blood; has also shown to have immune stimulating properties.

Resveratrol: A substance found in several red fruits, including grapes—Has shown an ability to lower LDL; may also mimic the anti aging effects of a very low calorie diet.

Sterols: Plant compounds similar to cholesterol in animals—Helps lower the absorption of dietary cholesterol which can lower LDL levels.

Tocotrienol: A class of nutrient from the E family--- appears to suppress the production of cholesterol within the liver; has also show anti-cancer properties.

Vitamin C: One of the best antioxidants around and a basic vitamin that should be consumed on a daily basis—helps the blood vessels dilate, which increases blood flow; has also helped reduce blood pressure.

I have come across a very informative hub written by another hubber, aka Sandyspider, who has written a fantastic article on cholesterol lowering supplements. I highly recommend her article to anyone, who is serious about lowering their cholesterol naturally. I have had my mother try some of the suggestions mentioned in her article and have found that they work very well. Her article even inspired me to write this hub. Here is the link for your convenience.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Cholesterol-Lowering-Supplements

So next time the doctor takes out his or her pad, and prescribes Statin medication to control your cholesterol levels, consider the alternatives. You may be pleasantly surprised with how well the work and without the dangerous side effects that come with Statin drugs. Remember, you have a responsibility to yourself and one of the best ways to keep your health at it’s best, is to be educated on your options.