Cholesterol Supplements

Every year, millions of Americans are diagnosed with "hyper-cholest-er-emia", or high cholesterol.

And while millions of prescriptions are written each year to deal with the problem, did you know that good nutrients might be the best place to start

I have been so encouraged by people who call me to talk about how good supplements have helped lower their cholesterol. Months earlier, we visited about starting with a good diet, like Doug's Phase 1 Diet. This is a powerful first step.

Then we talked about things like red yeast rice, gamma oryzanol, and certain medicinal spices. Red Yeast Rice actually isn't yeast at all, so it's a Phase 1-friendly supplement. It's a food that has been shown to help lower the bad LDL cholesterol and help raise the good HDL cholesterol. It has also been shown to have some positive impact on high triglycerides. It contains a substance called monacolin which stops the liver from producing cholesterol. Since 80% of cholesterol is produced in the liver, this is a solid choice.

Certain spices also have positive effects on cholesterol. Cayenne pepper helps improve circulation. Turmeric is a superstar spice that also improves circulation, helps lower cholesterol, and inhibits the stickiness of platelets. Like all supplements, check with you doctor first before taking these, especially if you're taking blood thinners.

A surprising combination that could also help with cholesterol is probiotics plus fiber. When you eat food, everything is broken down in the stomach and intestines. Fiber is the exception. Fiber makes its way through the intestines to the colon. If you have sufficient amounts of healthy bacteria in your colon, something interesting happens when fiber comes into contact with it. When fiber interacts with a probiotic called bifidus, it actually breaks down. It makes its way into the bloodstream to the liver and can actually inhibit cholesterol from being formed in the first place. This is one of the most interesting ways I've heard of to help people with cholesterol problems.

The great part about this herb, spice, probiotic, and fiber strategy is that it's not only safe; it's actually good for you. What other combination can say that?

Wanna know more about how nutrition strategies can help with cholesterol and heart health? Give me a call or visit the Cholesterol Control, Probiotics, and/or Green Sweep pages

I'm Guy Evans, and now you know!