Many doctors continue to recommend drugs to lower cholesterol even though these medications may have side effects.
In August, 2001, Bayer Pharmaceutical removed cerivastatin (Baycol), a cholesterol-lowering drug taken by 700,000 Americans, off the U.S. market because of muscle destruction linked to 31 U.S. deaths and at least nine more fatalities abroad.
An industry-funded study of pravastatin (Pravachol) reported a rate of breast cancer twelve times higher than among women not using the drug. Bristol-Myers Squibb, the drug's manufacturer, claimed this to be a "statistical fluke." This finding is of particular importance in view of the growing numbers of patients being placed on this drug, one of four similar ones on the market. A recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs, fibrates and statins, cause breast cancer and other cancers in rodents and that their use "should be avoided."
The Natural Approach
You can take a natural approach to lowering cholesterol levels by eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet, regular exercise, and taking specific nutrients like those found in Cholest-Less and Pressure Control from Whitewing Labs. These natural formulas can help you attain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels without negative side effects.
Cholest-Less combines several nutrients and phytochemicals that can play an important supplemental role in supporting healthy cholesterol levels. Several of these cholesterol-lowering agents have shown promise of outperforming prescription medications even though they are classified as dietary supplements and are not intended to cure or treat disease.
Within the last several years, the oxidative theory of clogged arteries and high cholesterol levels has provided another avenue of therapy using antioxidants. It is believed that low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), when oxidized, cause the development of foam cells that then contribute to clogged arteries. Research has indicated that polyphenols inhibit LDL oxidation and plaque buildup. Supplementation of nutritional antioxidants, like polyphenols and flavonoids, has been shown to reduce the vulnerability of LDL to oxidation, decreasing the chances of plaque buildup. Cholest-Less is a rich source of vitamins C and E.
Doctors have known since the 1950s that niacin, also found in Cholest-Less, can remedy cholesterol abnormalities in the blood, sharply raising levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs, the "good" cholesterol). Niacin is one of the most potent agents known for raising HDLs, say experts.
Meanwhile, a report in the June 2002 issue of the Journal of Nutrition notes that psyllium "is recognized as a potent agent in lowering plasma cholesterol." Giving lab animals this herb alone led to reductions in triglycerides and LDL cholesterol of 34% and 23%, respectively, compared with animals in the control group.
Cholest-Less also contains hawthorn extract. In a recent study from the journal Phytomedicine, an extract made from hawthorn leaves and flowers was shown to help improve exercise tolerance in people with moderate heart problems. People with mild heart problems may experience shortness of breath or fatigue with exertion, fast heart rate, intolerance to cold, swelling in the legs and ankles, or, in severe cases, pressure in the chest.
Conventional medications may include digoxin, furosemide or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors). These stimulate heart contractions, reduce excess fluid accumulation, or dilate arteries to take the strain off the heart. But these can have toxic side effects. Hawthorn, say these researchers, may be a safer alternative for mild to moderate heart problems.
An Excellent Combination
Ingredients in Whitewing's companion product Pressure Control include arginine, garlic and magnesium.
Oral arginine helps reduces systemic blood pressure, particularly in type 2 diabetics. Arginine is converted in the endothelial cells to nitric oxide (NO) and citrulline. NO is a potent vasodilator in humans, but diabetics may have a reduced generation of NO which results in endothelial dysfunction or high blood pressure. Arginine reduced systolic BP from 135 mmHg to 123 mmHg within two hours. Diastolic BP fell from 86.9 mmHg to 80.7 mmHg during the same period. "These data suggest that oral arginine may increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to increase vascular NO and temporally reduce blood pressure in mildly hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients.", states The Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
The work of Harry Preuss, M.D., of the Department of Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C., shows us that garlic is also a potent agent for lowering blood pressure. He found that when groups of spontaneously hypertensive rats were fed garlic for 45 days, "the final mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was reduced significantly" compared to the control group.
In the August 2002 issue of the American Journal of Hypertension, researchers note that magnesium is also a potent agent for lowering blood pressure.
A Healthy Heart Solution
Very often we find that natural remedies are equally as effective as potentially more toxic approaches. For people with cholesterol or blood pressure problems, unless the condition is immediately life-threatening, you should consider Cholest-Less and Pressure Control. These formulas deliver excellent results without toxicity.
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