"I was in for my annual physical two weeks ago and the letter you sent me said that my cholesterol reading had increased from 210 to 216 over the last year. You said you wanted me to come back in 6 months to get retested. My questions are:
1. I take one 900 mg fish oil tablet a day - would it be beneficial to double that?
2. Some of the "natural" remedy information indicates that cinnamon tablets are helpful - any thoughts on that?
3. My wife wants me to take "Cholest-Off" which is advertised as an all-natural means of reducing LDL numbers - would that be worth trying?
4. Any thoughts on the Juice Plus program and if that might help?
5. I eat a fair amount of peanut butter at lunch and drink 2% milk most nights for dinner - is that a problem?
I am eliminating or reducing my favorite vices - brats and ice cream sandwiches - probably a good thing no matter what my cholesterol number is." Name Withheld
The last post described what cholesterol is and how it can be damaging. I want to go back to this email and discuss some of the issues that were brought up.
Let's start with fish oil. It has been observed that a diet high in fish consumption is protective for heart disease. Now to be clear, seafood itself is not healthy, it is fish. Crab, lobster, clams and other shell fish are actually bad for us. It is the fish that swim that are healthy. For many of us it is tough to eat fish 3-5 times a week. For that reason it was thought that purifying the oils contained in fish could be used as a supplement. Sure enough, fish oil has been shown to lower cholesterol, specifically the triglyceride fraction. Within the last few months a study has come out that looked at whether or not this would lead to a decrease in the rate of heart attacks. Those in the study had the expected improvement in their triglyceride levels but unfortunately there was no benefit in the heart attack rate. It is only one study but it is the best information we have so far. My feeling is that if you sit down to a big steak dinner and pop a fish oil tablet, you are not going to do yourself any good. One of the good things about eating fish is not just the oil but it is also the fact you will not be eating something else that is not healthy.
What about cinnamon tablets? Quite simply, I have seen no data in regards to cholesterol lowering effects of cinnamon. I have seen modest data in regards to lowering blood sugar. The effect is quite small. Avoiding sweets will have a much greater effect on lowering blood sugar than ingesting a little bit of cinnamon.
Moving on, let's discuss "Cholest-Off." This is a plant based sterol put in margarine that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. It has actually been around for several decades. The effect is not huge but it has been demonstrated. If an oil spread is going to be used, it is best to pick one that works for you, not against you. It has also been put into capsules aswell. I have no problems with "Cholest-Off."
The next item is "Juice Plus." The idea behind this product is to get the benefits of multiple servings of fruits and vegetables in a few capsules. I know of no data showing that it helps cholesterol levels. It is high in vitamins. My biggest concern is that people will take these capsules and fail to eat fruits and vegetables. If so, the food they do eat is more likely to be of a lesser quality. Eating fruit and vegetables is more than getting vitamins. It is filling up with good fiber and an excellent source of water. The more whole food and fruit that we eat, the better off we will be. I do not endorse this product though it is safe. Let's make sure and get our 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies in a day.
What about peanut butter and milk? Peanuts are a decent source of protein but peanut butter is usually about 70% fat by calories. It is not the worse thing that can be eaten but if one has high cholesterol, there are better alternatives. In regards to milk, it is all about the fat. Two percent is better than whole milk but not as good as skim milk. I drink nothing but skim. I think it tastes great. Your taste buds will adjust, you don't need the extra fat.
The last paragraph on this email is my favorite. Nothing we have discussed so far will make a difference at all if the brats and ice cream sandwhiches are still being eaten. I can think of nothing worse for cholesterol than brats. It is like a wrapper for fat. Ice cream has the distinction of being the deadly double. It has both fat and sugar in it. No amount of cinnamon, fish oil, Cholest-Off, red yeast or even Lipitor will negate eating poorly. It is not rocket science, it is quite straight forward. If we use our common sense over our taste buds we will be "simply healthy."
The last post described what cholesterol is and how it can be damaging. I want to go back to this email and discuss some of the issues that were brought up.
Let's start with fish oil. It has been observed that a diet high in fish consumption is protective for heart disease. Now to be clear, seafood itself is not healthy, it is fish. Crab, lobster, clams and other shell fish are actually bad for us. It is the fish that swim that are healthy. For many of us it is tough to eat fish 3-5 times a week. For that reason it was thought that purifying the oils contained in fish could be used as a supplement. Sure enough, fish oil has been shown to lower cholesterol, specifically the triglyceride fraction. Within the last few months a study has come out that looked at whether or not this would lead to a decrease in the rate of heart attacks. Those in the study had the expected improvement in their triglyceride levels but unfortunately there was no benefit in the heart attack rate. It is only one study but it is the best information we have so far. My feeling is that if you sit down to a big steak dinner and pop a fish oil tablet, you are not going to do yourself any good. One of the good things about eating fish is not just the oil but it is also the fact you will not be eating something else that is not healthy.
What about cinnamon tablets? Quite simply, I have seen no data in regards to cholesterol lowering effects of cinnamon. I have seen modest data in regards to lowering blood sugar. The effect is quite small. Avoiding sweets will have a much greater effect on lowering blood sugar than ingesting a little bit of cinnamon.
The next item is "Juice Plus." The idea behind this product is to get the benefits of multiple servings of fruits and vegetables in a few capsules. I know of no data showing that it helps cholesterol levels. It is high in vitamins. My biggest concern is that people will take these capsules and fail to eat fruits and vegetables. If so, the food they do eat is more likely to be of a lesser quality. Eating fruit and vegetables is more than getting vitamins. It is filling up with good fiber and an excellent source of water. The more whole food and fruit that we eat, the better off we will be. I do not endorse this product though it is safe. Let's make sure and get our 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies in a day.
What about peanut butter and milk? Peanuts are a decent source of protein but peanut butter is usually about 70% fat by calories. It is not the worse thing that can be eaten but if one has high cholesterol, there are better alternatives. In regards to milk, it is all about the fat. Two percent is better than whole milk but not as good as skim milk. I drink nothing but skim. I think it tastes great. Your taste buds will adjust, you don't need the extra fat.
The last paragraph on this email is my favorite. Nothing we have discussed so far will make a difference at all if the brats and ice cream sandwhiches are still being eaten. I can think of nothing worse for cholesterol than brats. It is like a wrapper for fat. Ice cream has the distinction of being the deadly double. It has both fat and sugar in it. No amount of cinnamon, fish oil, Cholest-Off, red yeast or even Lipitor will negate eating poorly. It is not rocket science, it is quite straight forward. If we use our common sense over our taste buds we will be "simply healthy."
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