Healthy Foods to Help Lower Cholesterol

Some foods can be helpful in lowering cholesterol naturally.  
You may want to add or increase your consumption of  these foods:    

•  Whole grains, such as oatmeal, oat bran, high-fiber foods and whole-wheat products.
•  Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds and brazil nuts
•   Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish, fish oil supplements, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil

Oatmeal, especially steel-cut oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad," cholesterol.

Soluble fiber is also found in foods such as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.

 The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

•     Mackerel
•     Lake trout
•     Herring
•     Sardines
•     Albacore tuna
•     Salmon
•     Halibut

To avoid adding unhealthy fats you should bake or grill the fish. If you don't like fish, you can also get small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil, omega-3 (grass-fed) meat, eggs and dairy products, and green vegetables.

What Causes Heart Disease-- a Cardiologist Speaks Out

If you have ever had a test result of elevated cholesterol in your blood, you may have been warned about cholesterol. I have been on several occasions.
While I was never advised to go on medication for it, I was usually given standard advice to watch out for and avoid cholesterol in my diet. In fact in my last exam everything was good as far as my overall results, except that the "bad" type of LDL cholesterol was a bit high, which caused concern for my doctor.
I was already eating whole grains and fish, and avoiding trans fats and foods high in cholesterol. Researching cholesterol, I discovered the conventional wisdom regarding cholesterol is not unanimous. Cholesterol as such is less of the culprit than it was previously thought to be.
Dr. Dwight Lundell, a cardiologist who has performed thousands of surgeries, is one of many physicians who now question this prevailing belief about cholesterol and heart disease.
Instead, Dr. Lundell questions the role that saturated fat and cholesterol play in heart disease. He states that rather than cholesterol, it is inflammation, that is the source of most types of degenerative disease, especially heart disease and type 2 diabetes. And he finds a diet of processed foods high in sugar and Omega 6 fatty acids as a leading cause of many health problems,including heart disease:

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out While we do need some omega 6 fatty acids in our diet, many people are consuming too much of them. Omega 6 is found in margarine and most cooking oils including corn, soy, safflower, palm kernel oil and canola oil except expeller processed canola oil. Olive oil and fish oil are a good source of omega 3 fats.

Who Needs Fish Oil, and Why?

Why is fish oil considered to be a necessary part of a healthy diet?

Fish oil has been found to contain several key beneficial substances for human health.
Oil from certain types of fish such as salmon, sardines, cod, tuna and anchovies is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA.  These compounds support sound cardiovascular health and joint health.  In 2002 the American Heart Association issued new guidelines on fish and fish oil consumption because evidence from numerous scientific studies showed that the omega-3 fatty acids support cardiovascular health by lowering high triglyceride levels.  Yet, despite the evidence of the clear health benefits of omega-3s, most of us do not consume enough fish on a weekly basis (two or more servings) to get all of the omega-3s we need.

In addition, long-chain omega-3s are important to nervous system and brain development. It is crucial that  women of childbearing age who are pregnant or may become pregnant should consume enough omega-3s.  Omega-3s are also important for children as well since their brains are growing rapidly.

Finally, DHA is also important for eye development and growth.

Besides fish, there are several other sources of omega-3s.  Eggs rich in omega-3s are now available from hens which fed a diet rich in omega-3s.

Flax seeds and oil are an important source of vegetarian omega-3s for someone following a vegan diet. 

What about omega-3 supplements?

A quality fish oil supplement can be beneficial to health. But the quality of the fish oil supplement is an important consideration. Sourcing is also a factor.  Small clean fish and sustainable practices blend both EPA and DHA with vitamin D.

 It is best to choose a supplement that has been thoroughly tested and rated for purity, because not all fish oil supplements are of equal quality, and thus benefit. In 2011 Consumer Reports found 27% of supplements tested have levels of PCBs that would require a warning label under Prop. 65 in California.

USANA's BiOmega is an omega-3 fish oil supplement that has been independently tested and rated for quality and purity as compared to other similar supplements. BiOmega test results confirm it as extremely pure and thus safe, with no detectable levels of lead or PCBs.
BiOmega also works better than a statin drug for lowering cholesterol.

In a recent study, ConsumerLab.com determined that USANA’s BiOmega contains its labeled amount of fish oil, EPA, DHA and Omega-3s. This study tested similar products from various nutritional supplement manufacturers to determine whether they in fact contained the amounts of these compounds stated on their labels. Problems were discovered in 30 percent of the other fish oil and omega-3 supplements.

In light of new FDA warnings against potentially unsafe supplements available on the market, studies like this help consumers and health care professionals make better decisions and more informed recommendations when it comes to supplements.

As the Consumerlab report noted, BiOmega rates high in purity.

While fish oil supplements such as BiOmega may be beneficial to your health, it is always best to consult your medical provider before using any supplements.

What's the Buzz About Krill?

Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that feed on plants in the ocean. Baleen whales, mantas, and whale sharks eat primarily krill. In Norwegian, the word "krill" means "whale food." People extract the oil from krill, place it in capsules, and use it for medicine. Some brand name krill oil products indicate that they use Antarctic krill. This usually refers to the species of krill called Euphausia superba.

Recently krill has been discovered to have some of the same potential benefits to human health as fish oil. Krill oil contains fatty acids similar to fish oil. These fats are thought to be beneficial fats that decrease swelling, lower cholesterol, and make blood platelets less sticky. When blood platelets are less sticky they are less likely to form clots.  It is being promoted and used for heart disease, high levels of certain blood fats (triglycerides), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, osteoarthritis, depression, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and painful menstrual periods.

However at this point there is insufficient evidence that krill is effective for any of these conditions.  More scientific studies and evidence are needed. WebMd had a special precautions and warnings regarding krill:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of krill oil during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.


Additionally there can be an environmental issue with krill harvesting, as the National Geographic has reported that krill stocks have dropped an alarming 70%.  The reason for this is not known, but since it is an important source of food for so much marine life, it may be unwise to begin large-scale harvesting of krill for human consumption.

At this point the science points toward fish oil or for vegetarians, flax seed oil.