Lowering Cholesterol Naturally – 6 Tips

www.pritikin.com/your-health/health-benefits/lower-cholesterol/1468-7-tips-for-improving-your-ldl-cholesterol.html

LDL levels of 81
Ground-breaking research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA) studied nearly 9,000 European patients. All had previously suffered heart attacks.
The trial found that those who reduced their LDL levels to an average 81 with high-dose
statins significantly reduced their risk of major coronary events like heart attacks and
strokes at the 4.8 year follow-up compared to patients who reduced their LDL to 104 on
usual-dose statin therapy.

Lower LDL Levels are better

In a JAMA editorial accompanying the study, Christopher P. Cannon, MD, of Brigham and
Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School wrote that aggressive LDL lowering is the
ideal – “lower is better.”

The JAMA study’s findings echo those of another large 4,162-patient study, published in
the New England Journal of Medicine. It concluded that LDL cholesterol levels of 62 were
even better than levels of 95 at preventing death, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular-
related problems in people with heart disease.

Drugs’ negative effects

In both studies, mega-doses of statins (a doubling and tripling of regular doses) drove LDL
levels way down. But in both studies, mega-doses also caused problems. Suffering from
adverse side effects like muscle pain, memory loss, and elevated liver enzymes, patients
on the high doses stopped taking their medications at twice the rate of patients on regular
doses.

Muscle pain, also called myopathy, occurs in 2% to 11% of people treated with statins,
reported investigators at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, and
although the pain usually subsides once the statin is discontinued, it can take several
months to do so. Like previous studies, the Wisconsin scientists also found that the
negative side effects of statins increased as dosages increased.

Medication-free alternatives
“That’s why drug-free alternatives like the Pritikin Program are so important,” advises Dr.
William McCarthy, UCLA School of Public Health and member of the Pritikin Scientific
Advisory Board.

“For people who cannot tolerate maximum doses of statins, or for those wanting to
minimize their dependence on drugs, the Pritikin Program of diet and exercise – or a
combination of low-dose statins plus the Pritikin Program – offers a much safer option for
lowering LDL cholesterol to levels significantly below 100.”
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Lowering cholesterol naturally
In research on more than 4,500 men and women following the Pritikin Program of diet and
exercise, LDL levels plummeted 23%, and in just three weeks.

39% drop in LDL Levels

And in a study by UCLA scientists in conjunction with the nonprofit Pritikin Foundation, men
and women nearly doubled their reductions in cholesterol, averaging a 39% drop, when
they supplemented regular-dose statin therapy with the diet-and-exercise lifestyle of the
Pritikin Program.

6 Dietary and Lifestyle Tips To Lower LDL Levels

To dramatically lower your LDL cholesterol levels without resorting to high doses of statins
(and maybe even eliminating the need for statins altogether), the doctors and dietitians at
the Pritikin Longevity Center recommend these 6 dietary/lifestyle tips:

1. Limit your intake of foods full of saturated fats, trans fats, and dietary
cholesterol.
Foods with a lot of saturated fat include butter, fatty flesh like red meat, full-fat and
low-fat dairy products, palm oil, and coconut oil. If you see partially hydrogenated fat
in the Ingredient List of a food label, that food has trans fats. Top sources of dietary
cholesterol include egg yolks, organ meats, and shellfish.

One type of fat – omega-3 fatty acids – has been shown to protect against heart
disease. Good sources are cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel, halibut, trout,
herring, and sardines.

To help you translate the above guidelines into daily food planning, here are
key guidelines:

Select nonfat dairy foods only, 2 servings daily.

Limit your intake of meat, poultry, and fish to no more than 3.5 to 4 ounces per day.
From the choices below, which are listed from best to poor, try to select almost
always from the top.

Best Choice: Omega-3-rich fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and
trout. Choose at least 2 times weekly. If you’re using canned fish, such as canned
sardines, select very-low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties.

Good Choice: Most other fish, plus shelled mollusks (clams, oysters, mussels,
scallops).

Satisfactory Choices: Crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster, crawfish), Poultry (white

meat, skinless) Game Meat (bison, venison, elk, ostrich), optimally free-range and
grass-fed

Poor Choice: Red meat (beef, pork, lamb, veal, goat). For all red meat choices,
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 select cuts that are under 30% fat.

Red meats are the least desirable choice because they not only tend to have the
highest proportion of saturated fats, they are also higher in heme iron, which likely
raises the risk of type 2 diabetes and colo-rectal cancer. Red meats also alter the
gut’s microbiome, which recent research indicates may raise cardiovascular disease
risk.

2. Eat a lot more fiber-rich foods (especially soluble fiber from foods like
beans, oats, barley, fruits, and vegetables).
Foods naturally rich in soluble fiber have proven particularly good at lowering
cholesterol. Excellent sources include oats, oat bran, barley, peas, yams, sweet
potatoes and other potatoes, as well as legumes or beans, such as pinto beans,
black beans, garbanzo beans, and peas. Vegetables rich in soluble fiber include
carrots, Brussels sprouts, beets, okra, and eggplant. Good fruit sources are berries,
passion fruit, oranges, pears, apricots, nectarines, and apples.

3. Choose protein-rich plant foods (such as legumes or beans, nuts, and

seeds) over meat.
Common legumes include lentils, peas, and beans, such as pinto beans, red beans,
white beans, and soybeans. They’re full of nutritional riches and are a very healthy,
protein-packed alternative to meat. Legumes help lower total cholesterol, LDL
cholesterol, blood sugar, and insulin levels, and may even lower cancer risk.

Nuts and seeds have been proven to modestly lower LDL cholesterol levels. To
avoid blood-pressure-raising salt, choose raw or dry-roasted, unsalted varieties. To
avoid gaining weight, don’t eat more than 1 ounce daily since nuts and seeds are
dense with calories (averaging about 175 calories per ounce).

Guide for Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

The complete Pritikin Program for lowering cholesterol with little or no medication. Includes
recipes and 5-day meal plan. The Ultimate Guide for Lowering LDL Cholesterol Naturally

4. Lose as much excess weight as possible.

Losing excess weight is beneficial for all sorts of reasons, from improving your
cholesterol profile to preventing diseases epidemic in industrialized societies,
including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, gout, and many
types of cancer.

Do keep in mind that it’s important to limit fat intake, even so-called “good” fats like
olive oil, because any fat is dense with calories, which means heavy consumption
can easily lead to a heavy body.

NOTE: The above steps contain the key food groups that have cholesterol-lowering
properties. The supplements described in Tips 5 and 6 may provide additional LDL
lowering.

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 5.Take plant sterol supplements.
Sterols are naturally occurring substances found in plants. A daily intake of 1 to 2
grams of plant sterols has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels. Your best
choice is supplements, such as CholestOff (by Nature Made), because they do not
have the calories, sugar, trans fats, and/or salt of many foods enriched with plant
sterols.

6. Take psyllium (such as Metamucil).

Psyllium husks are seed grains sold as a soluble fiber supplement and laxative.
Metamucil is the best known brand, but psyllium is also available in less expensive
store brands. Studies have shown that 9 to 10 grams daily of psyllium, the equivalent
of about 3 teaspoons daily of Sugar-Free Metamucil, reduced LDL levels.

To get the cholesterol-lowering benefit, take 1 teaspoon with water no more than 15
to 30 minutes before a meal.

“If your LDL levels are still too high after trying these 6 nutrition-based approaches, talk to
your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications like statins, but give these 6 tips your
best shot,” encourages Dr. Jay Kenney, Nutrition Research Specialist at the Pritikin
Longevity Center. “The right diet, like the Pritikin Diet, can be powerfully beneficial – and
there are no adverse side effects.”

Recipes for Lowering LDL Cholesterol

Adding foods every day that are naturally rich in fiber, like beans and brown rice, are an
excellent way to lower your LDL cholesterol without drugs. The recipe below combines two
great foods into one healthy cholesterol-lowering dish. Don’t like beans or rice? Check out
these other great cholesterol-lowering recipes.

Black Beans and Brown Rice

This healthy recipe pairs well with just about anything -- salmon,
chicken, or game meat like bison and venison. It's also a superb
go-to for quick-fix lunches or snacks. Ladle some into whole-
wheat tortillas stuffed with crunchy veggies. Pour a cup or two
into some chicken or vegetable stock for an easy soup. Or blend
a big scoop of your beans and rice with a big bowl of lettuce
greens and sliced tomatoes for a filling lunch salad.
CourseDinner, Leftovers, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Snack, Soup/Stew
CuisineMexican, Slow Yet Simple, South American, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings Prep Time

20 servings 35 minutes

Cook Time

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 95 minutes

Servings Prep Time Cook Time

20 servings 35 minutes 95 minutes

Black Beans and Brown Rice

This healthy recipe pairs well with just about anything --

salmon, chicken, or game meat like bison and venison. It's
also a superb go-to for quick-fix lunches or snacks. Ladle
some into whole-wheat tortillas stuffed with crunchy veggies.
Pour a cup or two into some chicken or vegetable stock for
an easy soup. Or blend a big scoop of your beans and rice
with a big bowl of lettuce greens and sliced tomatoes for a
filling lunch salad.
CourseDinner, Leftovers, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish,
Snack, Soup/Stew
CuisineMexican, Slow Yet Simple, South American,
Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings Prep Time

20 servings 35 minutes

Cook Time

95 minutes

Servings Prep Time Cook Time

20 servings 35 minutes 95 minutes

Ingredients
Black beans
4 cups beans (black) uncooked
6 red onions diced
1 cup fresh garlic chopped
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 chipotle pepper remove before serving
1-1/2 carrots diced
2 teaspoons black pepper freshly ground
3 quarts water
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves picked and chopped
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Brown Rice
2 cups rice (brown) uncooked
1/2 cup onions diced
1/2 cup garlic fresh, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium
2 teaspoons cumin
5 cups water

Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
Black Beans
1. Soak beans overnight, rinse, and drain. In a large stockpot, bring to a boil all
ingredients for black bean part of recipe, except cilantro. Then reduce heat, cover,
and simmer until beans are soft, about 1-1/2 hours.
2. When ready to serve, stir in cilantro. Remove chipotle.

Brown Rice
1. In a large nonstick medium-hot saute pan, saute rice with all ingredients, except
water, until garlic starts to brown. Add water & bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
When done, combine with cooked black beans, or serve separately.

Share this Recipe

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Sources:
JAMA, 2005; 294: 2437.
New England Journal of Medicine, 2004; 350: 15.
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 Archives of Internal Medicine, 2005; 165: 2671.
Archives of Internal Medicine, 1991; 151: 1389.
American Journal of Cardiology, 1997; 79: 1112
T. Colin Campbell, PhD, The China Study: Startling Implications For Diet, Weight
Loss and Long-Term Health, Benbella Books: 2005
British Medical Journal, 2000; 320: 861.
J Nutrition, 1997; 127: 1973.
Author, Eugenia Killoran

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