Researchers at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital have shown that a vegetarian diet composed of specific plant foods can lower cholesterol as effectively as a drug treatment. The study compared a diet of known cholesterol-lowering, vegetarian foods...
cholesterol
High cholesterol? Go nuts!
Researchers at the Lorna Linda University in California report that people who replaced 20% of their energy intake with almonds had a markedly improved cholesterol reading. The study compared the effects of a popular cholesterol control diet (Step 1), which restricts...
Cholesterol Success: Tea extracts found to lower cholesterol
A clinical trial testing green tea extract is the first human study to find that a tea product lowers cholesterol. The double-blind, randomized, controlled study included 240 men and women with high cholesterol levels in China. During the 12-week trial, participants,...
Antioxidants for Arteries: Vitamins C and E slow heart disease progression
Three years ago, a team of Finnish researchers reported that combined supplements of natural vitamin E and time-release vitamin C, taken over a three-year period, slowed the progression of atherosclerosis in men. Using ultrasound to document blood-vessel changes, the...
Cholesterol Clues: Study finds plant sterols cut levels
Phytosterols are naturally occurring plant compounds found in vegetables and legumes. They have a chemical structure similar to cholesterol, but inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. Many studies have found that esterified phytosterols added to...
Niacin a winner in cholesterol studies
At the Jefferson Heart Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, researchers found that niacin (vitamin B-3) could benefit people with high cholesterol. In this study, 60 patients were given either 1,000 mg of niacin, 2,000 mg of niacin (slow-release)...
Cutting Cholesterol: Top 4 Options
We all need cholesterol for our bodies to function properly. But some of us produce too much cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Though dietary changes are certainly one approach to help lower cholesterol levels, more intervention may be...
Phase 2 proven in weight loss trials
Participants in a recent study lost an average of 6.45 lbs in only 30 days when they consumed the “starch neutralizer” Phase 2—a proprietary extract of white kidney beans. For comparison, participants on a placebo pill lost less than one pound, on average. The...
Guggulipid cuts cholesterol like drugs
Guggulipid is a natural compound derived from the resin of the Commiphora mukul tree, native to India. In that country, guggulipid is an approved cholesterol-lowering supplement. In the mid 1990s, an excellent study performed at the Heart Research Laboratory, Medical...
Artichoke cuts irritable bowel, cholesterol
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition that affects up to 22% of North Americans. Characterized by abdominal pain and diarrhea, IBS is notoriously difficult to treat. Dyspepsia, a condition similar in its symptoms to IBS, has been treated successfully with...