Cholesterol Lowering Supplements, please comment on safety/efficacy Options

[somec]

1. Vitamin E Tocotrienol
2. Green Tea (Extract)
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
4. Shiitake, Reishi, Maitake Mushrooms (Extract)

I am considering supplementing with atleast 2 of the 4 supplements to lower my cholesterol if not all 4 if there aren't any side effects or complications that arise from taking them simultaneously. They all seem to have a different way of lowering cholesterol so that is why I listed these specific ones. If you have any others to add feel free to. Any advice would be really appreciated. I am trying to avoid using pharmecuetical drugs to achieve my goal. Thank you

[Jay]

A new study released yesterday shows niacin is far superior to statins (Zetia/Vytorin) unless you like atherosclerosis.

This post has been edited by Jay: Nov 16 2009, 04:40 PM

[Jay]

1. Vitamin E Tocotrienol
2. Green Tea (Extract)
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
4. Shiitake, Reishi, Maitake Mushrooms (Extract)

Based on the breadth of use, I would think that 2, 3, and 4 come with lower risks than 1 at the moment.

[platypus]

I'm taking Sytrinol (sold by LEF), I hope it's not a scam as there are not very studies about it.

[health_nutty]

Diet most importantly and also exercise are going to have a much bigger impact than supplements. What does your diet and exercise routine look like?

1) Monosaturated fats lower LDL and raise HDL and don't oxidize as easily as polysaturated (don't cook at high heat)
2) Saturated fats raise LDL and raise HDL and dont' oxidize easily (best to cook with if you must)
3) Polysaturated fats lower LDL and lower HDL but are easily oxidized (consume spariningly except for omega 3s)
4) Fiber helps lower LDL (Oat bran very good for this)
5) Refined carbs raise LDL and triglycerites.
6) Exercise raises HDL
7) Various antioxidants can lower LDL and more importantly keep it from oxidizing (green tea, pomegranate,etc).

[Jay]

Diet most importantly and also exercise are going to have a much bigger impact than supplements. What does your diet and exercise routine look like?

1) Monosaturated fats lower LDL and raise HDL and don't oxidize as easily as polysaturated (don't cook at high heat)
2) Saturated fats raise LDL and raise HDL and dont' oxidize easily (best to cook with if you must)
3) Polysaturated fats lower LDL and lower HDL but are easily oxidized (consume spariningly except for omega 3s)
4) Fiber helps lower LDL (Oat bran very good for this)
5) Refined carbs raise LDL and triglycerites.
6) Exercise raises HDL
7) Various antioxidants can lower LDL and more importantly keep it from oxidizing (green tea, pomegranate,etc).

Don't forget Niacin, which seems to be one of the most important supplements in preventing cardiovascular disease

This post has been edited by Jay: Nov 16 2009, 06:07 PM

[health_nutty]

Diet most importantly and also exercise are going to have a much bigger impact than supplements. What does your diet and exercise routine look like?

1) Monosaturated fats lower LDL and raise HDL and don't oxidize as easily as polysaturated (don't cook at high heat)
2) Saturated fats raise LDL and raise HDL and dont' oxidize easily (best to cook with if you must)
3) Polysaturated fats lower LDL and lower HDL but are easily oxidized (consume spariningly except for omega 3s)
4) Fiber helps lower LDL (Oat bran very good for this)
5) Refined carbs raise LDL and triglycerites.
6) Exercise raises HDL
7) Various antioxidants can lower LDL and more importantly keep it from oxidizing (green tea, pomegranate,etc).

Don't forget Niacin, which seems to be one of the most important supplements in preventing cardiovascular disease

Pomegranate and Vitamin K2 are very important for cardiovascular disease although don't reduce LDL (at least that isn't the primary mechanism).

I'm reluctant to recommend Niacin becuase at the dosages needed to lower cholesterol it has drug like side effects. High dose Niacin should be used
with regular blood tests to check liver enzymes. But yes, it is very effective!

This post has been edited by health_nutty: Nov 16 2009, 06:24 PM

[kismet]

A new study released yesterday shows niacin is far superior to statins (Zetia/Vytorin) unless you like atherosclerosis.

No, it didn't. How come you interpret it that way? And how does the study compare to pooled data from 155613 patients assessing actual cinical outcomes and showing statins (on their own; not vytorin which apparently is a very problematic combination) to be of considerable benefit in the target populations (primary and secondary prevention in subjects w/ risk factors).
I am sure you are misreading the study. Both groups received the statin, one group got ezetimbe (stand-alone product zetia) and the other niaspan on top of it. So they can compare the two groups (eze + statin = vytorin).  

1. Vitamin E Tocotrienol

I'm curious myself. Is there anything to it?

This post has been edited by kismet: Nov 16 2009, 10:10 PM

[Declmem]

Don't forget guggul (not the search engine

[Jay]

Right

This post has been edited by Jay: Nov 16 2009, 10:49 PM

[nameless]

My interpretation of that study was basically niacin > zetia. I suspect niacin is better than a statin for preventing heart disease, but I don't think that study proves that.

For cholesterol, you can also consider:
Anthocyanins
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/short/90/3/485

Making sure your D serum is at least in the 40-50 range.

Tocotrienols are worth considering too. Data is somewhat iffy, but it could help. The thing about tocotrienols that worries me is the fact no populations consume large quantities from diet.

Grapeseed and pycnogenol both have studies claiming reduction in cholesterol.

And don't forget fish oils/omega 3s. They won't reduce cholesterol, but it can make your LDL particles fatter and maybe increase HDL a tiny bit. And it should reduce trigs.

And worst case, you could try red yeast rice. There are some interesting China studies showing reduction in heart disease, although the exact preparation they used can't so easily be purchased in the US. It's still a statin though (like a baby-dose statin), but one which should cause less side effects.

This post has been edited by nameless: Nov 17 2009, 12:22 AM

[Bryan]

Tocopherols are generally present in common vegetable oils (i.e. soy, canola, wheat germ, sunflower) and tocotrienols, on the other hand, are concentrated in cereal grains (i.e. oat, barley, and rye, rice bran), with the richest source found in fruits of palm.

Population is Asia - especially - Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand - has been taking tocotrienols for ages - from the palm oil - used as the staple cooking oil on a daily basis. In Malaysia, for example, the average consumption of palm oil per day is about 10~30g per day (mostly used as a staple cooking oil in normal diet), which translates to about ~10 mg of pure tocotrienol complex (alpha, beta, gamma and delta-tocotrienol) per day.

[nameless]

Tocopherols are generally present in common vegetable oils (i.e. soy, canola, wheat germ, sunflower) and tocotrienols, on the other hand, are concentrated in cereal grains (i.e. oat, barley, and rye, rice bran), with the richest source found in fruits of palm.

Population is Asia - especially - Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand - has been taking tocotrienols for ages - from the palm oil - used as the staple cooking oil on a daily basis. In Malaysia, for example, the average consumption of palm oil per day is about 10~30g per day (mostly used as a staple cooking oil in normal diet), which translates to about ~10 mg of pure tocotrienol complex (alpha, beta, gamma and delta-tocotrienol) per day.

Interesting info, as I wasn't aware any populations even consumed that much.

But for cholesterol studies, I think they used somewhere around 100mg daily.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11882333

But 10mg is a good baseline level to consider, assuming Malaysians didn't suffer any negative effects from it. I'm not sure such a low amount will benefit cholesterol levels though.

[kismet]

My interpretation of that study was basically niacin > zetia. I suspect niacin is better than a statin for preventing heart disease, but I don't think that study proves that.

Yes. And we're not going to see any head to head comparisons any time soon (a. no one wants to harm statin sales b. it's unethical to withhold the standard of care in any given RCT). Not that it matters (it's not an either-or false dilemma), as most patients (doctors) just need to know whether the addition of niacin is benefical.

What's the actual vitE content of the tocotrienol-rich fraction "TRF25"? (does it happen to be 25%?)

[nameless]

What's the actual vitE content of the tocotrienol-rich fraction "TRF25"? (does it happen to be 25%?)

Not sure. I think the 25 refers to tocotrienol 25 --

TRF25 " refers to a TRF comprising a significant weight percentage of P25 tocotrienol. Preferably, TRF25 comprises at least about 5% P25, more preferably, at least about 10% P25, and even more preferably, at least about 15% P25 w/w.

Also not sure what percentage of tocotrienols convert to tocopherols in the body.

We had a big tocotrienol thread going in the forums here a while past, you can look that up for info too. There are other cholesterol studies with tocotrienols, and I believe at least one showing plaque regression in the carotid (using palm tocotrienols).

This post has been edited by nameless: Nov 17 2009, 02:29 AM

[Bryan]

Following are other studies showed palm tocotrienols helps to reduce the Total Cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Dosage is about ~100-200 mg per day.

- Response of Hypercholesterolemic, Lipids, 30 :1171-1177
- Lowering of serum cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic humans by tocotrienols, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1991; 53 : pp 1021S - 1026S
- Effect of tocorienol-rich vitamin E on patients with peripheral vascular disease, In Lipid-Soluble Antioxidants : Biochemistry & Clinical Application
- Effect of palm oil vitamin E concentrate on serum and lipoprotein lipids in human, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 53 : 1027-1030

For more information - http://www.tocotrienol.org/en/index/scient..._reduction.html

[pamojja]

... High dose Niacin should be used with regular blood tests to check liver enzymes. But yes, it is very effective!

From Using Niacin to Improve Cardiovascular Health, by William Davis, MD

When taken at doses greater than the RDA, niacin confers an array of health benefits. Niacin:
Increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) by 20-35%. No other available over-the-counter treatments, and very few drugs, are as effective.
Decreases small low-density lipoprotein (small LDL) particles. Small LDL is an important yet underappreciated cause of heart disease. Niacin is the most effective agent known for correcting this abnormal pattern.
Decreases triglycerides by 30%. Niacin is especially effective when taken with fish oil (at doses of 4000 mg a day, providing 1200 mg of EPA/DHA).
Decreases very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles.
Decreases lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). No other treatment approaches the power of niacin to reduce the genetically determined pattern of high Lp(a), which is among the most serious risk factors for heart disease.
Decreases low-density lipoprotein (LDL), usually by 20-40 mg/dL, or 5-25%.

[health_nutty]

... High dose Niacin should be used with regular blood tests to check liver enzymes. But yes, it is very effective!

From Using Niacin to Improve Cardiovascular Health, by William Davis, MD

When taken at doses greater than the RDA, niacin confers an array of health benefits. Niacin:
Increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) by 20-35%. No other available over-the-counter treatments, and very few drugs, are as effective.
Decreases small low-density lipoprotein (small LDL) particles. Small LDL is an important yet underappreciated cause of heart disease. Niacin is the most effective agent known for correcting this abnormal pattern.
Decreases triglycerides by 30%. Niacin is especially effective when taken with fish oil (at doses of 4000 mg a day, providing 1200 mg of EPA/DHA).
Decreases very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles.
Decreases lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). No other treatment approaches the power of niacin to reduce the genetically determined pattern of high Lp(a), which is among the most serious risk factors for heart disease.
Decreases low-density lipoprotein (LDL), usually by 20-40 mg/dL, or 5-25%.

Yes, but make sure you are getting your liver checked. High dose niacin is not something to self-medicate with:
"Regardless of the form of niacin being used, periodic checking of liver function tests is recommended when high doses (above 100 mg per day) of niacin are used."
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b3-000335.htm

[pamojja]

Yes, but make sure you are getting your liver checked. High dose niacin is not something to self-medicate with:
"Regardless of the form of niacin being used, periodic checking of liver function tests is recommended when high doses (above 100 mg per day) of niacin are used."

Most recommendations for liver function test I read were for doses above 1000mg. However, with occasional liver tests you're on the save side.

According to the late Abram Hoffer, who used it since the fifties, Niacin is a lot safer than people realize:

"Niacin is not liver toxic. Niacin therapy increases liver function tests. But this elevation means that the liver is active. It does not indicate an underlying liver pathology."

"There have been no deaths ever from niacin. The LD 50 (the dosage that would kill half of those taking it) for dogs is 6,000 milligrams per kilogram body weight. That is equivalent to half a pound of niacin per day for a human. No human takes 225,000 milligrams of niacin a day. They would be nauseous long before reaching a harmful dose."

[pamojja]

Yes. And we're not going to see any head to head comparisons any time soon (a. no one wants to harm statin sales b. it's unethical to withhold the standard of care in any given RCT).

Even a small study on Zetia, Vytorin makes a big impact

The new study, called Arbiter 6-Halts, pitted ezetimibe against slow-release Niaspan, made by Abbott Laboratories. The study, sponsored by Abbott, involved 208 people with heart disease or serious heart risks. All had been taking statins and had low levels of bad cholesterol. Half of the patients were given Niaspan, and half were given Zetia.

Ultrasound images of neck arteries showed that Niaspan reduced artery plaque by 2%; Zetia did not. Two people in the Niaspan group had heart attacks or other major cardiac events, vs. nine in the Zetia group. One person in the Niaspan group and five people in the ezetimibe group died, Taylor says.

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