Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, white substance that is classified as a fat, and is essential to life. However, it may accumulate on the arterial walls, dangerously constricting the flow of blood. Herbs can help reduce cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Herbal extracts of Hawthorne Berry (Crataegus oxyacantha), Apple Pectin, Plantain (Plantago ovata), Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-graecum), Black Cohosh Root (Cimicifuga racemosa), Cayenne (Capsicum annum), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), and Milk Thistle (Carduus marianus).

Do not use these plants in conjunction with a prescription medication without the consent of your physician. Insulin-requiring diabetics should inform their physicians. Hawthorne may potentiate the action of digitalis. Advise your physician if you are using both.

HAWTHORNE BERRY and CAYENNE, will slowly eat away cholesterol deposits and provide relief from concurrent hypertension. Cayenne helps regulate cholesterol and lipid levels.

Tests a few years ago showed that serum cholesterol levels in rats maintained on a carefully controlled diet that contained 2 grams/day of powdered Hawthorne berries fell anywhere from 10% to 18% over a 2 month period.

PECTIN, in the diets of humans and lab animals, has been shown to increase the excretion of lipids, cholesterol and bile acids, and reduce serum cholesterol levels. Pectins operate by binding with bile acids, thereby decreasing cholesterol and fat absorption. Pectin is also effective in causing regressions in, and preventing, gallstones. There is also evidence that the regular use of Pectin may lessen the severity of diabetes. Along these lines, it has been suggested that fiber-depleted diets actually help cause diabetes mellitus. Other studies have shown that fiber and pectin as contained in this formula could lead to permanent changes in insulin requirements. To prevent the possibility of insulin overdose, diabetics should make their physician aware of the dietary change.

PLANTAIN SEED contains mucilage in its outer epidermis, and swells when it gets wet. This property makes these seeds a natural candidate for the control of cholesterol levels. Along these lines, Plantain has been shown by scientists in Italy, Russia and other countries to reduce the intestinal absorption of lipids and cholesterol. The consensus of opinion today is that the Plantain seeds and leaves act by reducing the intestinal absorption of bile acids. Cholesterol levels may also be lowered in persons that use this herb as an appetite suppressant.

FENUGREEK SEED, according to European research, may be a good agent for reducing serum cholesterol. And, like Pectin, Fenugreek seeds may be an important remedy for diabetes. Fenugreek seeds contain a certain portion of mucilaginous fiber with high viscosity. The herb affects cholesterol levels in the same fashion as Pectin. Fenugreek also contains saponins. The saponin-containing plant fibers could inhibit the intestinal absorption of cholesterol much the same as Alfalfa saponins do (i.e. by absorbing bile acids, and increasing the loss of bile acids by fecal excretion, which then leads to an increased conversion of cholesterol into bile acid by the liver).

BLACK COHOSH has a tonic action on the heart and circulation. It has been experimentally proven to reduce hypertension. The plant exhibits a variety of other physiological properties that are only vaguely related to each other.

TURMERIC contains curcumin and other essential oils (turmerone, zingiberins). Curcumin increases the secretion of bile by stimulating the bile duct. Curcumin also protects the liver by detoxification, stimulating the gall bladder and scavenging free radicals. In conjunction with the adrenal glands, it inhibits both platelet aggregation and the enzymes which induce inflammatory prostaglandins. Curcumin also helps break down fats and reduce cholesterol. Turmeric has been used effectively for treatment of arthritis, high cholesterol, digestion problems, liver protection, and obesity. Turmeric also has been shown to possess antifungal and antibacterial properties.

MILK THISTLE is among the most ancient of all known herbal medicines, having been used as a folk remedy for centuries for liver complaints. Recent research has demonstrated that extracts of Milk Thistle do indeed protect against some very nasty liver toxins through the action of a host of antihepatotoxic (liver protectant) compounds commonly referred to as silymarin. Silymarin has been shown to consist of a large number of flavonolignans, including silybin, isosilybin, dehydrosilybin, silydianin and silychristin. The results of numerous studies suggest that silymarin not only protects liver cells by preventing the actions of toxic substances but that it also stimulate protein synthesis to accelerate the regeneration and production of liver cells. Silymarin, and component silybin, function as antioxidants, protecting cell membranes from free-radical-mediated oxidative damage. This type of damage is known as lipid peroxidation. Most liver toxins produce their damaging effects by free radical mechanisms. Both silymarin and silybin protect red blood cell membranes against lipid peroxidation and hemolysis (breaking down of the red blood cells) caused by certain red blood cell poisons.