Cholesterol plays a vital role in the human body as an essential part of cell structure, nerve function and hormone synthesis. It is high cholesterol in the blood, or serum cholesterol, that contributes to the buildup of plaque inside arteries, impeding blood flow to the brain, heart and kidneys. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream attached to lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins transport the fatty substance into the arteries. High-density lipoproteins move cholesterol out of the arteries and back to the liver. With a doctor's consent, cholesterol can be controlled with natural, nonprescription remedies.
Fiber
Dietary fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture fed two groups of hamsters a high-fat diet, giving one group a 4 percent fiber supplement. After eight weeks, hamsters given additional fiber had significantly lower total cholesterol and triglycerides than the controls. The study was published in the September 2009 "Journal of Diabetes." MayoClinic.com reports that men need up to 38 grams and women up to 25 grams of fiber per day. Those accustomed to a low-fiber diet should gradually increase fiber intake to avoid digestive upset.
Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are fats the body needs but cannot produce; they must come from foods. Western diets are usually high in omega-6 fats and deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, blue-green algae and cold-water fish. Researchers at Loma Linda University put 25 adults, who had normal or mildly elevated serum fats, on three diets for four weeks. The diets were all low in saturated fat. The meals in one diet contained no nuts and fish. The second diet contained 42.5 grams of walnuts and the third provided 113 grams of salmon twice a week. Study results, published in the May 2009 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," showed subjects on the walnut diet had significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL than those on the fish or control diets. The fish diet, however, lowered serum triglycerides and raised HDL, the good cholesterol. Researchers concluded that walnuts and fatty fish in a healthy diet lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
Niacin
Niacin, or vitamin B-3, is crucial to processing fats in the body. Foods containing niacin include crimini mushrooms, fish, chicken breast, asparagus and venison. Some of these foods are also high in tryptophan, an amino acid that the body can convert, with the help of other B vitamins and vitamin C, into niacin. The cholesterol-lowering effect of niacin was demonstrated by Texas researchers. In the study, 18 post-menopausal women were taking 1,000 mg of extended-release niacin twice a day. Niacin raised HDL and lowered total cholesterol independent of exercise. The findings were published in the September 2010 "Journals of Gerontology." Niacin use should be monitored by a health care professional. A temporary but uncomfortable flushing sensation is a common side effect. The Hazardous Substance Data Bank warns that niacin can cause serious liver injury at doses as low as 3,000 mg per day.
References
- "Journal of Diabetes": Dietary Fiber Improves Lipid Homeostasis and Modulates Adipocytokines in Hamsters; Hung S.C., et. al.; September 2009, 1(3)
- MayoClinic.com: How Much Fiber Do You Need?
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Walnuts and Fatty Fish Influence Different Serum Lipid Fractions in Normal to Mildly Hyperlipidemic Individuals: Rajaram S, et. al.; May 2009, 89(5)
- "Journals of Gerontology": Responses of Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins to Extended-Release Niacin and Exercise in Sedentary Postmenopausal Women; Koh Y., et. al.; September 2010, 65(9)
- Hazardous Substance Data Bank: Nicotinic Acid
