This week we’ll look at Super Foods – the best foods overall, and some that can help in specific ways.

Specific Foods/Nutrients to Lower Cholesterol

Lowering Cholesterol Heart disease is a major problem and the single biggest killer in the developed world, and one of the biggest risk indicators is high blood fat levels. There is a combination of foods that can be just as effective as statins – which are the most effective prescription medications for lowering cholesterol – but without the potentially dangerous side effects of statin drugs (such as severe muscle pain).

• A meta analysis of 60 research trials found that the single most effective measure for improving blood fat levels is to replace trans fatty acids with polyunsaturated fats from unhydrogenated oils. While all food labels have to include the amount of trans fatty acids, it can say “0” even if there are small amounts (up to 0.5 g per serving) in them, so if you eat a number of foods with small amounts, it can add up to quite a bit! The simplest way to ensure you aren’t eating any trans fats is to avoid anything that has “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredients.
• According to another meta analysis, a second effective way to decrease your LDL cholesterol is by increasing the amount of your daily soluble fiber (oat bran is the number one source of soluble fiber).
• It has been shown that consumption of tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts – NOT peanuts) may lower cholesterol levels by 2-19%. Tree nuts are high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. Eat 10unsalted nuts per day; they are high in calories, so more is not better.
• Soy protein (miso, tofu, etc.) can sometimes be a challenge to add to the American diet, but 41 studies have shown that soy protein leads to reduction in total and LDL cholesterol, so it is worth the effort. Soy milk is a an easy, good tasting option (it comes in flavors such as chocolate, vanilla and low-fat regular) for adding soy to your diet.
• Plant stanols and sterols can reduce LDL cholesterol by 10%. The easiest way to get them into your diet is to replace your regular butter and margarine with one that has plant stanols or sterols, such Benecol or Take Control.
• Two marine derived omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, at 1000 mg/day lower triglycerides and blood fat levels and decrease cardiovascular fatalities overall. They are also ant-inflammatory, addressing possibly the root of heart disease, inflammation. You can get these from fish, but daily supplements of fish oils (NOT cod liver oil) with EPA and DHA is the best way to get it every day.
• Chinese red yeast rice is a traditional remedy in Asia to reduce cholesterol levels. 93 trials have concluded that red yeast rice lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, similar to the effect of statin formulations. Red yeast rice actually contains naturally occurring lovastatin, which is the active ingredient found in the first prescription statin drug distributed.
While each may not bring about major changes by themselves, combining these dietary steps, layer upon layer, can make a significant difference in your cholesterol levels. If you have high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease, these are simple things you can do naturally to take control of your health.

There are diets, or general ways of eating, that can help address heart health as well. The Mediterranean Diet is probably the ideal diet, which consists of:

• High in monounsaturated fats, mainly from olive oil
• Low amounts of saturated fats from meat, dairy, eggs
• Increased consumption of fish (omega-3 fatty acids)
• Heavy in vegetables and whole grains
• Includes tree nuts
• Moderate amounts of red wine

Another diet, which you may not have heard about, is the Portfolio Diet (you can read more about it on www.webmd.com, a reputable site with good medical information). It mixes several different things together to get the maximum benefit, just as with a financial portfolio that mixes stocks, bonds, etc.

The Portfolio Diet is a plant based diet that includes 4 components (which you will recognize from above):

• Soluble fiber, specifically from oat bran, psyllium (can be mixed with soy milk), okra and eggplant (this will also have a beneficial effect on blood sugars levels)
• Soy protein
• Plant sterols
• Almonds

In controlled setting, the Portfolio Diet has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by 29-35%, comparable to a diet low in fat plus 20 mg of prescription statin medication. So just by adopting this dietary pattern, it is possible to achieve the same results as taking a costly medication that can potentially cause muscle pain and other side effects!