An Effective Natural Alternative to Statin Drugs to Lower Cholesterol

Introduction

Elevated cholesterol levels are certainly an independent risk factor for heart disease and strokes. However, there are other important risk factors that are almost entirely ignored by most physicians and unknown to most of the general public. While smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity join elevated cholesterol levels as major risk factors research over the past decade have documented that factors like low levels of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation often overshadow these so-called major risk factors.

The reason why we are so concerned about cholesterol is almost entirely due to the pharmaceutical industry. It is very interesting to note that more than half of people dying from a heart attack or stroke have low to normal cholesterol levels. What is the drug companies and government’s response to this fact? Well, they simply recommend lowering the suggested target LDL levels from the current 100 mg/dl to 70 mg/dl in patients considered to be high risk for heart attack. It is very interesting to me that six of the nine expert members of government panel that drafted the new guidelines had either received grants from or were paid consulting or speakers’ fees by the companies that make some of the most popular statins, including Pfizer’s Lipitor®, Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Pravachol®, Merck’s Mevacor®, and AstraZeneca’s Crestor®. Clearly there may be a conflict of interest here with these experts as these new guidelines will surely dramatically increase the number of patients on statin drugs. Keep in mind that these drugs are already the biggest money makers in the drug industry. Statin sales surpassed $15 billion last year.

Are all of these prescriptions for statins legitimate? Probably not, while high cholesterol levels need to be addressed there may be better approaches for most people. While the drug company reps often state that statins are so safe and effective they should be placed in drinking water, the reality is that they are very expensive medicines and carry with them considerable risks for side effects. Some of the side effects noted with statins include:

• Liver problems and elevated liver function tests
• Interference with the manufacture of coenzyme Q 10.
• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle pain and weakness), the breaking down of muscle tissue which can prove fatal.
• Polyneuropathy (nerve damage) with chances of nerve damage 26 times higher than the normal population.
• Brain and central nervous system functions (after prolonged use some patients suffered measurable decline in mental function).
• Possible increased risk of cancer and heart failure with long-term use.

If you have high cholesterol levels, I would certainly encourage you to try dietary, lifestyle, and supplement strategies first before taking a drug. And, if you are taking a statin, I strongly recommend taking the following supplements to reduce the likelihood of suffering from their side effects:

• MultiStart (age and gender specific multiple vitamin and mineral formulas). Follow label instructions.
• Enriching Greens - a great tasting “greens drink” containing highly concentrated “greens” like chlorella, spirulina, wheat grass juice, barley grass juice, etc., and herbal extracts. Take one serving (one tablespoon) in 8 ounces of water daily.
• RxOmega-3 Factors – A true pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement. Take two capsules daily. If you have high triglycerides, take two or three capsules twice daily.
• Coenzyme Q10 – 100 to 200 mg depending upon your size and dosage of statin drug. Choose CoQ10 products in soft gelatin capsules in a rice bran oil base.

But, before you take a statin I would certainly recommend trying any of a number of effective natural products to lower cholesterol.

Sytrinol and Plant Sterols– An Effective Statin Alternative

Recently, a friend asked me if there were any natural alternatives to the statin drug Lipitor. His physician had prescribed the drug after a routine yearly physical showed that his cholesterol levels were 294 mg/dl and the bad LDL cholesterol levels were 195 mg/dl. I told him there are many choices, but I wanted him to try a new product on the market - Cholesterol Formula from Natural Factors. This product combines cholesterol-lowering plant sterols with Sytrinol (a special flavonoid from citrus peels). The research on Sytrinol is extremely impressive and I was looking for a test subject so I sent a two month supply down and told him to take 3 in the morning and 3 at night. His repeat blood test showed that his total cholesterol had dropped to 190 mg/dl and his LDL was now 105 mg. Both of these numbers are outstanding representing a drop of more than 30% for the total cholesterol and roughly 45% for the LDL. Fantastic!! It was just the response that I had hoped for.

By combining the plant sterols with Sytrinol the Cholesterol Formula provides a comprehensive formula that addresses all facets of elevated blood lipids including high cholesterol, high LDL, and high triglycerides. Sytrinol also provides a significant anti-inflammatory effect and as chronic inflammation has been shown to be a risk factor for heart attack and recently Sytrinol was shown to enhance insulin sensitivity. In total, all of these effects makes this natural heart health formula an ideal choice for anyone wishing to maintain a healthy lipid profile and reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

How does it work?

Blood cholesterol levels are derived from two sources: endogenous synthesis (made by the body) and from dietary sources. Plant sterols work to lower cholesterol levels primarily by blocking the absorption of dietary cholesterol and the reuptake of bile acids made from cholesterol in the liver. Plant can inhibit absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine by up to 50%, and lower LDL blood cholesterol by up to 14%.

Sytrinol works by blocking the enzymes in the liver responsible for manufacturing cholesterol and triglyceride production. For example, the polymethoxylated flavones in the extract have been shown to decrease the production of apolipoprotein B, a structural protein needed for endogenous synthesis of LDL cholesterol.

Clinical results have shown that Sytrinol exerts effects very similar to statin drugs, but without side effects. Specifically, it has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels up to 30%, LDL cholesterol levels up to 27% and triglyceride levels up to 34% within four to twelve weeks of use. Here is a chart illustrating the clinical effects of Sytrinol.

Dosage and Safety

For best results, the recommended dosage is 400 mg of plant sterols plus 150 mg of Sytrinol twice daily. For the Cholesterol Formula this translates to two capsules twice times daily. For larger individuals and for people with total cholesterol levels over 300 mg/dl, I generally recommend 3 capsules twice daily.

The combination of plant sterols and Sytrinol is very safe for long-term use. The combination may enhance the performance of cholesterol lowering drugs such as the statins, and can be used along with natural cholesterol lowering supplements such as niacin, policosanol, or garlic.

What about Red Yeast Rice?

The red yeast (Monascus purpureus) fermented on rice is the source of a group of compounds known as monacolins that are natural statins. In fact, the cholesterol-lowering prescription drug Mevacor® (Merck) is the trade name for the compound lovastatin (also known as monacolin K) one the key monacolins in red yeast rice extract.

The marketing of Cholestin® (an extract of red yeast fermented on rice standardized for monacolin content) as a dietary supplement in the United States caused quite a controversy in 1997 since it contained a natural source of a prescription drug. The FDA and Merck eventually were able to prohibit the sale of red yeast rice extracts as a dietary supplement if the red yeast rice product contains significant amounts of the ingredient lovastatin. And, since a red yeast rice not containing lovastatin would not likely be effective it means that if a red yeast rice product is effective in lowering cholesterol it is probably in violation of federal law. Fifty-three marketers of dietary supplements that contain red yeast rice have received lawsuit notices that they are in violation of California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act and are now barred from sale in this state. Here is my bottom line opinion. It just does not make sense to take red yeast rice. Lovastatin is now a generic drug and one of the least expensive statins. And, if you are interested in taking an alternative to statins, there are definitely better choices than red yeast rice.

What should I do if I am taking a statin drug?

Within the first two months, Sytrinol typically produce reductions in total cholesterol level of 50 to 75 mg/dl in patients with initial total cholesterol levels above 250 mg/dl. In cases in which the initial cholesterol level is above 300 mg/dl, it may take four to six months before cholesterol levels begin to reach recommended levels.

If you are taking a statin drug or red yeast rice and your cholesterol levels are in the recommended range, I would recommend working with your doctor and start the Cholesterol Formula at the recommended dosage and reduce the dosage of the statin by one half. It is very important to recheck the cholesterol levels after six weeks. If everything still looks great, try eliminating the statin drug entirely and recheck again in six weeks. You can always go back on the statin or add niacin (see http://www.doctormurray.com/conditions/High_Cholesterol.asp) if your cholesterol levels go up. If your cholesterol levels are not in the ideal range even though you are on a statin, I would definitely recommend adding the Cholesterol Formula to your regimen and continue to monitor your cholesterol levels with your doctor.

Final Comments

Although there is considerable evidence that lowering cholesterol is very important in reducing cardiovascular mortality, the debate remains whether statin therapy represents the optimal approach to this goal especially in light of the growing acceptance of risk factors like elevated C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) and low omega-3 fatty acids. Natural products and dietary measures will hopefully supplant the statin drugs as therapy of choice in most patients. Dietary measures alone are often extremely effective. For example, one interesting study compared a diet low in saturated fat together with plant sterols and viscous fibers and the use of soy protein and nuts to lovastatin (Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, et al. Effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods vs lovastatin on serum lipids and C-reactive protein. JAMA 2003;290:502-510). The participants were randomly assigned to undergo one of three interventions on an outpatient basis for 1 month: a diet low in saturated fat, based on milled whole-wheat cereals and low-fat dairy foods; the same diet plus lovastatin, 20 mg/day; or a diet high in plant sterols (1 g/1000 kcal), soy protein (21.4 g/1000 kcal), viscous fibers (9.8 g/1000 kcal), and almonds (14 g/1000 kcal). The control, statin, and dietary portfolio groups had average decreases in LDL cholesterol of 8%, 30.9%, and 28.6%, respectively. These results indicate that incorporating several dietary cholesterol-lowering components known to lower cholesterol levels produced results comparable to a statin drug. {OPENEDEMAILMARKER}