Cholesterol and Alcohol

[Bruunhilde]

This new thread is to address the fact that alcohol raises cholsterol in most people and to answer Neva Eva specifically.

Ne, you should make an investment in Enduracin. It's not "slow niacin" which isn't real niacin, as far as cholesterol is concerned. It has flushing, but much much less. I can't take the flushing of normal niacin either, it's tolerable in tan people but not in pink people like me with rosacea. I feel like I'm having a heart attack on it. Even some B complexes get to me. Supersensitive me!

Phytosterols are also good for lowering cholesterol, they're plant derived and basically bind with food derived cholesterol and you eliminate instead of absorbing it. I mentioned to my doctor, as I was refusing statins, that I took that, fish oil, fiber and still my levels are high.

Because of the booze...... and the fact that I stopped with the enduracin when I relocated, I lost all my routines. Doctors don't always know about booze and high cholesterol, in my experience. Without their help, without statin, I lowered mine with daily fiber supplements, daily 1000 miligrams of DHA (found in fish oil, read the label carefully), daily enduracin (take niacin if you can tolerate it) and some of the other stuff recommended below. It improved my good cholsterol, lowered the bad stuff, and improved the ratio of triglycerides.

Here's the enduracin recommended by the author of the 8 Week Cholesterol Cure.
L-arginine, niacin, phytosterols, pantethine, calcium, vitamin c, b complex, cholesterol control without diet, 8 week cholesterol cure, linus pauling

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

I don't take statins because cholsterol blood levels are just another blood test that doctors over rely on (like thyroid) and instead of treating symptoms, they rely on blood tests which are not effective in many cases. Blood tests became available in the 60's I think, before that doctors sat down and listened to you, eye to eye, ear to ear, to hear your symptoms and story. And they prescribed better than many do today. Drug company reps are the main educators of our doctors today, and they're a multibillion dollar lobby in WA, so there's no stopping their influence except in your own life.

I lowered my cholsterol using the 8 week cholesterol cure, and on top of that, I improved my good cholesterol which statins actually lower sometimes, and good cholsterol is turning out to be more important than bad cholesterol.

I'm on three blood pressure drugs, I hate relying on drugs, I do tons of research on health issues and holistic health as a result.

If you're doing paleo or something close and IF you can lower the AL to one or two glasses a night (which you have been), you should be able to keep at least borderline using the 8 week method. Especially since you're so good with exercise.

Besides, statins cause joint or muscle pain, yuck, who needs that when you can load up on fish oil (tip: freeze it, much easier to take it and not have nasty fish breath) instead which actually helps with inflammation, brain activity, choleserol, hair and skin, shall I go on? LOL

The latest info is 1000mg DHA (read the label of your fish oil) a day. Minimum. I have also read and been told by doctors in the know (not most doctors) that 4-6 GRAMS a day will elevate mood. :l

[Determinator]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

Bruunhilde, great material. you are an asset here.

[Determinator]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

Neva, your fine with chicken and fish as protein sources. you can get CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) in supplement form as well as L-Carnitine. and you'll be good to go. xxxxx

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

:blush: Blush! Thanks Dete and Ne, I think both of you are assets here. Dete, you have so much info, I bow to you.

Ne, what info on dogs do you mean? I'm limiting FB time (can't access it from my work computer but I can access MWO, so email me here.

Love you guys! Thanks for making my day better.

PS - I have a friend who is totally skinny, workout nut, climbs mountains, skis, etc and she had high cholsterol, her doc wanted to put her off her morning eggs and maybe onto statins. I told her to take lots of fish oil and perhaps phytosterols to block the cholsterol in her egg diet, and it worked, her blood tests came back great. Wish I was there for the convo with the dumb dr.

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

The 8 Week Cholesterol Cure

Some more details - I actually found the book in my giant stash of unorganized books, no dewey decimal system here (which I always found incomprehsible anyhow).

For heart health:

-Enjoy life! (for us, that means quitting AL and getting supplements to fix our brians like the Seven Weeks to Sobriety book helps with)
- Get plenty of sleep- average EIGHT hours
- Stay physical
- Be nice to yourself
- Eat a wide variety of fruit & veggies daily
- eat fish or fish oil
- get as much fiber from cholesterol-lowering foods (mine is psyllium husk; I use a milk frother $20US to mix it well so I can gulp it down before it solidifies. Drink water after, to avoid constipation and to increase excellent pooping regularity and ease) (sorry)
- alcohol in MODERATION
- Niacin to lower bad chol and dramatically raise the good
- folic acid, vit B6 and B12 to ward off homocysteine
- antioxidants including E and C and selenium for heart health
- Arginine to protect your arteries linings
- Calcium and other minerals to help control blood pressure.
-Make wise choices when eating out

[spuddleduck]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

thanks for this info. i didnt realize that cholesteral could be related to alcohol consumption. i am on statins which i also didnt want to take for various reasons. i was on high blood pressure pills as that was sky high as well but since ive cut down my drinking i no longer need the pills.... maybe i could sort out my cholesterol issues as well. i find it amazing that this information is not more freely available. ive talked to my doc about my drinking but he didnt even mention that this could be the cause of these other things.

[Determinator]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

your too sweet Neva. I'm taken already

[Guest]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

I'm going to look at this a lot closer too. I'm not on statins but I have an idea cholesterol could be hereditary, but I have had a very healthy diet when AF.

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

Hi Spuddle,

It's amazing what our doctors don't tell us, what they actually don't KNOW in many cases. I'll give you a recent example of two of my recent (last year) experiences around this issue:

Thinking I was dehydrated only (!) from drinking too much, I drinking so much H2O to hydrate up, and peeing so much, it was becoming a worry that I was overusing my kidneys (which were already suffering from AL no doubt). It was also causing sleep deprivation, I was up all night long to pee and drink water, which I kept drinking because my eyes were so dry I couldn't open them, and my nose would bleed; I used eye drops and nose spray (saline) endlessly all night long.

When I had my physical, I had my sodium tested because I read online it was something to measure and more important than doctors think. And lo and behold, it was well below thresholds, and my doc said 'no worries' as most doctors do who rely on blood tests. He wanted it low because of my hypertension.

I did some research on the yahoo news group for natural thyroid hormone and they told me to up my sodium with celtic salt, that your body needs it to stay hydrated/balanced. It worked. I no longer have to drink five gallons a day, and get up all night to pee, and I only occasionally use eye/nasal lubes. I'm now at 50 instead of 25 and the range is 50-300. Still low, still ideally should be higher, and I continue the celtic salt. I forgot how much better food tastes with salt!!!

My iron was also 25 and the range is 50-300. He said I should get that up but did not tell me it could have something to do with my hair loss and fatigue. WTF.

So yes, Spud, you have to be your own advocate, or we can be your advocate for you here!

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

UKB, yes, I have hereditary hypertension and cholsterol, diagnosed in my teens when I was thin, healthy, worked out all the time. I was able to lower it using the 8 week cholesterol cure method. The primary drivers are tons of fish oil, fiber supplements, and niacin. I was never a red meat or fat or sugar eater, so my diet wasn't really an issue, nor was my exercise level.

I'll be interested to see if you follow this and have good results. This link shows pages of his book, he has a new book on blood pressure too, which I have not yet read. The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure: The ... - Google Books

[Road to Recovery]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

So my cholestoral was in the normal range before I quit drinking and now a year later it is high. - You know what they say about red wine in moderation being good for the heart well my doctor told me that alcohol actually reduces your cholestoral... And yes, he also told me that 90% of your cholestoral comes from heredity and the other 10% being diet and excercise...

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

New info on lowering cholesterol: Tart Cherry Juice daily is supposed to lower by 11 points I think - on Dr Oz.

Also, if you're eating fat, take your fiber the same time, it will bind to the fat and help keep you from absorbing it. I use psyllium husk from the healthfood store. It's tasteless and I use a milk frother ($20 from Bed Bath Beyond and battery operated). Makes it MUCH easier to spin and gulp.

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

Road, one glass of alcohol a day, preferably red wine, does help cholesterol; problem is most of us can't stick with that. Drinking alot more than that RAISES cholesterol.

Also, don't know your age, but if you're young, you may find that cholesterol rises with age regardless of other factors in your life, and more and more AL raises it along with blood pressure for many.

[Bruunhilde]

Cholesterol and Alcohol

Shorter recipe for lowering cholesterol

I shortened the 8 Week Cholesterol Cure book's recipe for lowering cholesterol, but I don't have the doses down.

High dose niacin (I use Endur-acin, which is easier on the flushing), Pantethine, alot of psyllium, 3-4 grams fish oil all daily. If you still need more, you can add plant sterols before cholesterol laden meals like eggs and shrimp.