Lowering Cholesterol with Flaxseed Oil

[fadedrose]

Your opinions please. Saw positive data on the web on several sites but did not mark them down... I have no personal experience.

My knowledge of cholesterol is extremely limited.

[tabatha]

1. I heard a very interesting interview on the Thom Hartmann show

with Suzanne Somers - who has written a new book, after interviews with a variety of doctors.

The interview can be downloaded here - hour three:

http://www.620kpoj.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=hartmann_nationwide.xml

[fadedrose]

10. I will try it tomorrow morning...

Your post has given me problems - couldn't seem to open it all night to read it or reply to it.

Thanks...

[tabatha]

16. The link worked for me.

If you cannot open it, try the Hartmann website, click on Archives, and then click on KPOJ.

[cosmik debris]

2. Caveat Emptor n/t

[fadedrose]

8. Here's what I bought

And I do beware ;)

Flax Oil, High Lignan, Organic Flax Seed Oil, 1000 mg. softgels.

Mfgd by NOW, with a "GMP" quality assurance hickey on the bottle.

Trouble is I haven't the foggiest idea of how many to take.

It's one of the recommended items on the Mayo website, along with Olive Oil, Fish, and I forget what else. Oatmeal was also mentioned.

[notadmblnd]

3. I do not know about this.. However, it does seem to help my hot flashes

[fadedrose]

11. I'm past hot flashes....3 prs of socks sometimes needed ;)

You get rid of one problem only to have it replaced by a worser one ;)

[eShirl]

4. I do believe it has something to do with Omega 3's

after that it gets fuzzy...

[mzteris]

5. soy worked for my son

he has the genetic kind of high cholesterol (skinny as a rail and very active) - nothing else - including a very low fat diet and medications brought it below 200 until we went completely vegetarian (from being chicken/turkey/seafood "vegetarians" for a year or so) and switched to soy as our main source of protein.

[fadedrose]

12. Wish I knew how to compute the levels

How did you come up with 200?

The girl at the doctor's office who called said something about 62.5, 219 and 305. And she didn't know which numbers were the good ones.

I love chicken, but seafood seems to be best, if you're not worried about mercury poisoning.

Funny thing is I ate a lot of ice cream and drank milk to avoid getting osteoporosis. This damned planet is spinning out of control because of all the information and the lack of what to do with it. :)

[mzteris]

17. you should call the doctor's office

and have them send you a copy, or write down the numbers.

200 is the composite - usually that's the original number that get's people's attention (and theone most people know), then there's LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, VLDL. Besides the number it'self, it is the ratios that are the most important.


Also, even IF the LDL is HIGH like my son's, there's a new test that measures what type of LDL - (big or small or something - I don't remember the name). One type of LDL puts people more at risk of Heart Disease than the other type of LDL. Fortunately for my son he has the type that ISN"T. So he only has to get a blood draw ever two years now. It's not done as a regular part of the test and I'm pretty sure most docs haven't even heard of it yet. (My son was part of the original tests at UNC Cardiac Center. His doctor here in WI didn't know anything about it. I believe there was an article about it recently in the MSM so maybe it's becoming more well-known. Unless your numbers are really bad, and unless you've taken other steps to get it all under control, they probably won't do it.



Here's some websites that tells you what the numbers mean:

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/LDL&HDL.html

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=183

[uppityperson]

18. But beware soy if you have low thyroid issues as soy interferes with

thyroid hormones.

[mzteris]

19. here are some recent reports on this issue:

(2006)Effects of soy protein and soybean isoflavones on thyroid function in healthy adults and hypothyroid patients: a review of the relevant literature.
Messina M, Redmond G.

Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, California, USA. [e-mail]

Soy foods are a traditional staple of Asian diets but because of their purported health benefits they have become popular in recent years among non-Asians, especially postmenopausal women. There are many bioactive soybean components that may contribute to the hypothesized health benefits of soy but most attention has focused on the isoflavones, which have both hormonal and nonhormonal properties. However, despite the possible benefits concerns have been expressed that soy may be contraindicated for some subsets of the population. One concern is that soy may adversely affect thyroid function and interfere with the absorption of synthetic thyroid hormone. Thus, the purpose of this review is to evaluate the relevant literature and provide the clinician guidance for advising their patients about the effects of soy on thyroid function. In total, 14 trials (thyroid function was not the primary health outcome in any trial) were identified in which the effects of soy foods or isoflavones on at least one measure of thyroid function was assessed in presumably healthy subjects; eight involved women only, four involved men, and two both men and women. With only one exception, either no effects or only very modest changes were noted in these trials. Thus, collectively the findings provide little evidence that in euthyroid, iodine-replete individuals, soy foods, or isoflavones adversely affect thyroid function. In contrast, some evidence suggests that soy foods, by inhibiting absorption, may increase the dose of thyroid hormone required by hypothyroid patients. However, hypothyroid adults need not avoid soy foods. In addition, there remains a theoretical concern based on in vitro and animal data that in individuals with compromised thyroid function and/or whose iodine intake is marginal soy foods may increase risk of developing clinical hypothyroidism. Therefore, it is important for soy food consumers to make sure their intake of iodine is adequate.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16571087




(2007)Seaweed and soy: companion foods in Asian cuisine and their effects on thyroid function in American women.
Teas J, Braverman LE, Kurzer MS, Pino S, Hurley TG, Hebert JR.

University of South Carolina, USA. [e-mail]

Seaweeds and soy are two commonly eaten foods in Asia. Both have been reported to affect thyroid function, seaweed because of its iodine content and soy because of its goitrogenic effect. Twenty-five healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 58 years) completed a double-blinded randomized crossover study. Ten capsules (5 g/day) of placebo or seaweed (Alaria esculenta), providing 475 microg of iodine/day, were consumed daily for 7 weeks. A powdered soy protein isolate (Solae Co., St. Louis, MO), providing 2 mg of isoflavones/kg of body weight, was given daily during the last week of each treatment arm. On average, this provided 141.3 mg of isoflavones/day and 67.5 g of protein/day. Blood samples and 48-hour urine samples were collected before and after each intervention period, and urinary I/C (microg of iodine/g of creatinine) and serum thyroxine, free thyroxine index, total triiodothyronine, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured. Seaweed ingestion increased I/C concentrations (P < .0001) and serum TSH (P < .0001) (1.69 +/- 0.22 vs. 2.19 +/- 0.22 microU/mL, mean +/- SE). Soy supplementation did not affect thyroid end points. Seven weeks of 5 g/day seaweed supplementation was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in TSH. Soy protein isolate supplementation was not associated with changes in serum thyroid hormone concentrations.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17472472?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed




Soy: Does it worsen hypothyroidism?
Is it true that people who have hypothyroidism should avoid soy? - Mary / No state given

Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and men's health specialist Todd Nippoldt, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer: Hypothyroidism is generally treated with synthetic thyroid hormone — and soy has long been thought to interfere with the body's ability to absorb the medication. However, there's no evidence that people who have hypothyroidism should avoid soy completely.

If you have hypothyroidism, take thyroid hormone replacement as directed by your doctor — typically on an empty stomach. Generally, it's best to wait four hours after taking thyroid medication to consume any products that contain soy. The same guidelines apply to other products that may impair the body's ability to absorb thyroid medication, including high-fiber foods, iron and calcium supplements, and antacids that contain aluminum or magnesium.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hyperthyroidism/AN00454



(this one is from 2003)
Isoflavone supplements do not affect thyroid function in iodine-replete postmenopausal women.
Bruce B, Messina M, Spiller GA.

Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. [e-mail]

Despite the safety review conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the process of awarding a health claim for the cholesterol-lowering properties of soy protein, concerns about the possible goitrogenic effects of soybean isoflavones persist. Concerns are based primarily on in vitro research, animal studies, and older reports of goiter in infants fed soy formula not fortified with iodine. In a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigated the effect on thyroid function of a daily supplement containing 90 mg (aglycone weight) of total isoflavones/day versus placebo in 38 postmenopausal women, 64-83 years old, not on hormone replacement therapy. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured at baseline and after 90 and 180 days. In the supplement group, at baseline and 6 months, TSH (micro U/ml), T4 (nM), and T3 (nM) levels (mean +/- SE) were 3.00 +/- 0.44, 149.00 +/- 5.04, and 1.53 +/- 0.13, respectively, and 3.49 +/- 0.52, 154.52 +/- 2.09, and 1.78 +/- 0.12, respectively. In the control group, levels at baseline and at 6 months were 3.35 +/- 0.51, 145.39 +/- 6.69, and 1.55 +/- 0.18, respectively, and 3.63 +/- 0.57, 153.77 +/- 6.64, and 1.75 +/- 0.10, respectively. Intragroup differences for all three measures were statistically indistinguishable at 6 months, and levels were similar between the isoflavone supplement and placebo groups at each measurement. These results indicate that in this group of healthy iodine-replete subjects, soy isoflavones do not adversely affect thyroid function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14977438?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

[uppityperson]

22. Thank you. It seems moderation is ok, just don't over do it, esp if are hypthyroid.

As I am. The one time I really craved soy milk was after getting nuked to kill my thyroid (mixed graves/hashimotos). It was odd, doing research later I found the hypothryoid/ODing on soy link, wondered if my body "thought" it would get rid of the remaining thyroid hormones, or if I just felt like crap and it was comfort food.

My later experience seems to run in line with don't avoid but don't od, and don't take thyroid replacement hormones WITH soy, just to be safe.

Thank you for the studies.

[BuddhaGirl]

6. ian M.D. friend of mine used flaxseed oil

along with CoQ10 and policosanols...he lowered his cholesterol significantly. He avoided having to take statins.

[fadedrose]

7. That's what I'm trying to do

I have a prescription for something called "Simvastatin 40 mg" and the directions/warnings scare me. I told the girl from the doctor's office on the phone that I wasn't going to take it. I was not only afraid of dumping it in the sink to contaminate the Great Lakes, I didn't even want it in my pee after it was diluted. The girl laughed...

The stuff it could do is worse than a heart attack :)

They assure you that the bad things don't happen, but CYA seems to be the motto of the pharma probably learned from experience.

I asked the girl for a breakdown of my levels and she had to ask somebody which of the letters was good cholesterol and which was bad. No wonder I don't know nothin'.

[BuddhaGirl]

14. you might consider taking CoQ10 as well

our levels decline with age...it's an antioxidant that is very supportive of the heart.

Good luck! :-)

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

15. I can't believe the 20 year old receptionist didn't have her MD, that's the problem with the system.

:sarcasm:

David

[fadedrose]

21. How many people who post in "Health" have an MD?

You people seem quite knowledgeable to me...

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

23. Do you honestly expect the receptionist at your Dr.'s office to be able to answer medical questions?

[Tumbulu]

24. It does not require a medical degree to read lab results accurately over the telephone.

Especially if one is a receptionist at a doctor's office. Reading a lab result is not answering a medical question. It is simply reading a lab result.

[supernova]

28. I used to be a Doc's receptionist...

the answer to your question is that it is not just reading a number off a lab report.

Many times the problem lies with the followup. The patient wants to know "Is that number (value) OK?" Is it too high? Too low? And why or why not? We are not qualified to provide context.

Also, a lab report can contain many more results than just the "main" number. If you do not know how to read these reports, it would be way too easy to give out inaccurate information.

A third reason is, you don't want to hear a very bad lab result from an office person over the phone. That's very cold. That situation should be handled with sensitivity face to face.

It's for those reasons that office staff don't relay lab report results.

Now, it could be that in the future (now, somewhere?) you could go online and log in to a secure web site and look up your own results, see them at the same time the Doc does. And perhaps post a question to a discussion section beneath the report. The Doc or the Nurse (most likely) could respond when they have a few minutes. That would be useful.

[fadedrose]

9. One thing I learned today...

You can ruin a perfectly good Texas Sheet cake (made with extra cocoa) by not using good old butter.

Smart Balance or whatever it's called says it's good for baking but they don't say for baking what. So I bought it.

The cake is a bit dry and doesn't taste as good, and the stick of Smart Balance used in the icing doesn't want to harden enough. It remains slightly tacky even tho it was baked at 11 this morning. Smart balance is half butter and half oils, flax being one of them.

There oughta be an investigation into how they can say you can use that junk for baking.

To quote another poster: "Caveat Emptor," but how do ya know unless you try..

[GardeningGal]

13. Always ask your doctor to send you a copy of the blood work

report. You're paying for it and are entitled to a copy. I get my copy sent to me every time so I can look at my numbers when I read some article. There are also websites out there that give an explanation of the numbers - not in great detail but enough to give you an idea of what's going on.

[fadedrose]

20. Very excellent advice....Thank you... nt

[grasswire]

25. may I point you to a web site?

Dr. Sinatra is a cardiologist who takes a very proactive stance toward heart health aside from the usual ramming of prescriptions down patients' throats.

He recommends a regimen of supplements. I've started on some of them, and have felt much stronger and healthier as a result.

And he has a whole section on cholesterol. Here's a bit of the text.


Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally
You can reduce your cholesterol level naturally-regardless of how high it is — if you:

1. Follow my PAMM diet, avoiding saturated fats and emphasizing cholesterol busters like oat bran, soy products, fresh garlic, and phytosterol-rich foods such as olive oil, nuts, flax and other seeds, and beans. Phytosterols are plant nutrients that inhibit the body's ability to absorb dietary cholesterol.

2. Take these targeted nutritional supplements in addition to a good multi-vitamin:

Niacin, which is very effective at promoting healthy levels of cholesterol and Lp(a), another "toxic blood" risk factors for heart disease. Since therapeutic levels of niacin can cause an unpleasant flushing sensation and headache, gradually increase your dosage over several weeks or use the flush-free form of niacin, inositol hexaniacinate. Dosage: 100 mg twice daily, increasing to 1,000 mg daily. Or, ask your doctor about Niaspan, a source of niacin I like, which requires a prescription.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), the nutrient I can't imagine practicing medicine without. CoQ10 supports healthy HDL and prevents the excess oxidation of LDL. Dosage: 45-90 mg of liquid, water soluble CoQ10 daily.

Policosanol, derived from the wax of sugar cane, is very effective for lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels. Take 10-20 mg after dinner.

3. For extra cholesterol-lowering support, consider adding several or all of my other hand-picked favorites:

L-carnitine (500-1,000 mg daily), which works synergistically with CoQ10 to support healthy cholesterol.

Tocotrienols (50-100 mg daily), more recently-studied forms of vitamin E that help lower cholesterol (which standard d-alpha tocopherol vitamin E does not do) and provide greater antioxidant protection than regular vitamin E.

Fish oil (500-1,000 mg daily) lowers blood triglyceride levels, may elevate HDL, and helps support heart health.

Garlic (dosage varies depending on the product) reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, and prevents LDL oxidation. In addition to using fresh garlic in your cooking, you can also take a therapeutic dose of garlic in supplement form. Look for garlic supplements standardized to allicin potential or yield, and aim for 6,000 mcg of allicin per day.

Pantethine (500 mg, 3 times daily), a component of vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, supports healthy HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels.

Probiotics (2 capsules a day, between meals) or "friendly bacteria" such as L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, E. faecium, and the Bifidobacterium family help promote healthy cholesterol by converting it into a less absorbable form and sending it down the gut so it can be eliminated.

Rutin and Hesperidin, antioxidants which help to strengthen the lining of the arteries and maintain their health by fighting free radicals and supporting collagen - as well as helps to reduce LDL cholesterol oxidation. These types of bioflavonoids are typically found in foods, like fruits and vegetables, especially in the white pith or peel of citrus fruits and peppers that contain vitamin C.

Phytosterol Esters, help reduce the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the small intestine, promoting normal cholesterol levels and HDL:LDL cholesterol ratios. Phytosterol Esters are waxy, oily, fat-like compounds found in many fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Although relatively abundant in our foods, we obtain very little from the diet due to modern food preparation techniques that destroy the sterol esters found in plants. Daily consumption of at least 1.3 grams of phytosterol esters in two meals as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol Solutions contains 0.65 grams of per serving.
Both black and green tea contain catechins or polyphenols, which help lower and cholesterol and improve lipid metabolism. On average, green tea contains half the caffeine of black tea. Drink a cup or two of green tea daily. Green tea extracts are also available in supplement form.

Interactions you should know about
Since both garlic and fish oil have a mild blood-thinning effect, do not take either one with blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin (warfarin), heparin, Plavix (clopidogrel), or Trental (pentoxifylline).
Taking garlic with ginkgo or high-dose vitamin E can cause a risk of bleeding problems.
Taking fish oil by itself does not seem to cause bleeding problems.
Never take aspirin and ginkgo together.

http://www.drsinatra.com/MainSite/HealthCenter.aspx?Healthcenter=JRCA_HC%20Cholesterol

[uppityperson]

26. I have an issue with cramming medicines down anyone's throat.

I don't care if they are prescribed by an MD or recommended by an ND. I have had issues with both types and would not trust either totally. Anyone trying to get you to buy a bunch of expensive stuff that they sell, or that they make a profit from, is trying to sell you something.

Went to a ND since I was having difficulty finding an MD who would Rx my natural thyroid (aka "Armour") rather than synthetic. Even went to an endocrinologist who told me that I could not be reacting to the fillers in the synthetic, that JUST DIDN'T happen, and that the synthetic was much more regulated. So I went to an ND who charged me $350 to get to the point where he wanted to treat me with his pet diagnosis (body doesn't want to absorb thyroid hormones) even though he knew my hypothyroidism was due to being radiated and having a dead thyroid. The medicine he wanted me on would cost me an unspecified amount, and "eventually my body would be able to absorb the hormone it was making again". Oh yes, and he recommended I buy $500+/month of supplements from him, would that be by check or credit card?

So I found me a different ND who Rx'd me the natural thyroid, and my regular MD agreed to follow me on it and keep Rxing it.

[grasswire]

27. yeah, a person must be his/her own advocate these days

Unless you have a practitioner you trust with your life, ya gotta do research on your own and then find someone who will support your quest for health.

[ellacott]

29. I came here to post a question regarding natural alternatives for cholesterol drugs

I just got a prescription for Lipitor and it cost me $105 for a one month supply. This is not really in my budget. I've also been reading about the side effects of Lipitor. There have been many recalls of cholesterol lowering drugs and I would like to use something natural.

[Clear Blue Sky]

30. Are flaxseed oil and fish oil equivalent? I've heard yes and no.