Lowering a High Cholesterol

[James1970]

Does Benecol really lower your Cholesterol or is just fake? It does say in “Clinical” study that it does? I don’t really want to go on Statins.

Many Thanks

James

[jimmyq]

The best way to lower your cholesterol is to stop eating things that contain it. Mine has come own from 5.3 to 3.3 in a few weeks. See the film "Forks Over Knives".

[James1970 in reply to jimmyq]

I have seen the film and I have the books as well, I have adopted a WFPBD and getting back into more exercise.

[skid112 Heart Star in reply to jimmyq]

Just to point out, you cannot raise your own cholesterol level by eating cholesterol, plants contain their own cholesterol, phytosterols, which are toxic to the human body and are not absorbed. This is true of animal cholesterol and its an urban myth to suggest that eating this type of cholesterol increases your own levels

[Caminante2024 in reply to skid112]

There is research about raising cholesterol with nutrition. Feed people with a normal cholesterol level eggs and cholesterol will go up. Take the eggs away , it will come down. Eat lots of unsaturated fat like sausage, bacon, meat and it will go up! Eat a plant based diet ( vegan) and it will come down! Exceptions are people with familiär cholesterinaemia. There, IT might be more difficult.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Benecol will but only very slightly. You need to make other changes to your diet.

[stevejb1810]

MichaelJH is correct. It’ll certainly help but you need to change more of your diet than just the spread you use if you are to lower your cholesterol with out the use of statins. If your high cholesterol is genetic, it’ll be very difficult to lower your cholesterol through diet alone

[James1970 in reply to stevejb1810]

I have an underactive thyroid and that causes high levels of circulating cholesterol, even though it is being treated with Levothyroxine, I am on a whole foods plant based eating plan and I don’t want to go on Statins by September. I just thought that the Benecol drink might help?

[trash_panda]

It does. However the amount you would need to eat to get the benefits is extreme. So the benefits would be cancelled out by the weight gain from eating so much of the spread.

It's likely that I have FH, waiting on tests, which means my liver doesn't clean LDL cholesterol out of my blood efficiently. My cholesterol was 7.9 when I had my heart attack last year, it's 2.5 now. I'm on a high dose of Atorvastatin and also Ezetimbe as diet alone isn't enough to help. Diet alone will only account for around 10-15% of your cholesterol reduction.

When it comes to food I always look at the labels and try to stick to ones that are below 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 1.9 at a push. Don't rely on the traffic light symbols as they never seem to match up, the amount that is green on one item could be red on another. Always check what the portion size is too, some appear low then in small print you find out it only applies to 1/2 or 1/4 of a pack which is very misleading.

I do occasionally have things that are more as a treat, probably once every 3 months or so. It's probably quite extreme but I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons. There's still plenty of tasty food available. I don't count calories but a side effect of going for low saturated fat is I have lost nearly 4 stone in weight.

I wouldn't be afraid of the statins, I have had no side effects from a year's use. A lot of the problems people have with them are likely symptoms from other factors or the placebo effect after reading the side effects.

[Hollysmum]

James, please don't bother with all these allegedly cholesterol-lowering products. They are all very highly refined - here are the ingredients of the olive spread: Water, Rapeseed oil, Olive oil, Plant stanol ester (plant stanol 7%), Vegetable oil, Buttermilk powder, Salt (0.9%), Emulsifiers (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, soya lecithins), Preservative (potassium sorbate), Acidity regulator (citric acid), Flavorings, Vitamin A, Color (carotenes), Vitamin D.

Do you know what most of them actually are? No, neither do I. All such products are extremely expensive too, and the manufacturers play on the scaremongering that has gone on for so many years now about the questionable "dangers" of cholesterol. Please, please read Dr Malcolm Kendrick's blog, specifically the entries regarding cholesterol, and take a look at Zoe Harcombe's web pages, too. Our bodies make cholesterol because they need it, and can't rely on us to eat the amount that we need. What is your cholesterol reading, anyway?

[tunybgur]

After my heart attack more than 5 years ago I have been on 40mg Atorvastatin and my cholesterol is about 3.8 mmol/l.

I have suffered no side effects. I also have many friends on statins and as far as I know none have suffered any side effects, but everyone is different and I accept some people suffer severe muscular problems.

I remember the MMR controversy and one of the only facts to come out of this is the re-emergence of these childhood diseases as parents made the choice not to immunise.

Unfortunately it is very difficult to prove a negative, and there are lots of conflicting studies out there, you must make your own choice, but I follow medical advice as it's backed up by more data.

[Duckylady]

Hi James. I am of similar mind to you about people taking tablets if they don'the need to. My husband had an angina attacknow (they suspect) in Aruba. Unfortunately the Dr there didn't check his cholesterol levels but did put him on statins (and 5 other tablets -he only has 3 now including asprin). While having investigation here they have found his cholesterol is 2.3. His 'good' cholesterol is slightly low. The problem now is how to get the Dr to let him stop taking statins as he has made a lot of changes to his diet, lost about 12lb and gone back to a lot of swimming. It seems once on these tablets you just can'take get off them!

[BreakThrough56 in reply to Duckylady]

Hi I was taking Statins for 9mths and had the most awfull side effects.Tried about all of them plus alternatives. In the end I said NO i was not taking anymore. Also weaned myself of other medication over time with no side effects. Just tell the Dr. you are not taking anymore It is your body. Dr just keep pushing pills .

[Victoria_BHF]

Hi James

Studies have shown that eating 2-2.5g of plant stanols or sterols each day can help to lower cholesterol levels however this should be in combination with a healthy balanced diet.

Some plant stanols and sterols are naturally occurring in the food that we eat but you can also buy products that have this added which means you will have a better idea how much you are eating. You can continue to use these products whether you are taking statins or not but they are not a replacement for cholesterol lowering medication. We’ve got an information sheet that will give you more information on this.

We’ve got an information sheet on this that might be helpful bhf.org.uk/publications/hea...

Victoria, BHF Senior Dietitian

[gal4God]

I’ve never tired bencol but do use heart healthy spreads so can’t say for bencol but I use heart healthy spreads on toast but eat a lot of salt else where in my diet and have high cholesterol so one thing isn’t enough

[DD13]

My Mother had high cholesterol and had a job to get it lower than 6.4. She was on a statin. My cholesterol is 5.6, and I now take a statin. I guess it is genetic. Her Mother had a heart problem too. And we guess her Brother did as he died of a massive heart attack, in 2000, while he was home alone. I eat healthy, don't eat between meals, nothing to eat after 8pm at night. I have not had any side effects taking the statin, 20mg daily. If your worried about taking a statin, talk to you GP or cardiologist about the pros and cons?

Regards Dee.

[DWizza]

Remember that if you are already on statins as a secondary aid to reduce cholesterol then your stats are not going to be measured as someone not taking statins , the target goals will change . According to British Heart Foundation

“If you are getting secondary prevention treatment for your heart condition, you may have different LDL-cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol levels to aim for. The guidelines say you should aim for :

LDL cholesterol level of 2.0mmol or less.

Non-HDL cholesterol level of 2.6mmol or less. “

[andrew290171]

I would really consider going on statins. They have taken my cholesterol from 6 to 3. No real side effects.