The idea of raising HDL cholesterol is a good one, but we don’t need a new drug to do it. There’s already a therapy out there—an inexpensive B-complex vitamin that not only increases levels of protective HDL cholesterol, but also lowers LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), and other risk factors for heart disease.

A Powerhouse of a Nutrient Niacin, or nicotinic acid, is a form of vitamin B3 has been used to lower cholesterol and triglycerides since the late 1950s, decades before statin drugs came on the market. Proving again that our natural remedies are the best alternative in many cases.

The first large placebo-controlled trial of the effects of niacin on cardiovascular disease began in 1966. In this study, more than 8,000 men with a history of heart attack took 3,000 mg of niacin or a placebo daily. After six years, the average total cholesterol of the men taking niacin fell by 10 percent, triglycerides by 26 percent, recurrent heart attacks by 27 percent, and strokes by 26 percent more than those in the placebo group. Although there was no difference in the death rate at that time, in a nine-year follow-up period there were 11 percent fewer deaths among those who took niacin. With a vitamin like this, who needs drugs?

Shortly after this study was published, the race to develop cholesterol-lowering drugs shifted intohigh. Consequently, whenever niacin was studied thereafter, it was as an adjunct therapy along with one drug or another. But even in these studies, niacin shines in ways that no other therapy can. Niacin raises HDL cholesterol, which shuttles cholesterol out of the arteries to the liver. A low HDL cholesterol level is an independent risk factor for heart disease, while a high level is protective, even if total cholesterol is above normal. Researchers from the University of Washington recently concluded, based on an analysis of 23 controlled clinical trials, that a 30 percent increase in HDL (which can be achieved with niacin) plus a 40 percent drop in LDL (attainable by using natural therapies as well as statins) adds up to an astounding 70 percent risk reduction and a revolution in cardiovascular prevention. Additionally, niacin favorably affects other blood lipids. It causes a shift away from small, dense LDL cholesterol particles to larger, more buoyant, and less damaging LDL particles. Moreover, it's one of the few proven therapies for lowering lipoprotein, another risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Niacin deserves to be a frontline therapy for cardiovascular disease. Its chief downside is the flushing it can cause when taken in therapeutic doses. Niacin dilates the blood vessels and promotes the release of histamine in the capillaries, resulting in a discomforting warm, tingly, itchy feeling. You can minimize flushing by taking sustainedrelease niacin, rather than immediate release niacin.

When whole nuts a consumed, the oil from the nut enters the bloodstream more slowly, peaks about an hour later, and is rapid flushed out of the bloodstream. This characteristic important, because the longer digested fat circulates iin the bloodstream, the greater the risk of developing heart disease. Nuts are like time release pills with beneficial fatty acids, which helps explain how adding nuts to your regular diet can help lower cholesterol levels.

Nuts are also one of the best sources for natural, vitamin E and a relatively good source for minerals like magnesium and potassium. They also contain the amino acid arginine, which the body uses to make nitric oxide. Nitric oxide improves blood flow to the heart muscle in times of low oxygen levels and also act as a powerful antioxidant. It's really hard to find a food more powerful than nuts to protect your health.

Walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, an Brazil nuts are the best. Almonds, which contain about 65 percent omega-9 fatty acids, exhibit the greatest positive influence on blood cholesterol levels. Other nuts such a hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, and macadamias are also great sources of time release omega-9 fatty acids. Between 55 and 83 percent of their fats are of the omega-9 variety. Even half the fat in peanut (though technically legumes, not nuts) are of this, same basic variety. To obtain good results, you need roughly 3 oz. o nuts a day-though less can still be helpful. A handful weighs roughly 1 oz.

A Seed to Grind

Flaxseed has a long history of commercial use. Recently medical studies have documented its powerful health properties. Flaxseed has cancer fighting ability. This cancer fighter comes from substances called lignans. Flaxseed is one of the richest food sources of lignans. Once ingested, plant lignans can be converted by your intestinal bacteria into mammalian lignans, which have a chemical structure that blocks estrogen activity. Soy and the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen work in the same manner.

There are other contributions flaxseed can make to our health. It is beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries). Flaxseed has also been one of the premier forms of constipation treatment for centuries. The whole seeds contain anywhere from 6 to 12 percent mucilage. Mucilage is a slimy, gum-like compound that provides a temporarily soothing and protective coating along the entire digestive tract.

Whole flaxseeds are inexpensive, and grinding them is the best way to enjoy all the benefits of flax. You can find them at your local health food store, or you can order them through the mail. Grind the seeds just prior to using them. An inexpensive coffee grinder is perfect for grinding flaxseed. I have a small, inexpensive coffee grinder just for this purpose. Keep in mind that if the seeds aren't crushed, ground, or broken, they will pass through your system intact, and you won't gain the benefits. Finally, because of flaxseeds' gum-like quality, be sure to drink plenty of water with your ground flax.

Now if you have not already been convinced of the benefits of good fats then click here and get them in easy to take supplements.

Fighting Cancer

Research suggests that garlic can help prevent a variety of malignant cancers. For example, stomach cancer. In a study conducted in China, people who ate garlic regularly had an unusually low rate of this potentially deadly cancer. Another study shows it fights colon cancer. Prostate cancer can also be prevented. A 1997 study conducted in England, found that men who consumed garlic two or more times per week were one-third less likely than other men to develop prostate cancer. In one study, a garlic derivative called S-allylmercaptocysteine inhibited the growth of human prostate tumors that had been transplanted to mice. In another study, a garlic extract called diallyldisulfide inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells.

The explanation of the power of garlic lies in the sulfur compounds it contains. Some laboratory studies have demonstrated that these compounds block the synthesis of carcinogens known as nitrosamines. In the absence of sulfur, the digestive process leads to the formation of nitrosamines each time nitrates and nitrites are consumed. Nitrates and nitrites are found in preservatives and in beets, spinach and certain other foods. In addition to this, garlic also stimulates the body to synthesize glutathione. In addition to deactivating certain carcinogens, this natural antioxidant protects cell membranes against damage caused by renegade molecules known as free radicals.

Studies suggest that it is possible to derive cancer chemotherapy drugs from garlic. Garlic much like ginger and other herbs that are popular as foods are generally fine for the majority of people but can cause serious problems for pregnant women. It's always best to check with a doctor before giving any herbal remedy to a child under age 12.

One to three grams of krill oil reduced total cholesterol 13-18 percent, LDL cholesterol 32-39 percent, and triglycerides 11-26.5 percent. Even better, HDL levels rose an impressive 44-59.6 percent. These changes are comparable to those achieved by statin drugs, yet krill oil is safe, natural, and inexpensive.