Nutritional Supplements That Lower LDL (Bad Cholesterol)

* Oat bran, ground flaxseed, or ground psyllium seed: 2 tablespoons a day. Oat bran and flaxseed are the most versatile, great either in hot cereal or added to yogurt or fruit smoothies.

* Raw almonds, walnuts, or pecans: 1/4-1/2 cup/day.

* Soy protein powder: 3 tablespoons (25 gm) a day added to yogurt or fruit smoothies is a most effective nutritional methods for lowering LDL because it suppresses the liver's production of cholesterol. Other convenient sources of soy protein include soy cheese, low-carbohydrate pasta, and soy milk.

* Stanol/sterol esters: found in some butter substitutes and fortified orange juice products.

* Beans: Spanish, black, red, lima,etc.: 1/2-1 cup/day.

* Chitosan: 1200 mg per day lowers LDL level by 10%.

* Pectin: citrus fruit rinds can be an effective adjunct for lowering cholesterol. Pectin can also be taken as a supplement.

* Glucomannan: this fiber from konjac root decreases [DL level by around 10%, while lowering blood sugar and promoting weight loss by providing a feeling of fullness. 1500 mg before meals works well, and should be consumed with plenty of water, as it is highly water-absorbing.

Glycemic Index: An Important Factor

Everyone concerned with high cholesterol should be looking at the glycemic-index values of different foods. This is most important when you have low total HDL or increased triglycerides or VLDL, This means choosing foods that release sugars slowly, an effect that may help improve all of the major risk factors. Abrupt spikes in sugar release help create these abnormalities and lead to both coronary plaque growth and diabetes. On the other hand, foods that release sugars slowly or contain little or no sugar can help correct these patterns.

The glycemic index is calculated by comparing a food's ability to raise blood sugar to that of either white table sugar or white bread, two foods that are processed by the body like pure sugar. The height of the blood sugar peak is then measured. A glycemic index of 100 would be equal in sugar-release properties to sugar or white bread; an index below 100 would mean less sugar release. In general, proteins and fats have lower glycemic index values, while carbohydrates and refined foods have higher values. This glycemic index is a most important factor in weight control also.

Carbohydrates are a potential problem for glycemic index control. Processed foods like breakfast cereals, white bread, other white flour products, and sweets are clearly the worst, causing large spikes in blood sugar after eating. Desirable carbohydrate sources with lower glycemic indexes include foods containing oats, whole fruits and vegetables. One reason for the whole fruit ist that the pulp and fiber cause slow sugar release, unlike their juices.

Healthy oils, like olive, canola, and flaxseed oils, slow the sugar-release effect of other foods. Foods rich in fiber, such as oat bran, whole grains, and raw nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, tend to slow sugar release. Supplements containing glucomannan and other fibers are very viscous, which slows sugar release and also promotes satiety, thereby supporting weight loss.

At The University of Sydney website (www.glycemicindex.com) you will find an excellent searchable database that allows you to enter the food in question and obtain its glycemic index. Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller has published extensively on the glycemic index, and the complete glycemic index tables generated by her research are also available in her book The Glucose Revolution (Marlowe and Company, 1999).