Blog Archives
Heart disease and high fructose corn syrup?
Researchers have found that adults who consumed high fructose corn syrup for just two weeks increased their levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Chinese red yeast rice?
Over the past year, there have been several research studies on the efficacy and safety for Chinese red yeast rice supplements for lowering cholesterol levels particularly in patients who cannot tolerate statin-type medication. I thought it would be worthwhile to provide a brief overview of two of these recent studies. Note, I have no actual idea what the writing says on this image, but I think that it’s “Red yeast rice” written in Cantonese or Mandarin–let me know if you can read it.
What is Chinese red yeast rice?
Chinese red yeast rice is a dietary supplement which contains monacolins, unsaturated fatty acids, and phytosterols capable of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Specifically, tt is a Chinese fermented rice product (Monascus purpureus).
Lipid-lowering efficacy of red yeast rice in a population intolerant to statins:
Does margarine really lower cholesterol?
Elevated serum cholesterol and, in particular, LDL Cholesterol (LDL-C) are important risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. First-line treatment for elevated cholesterol typically involves the use of statin type medication to lower LDL cholesterol levels. Apart from medication, lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation as well as improving your diet along with regular exercise can also improve your cholesterol levels.
Functional foods have also gained attention for their potential benefits at lowering cholesterol levels. For just over the past ten years, margarine products containing phytostanols and phytosterols have been available in many countries. Essentially phytosterols are molecules that are structurally related to cholesterol and compete with cholesterol for absorption in your intestines. This leads to a higher fecal output of cholesterol.
