How to Reduce Cholesterol without Side Effects

The Eight Week Cholesterol Challenge

by: Barrett Niehus

When I first started down this path I was looking for something to reduce my cholesterol levels without giving me a heart attack. My doctor recommended Lipitor, but I had read an article in the American Heart Associations web site that indicated Lipitor and other statin drugs may possibly be worse for me than my high cholesterol. (The article that I read is here: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.html  )

Subsequent research led me to two compounds that have been clinically proven to improve cholesterol levels without side effects. Being a chemical engineer myself, I was skeptical about any claim that did not have sufficient research behind it. However, the two compounds that I found have been clinically verified to be effective in improving cholesterol levels. It was these two compounds that have dramatically changed my condition, and motivated me to solicit this challenge.

What are the two compounds? Well, the first is niacin. That’s right, the inexpensive mineral that is occasionally listed on the food label of our bread, breakfast cereal, sports drinks, or other enriched food. The other compound is pantethine. Strangely enough, pantethine is a compound that our body makes as it created Co-Enzyme A which eventually creates cholesterol.

Between these two chemicals, extensive research has demonstrated dramatic, statin-like, effects on cholesterol levels. In addition, because they are already needed by your body, the two compounds don’t create the dangerous side effects that have been demonstrated with statins.

The two compounds act together to balance out the levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and good (HDL) cholesterol in your blood stream. Clinical trials have demonstrated that niacin is effective in reducing the level of bad cholesterol in your blood stream. In addition, clinical trial on pantethine in Japan have demonstrated that the compound significantly improves the level of good (HDL) cholesterol in your blood stream. Subsequently, the combination of the two may have an amazing effect on your overall cholesterol level.

So what is the challenge? If your doctor have recommended that you lower your cholesterol level or worse, is threatening to put you on a statin drug. Try using these compounds instead. For eight weeks, on a daily basis take 500 mg of pantethine and 400 mg of niacin and see what effect it has on your cholesterol level. I know you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was

These compounds are effective, and there is data to back up that claim. However, a word of caution, with niacin. When you go to the drug store or natural foods market, make sure you buy niacin that is labeled time-release. Niacin is effective on cholesterol, but niacin supplements have a harmless side effect known as a niacin flush. This is the equivalent to a vitamin hot flash. Although harmless, a niacin flush can be uncomfortable for about a half hour. If the form of niacin that you take is not in a time-release dosage, a niacin flush may ensue. So be wary. Other than that, with any supplement do not exceed the recommended dosage.

If you have questions about the two compounds, do what I did. Start with research on the net, then move to reading clinical abstracts and reports. Just remember the challenge. I challenge you to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level without using a statin drug. Good health and good luck


About The Author

Barrett Niehus is a principal of IP Ware www.freetrainer.com and a technical associate of Compound Solutions www.compoundsolutions.com in Escondido, California.

A Fascinating Diet of Oatbran And Naicin To Reduce Cholesterol Safely - My Personal Story

Peter Lim

A month ago, I received news that a former colleague of mine collapsed in his office, and had a sudden massive heart attack and did not survive the night to see his family. He was in his early fifties.

This incident motivated another former colleague to have his blood checked for cholesterol. The cardiologist recommended immediate hospitalisation and he was operated on for a triple coronary bypass within days. Without that bypass, this friend would likely encounter a fatal massive coronary heart attack.

These two ghastly incidents jarred me into researching ways to bring down my own level of cholesterol, and to read medical books on cholesterol.

In my research, what amazed me was there were safe and effective ways to lower blood cholesterol and hence reduce the probability of a heart attack.

I was encouraged that it was possible to cut the risk of heart attack by more than half by limiting the amount of cholesterol produced by the body, and increase the amount of cholesterol eliminated by the body.

I discovered a fascinating diet of oatbran and a vitamin called Naicin that was being used by hundreds of concerned individuals throughout the world, popularized by the medical writer Robert E. Kowalski in his program and best-seller "The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure".

Oatbran contains soluble fibre that encourages the liver to produce bile acids. The more oatbran that is consumed, the more bile acids are produced, and excreted from the body. These bile acids draw the cholesterol from the blood, and therefore remove the cholesterol from the body when they are excreted. This means the chances for a congested artery is much reduced.

I was encouraged by the numbers. A study showed that six males who ate a high-fibre diet containing 50 grams of oat bran daily were able to maintain a 23.5 % decrease from their original cholesterol levels.

To me this was a convenient and natural strategy to reduce my personal cholesterol. It was a matter of getting down to the supermarket and to buy a packet of 500 grams oatbran.

By taking half a cup of oatbran a day, which is equivalent to some 50 gram of oatbran, a single packet of 500 grams will last me for around 2 weeks.

Now, I am not a great baker, and so I did not start by making oatbran muffins which is actually a great way to consume the oatbran. Instead, I mix the oatbran in a hot chocolate drink, consuming 25 grams of oatbran twice a day to get the 50 grams of oatbran.

As for the vitamin Naicin, I was encouraged that as far back as in 1975 the United States Coronary Drug Project singled out Naicin as being responsible for a 29 percent reduction in nonfatal heart attacks.

I have Naicin in the multivitamins I consume daily, and so I am not opting for single larger intake of this vitamin, and will prefer to let the soluble fibre of the oatbran to do its work.

It took one fatal case of a heart attack and a triple coronary bypass on another friend of mine to jolt me into serious action to take control of my cholesterol.

It is time to take some action to lower your cholesterol if you have been postponing this. Of course, you may opt for exercise and a balanced diet as well. It is never too late to begin a structured personal program to take control of your cholesterol.

Peter Lim is a Certified Financial Planner. In researching for natural methods to reduce his personal cholesterol, Peter has compiled a website that he hopes will be of help to many others who are concerned about cholesterol. You can access the website for free at http://reduce-cholesterol.get-health.info

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