reduce cholesterol is not entirely clear. Perhaps the most obvious reason is that soy products are high in fibre and low in cholesterol and saturated fats. It is also thought that the isoflavones play a role in lowering cholesterol. One other reason why soy may help to lower cholesterol is by replacing animal based protein sources, which are significantly higher in cholesterol and saturated fats. In fact, the US FDA has approved the following claim about soy products, “25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may help to reduce the risk of heart disease.” One 4oz piece of tofu (small by vegetarian standards) contains about 16 gm of soy protein and 38mg of isoflavones. One ‘tofu dog’ has about 9gm of protein . There are few adverse effects from adding soy protein to one’s diet. Daily intake of more than 40mg of soy isoflavones may reduce the
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production of thyroid hormones. There is also the concern that the estrogen-like properties of soy may adversely affect the outcomes of breast cancer. But emerging evidence is showing that the opposite may be true; soy isoflavones may actually slow the growth of estrogen-dependant breast cancer cells.
....I haven’t seen red yeast rice, sold under the name Cholestin®, in a while. The active ingredients are plant sterols, which reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the gut, and a compound chemically identical to lovastatin (a prescription cholesterol lowering drug). This has naturally lead to litigation, and Cholestin was removed from the market. I’m not entirely certain what the final ruling was, but I believe Cholestin was allowed back on the market. One study showed that over 12 weeks, red yeast rice lowered total cholesterol |
by 16%. Lovastatin incidentally was first isolated from the fungus Aspergillus terreus.
....There has been more interest in red yeast rice when an article touting its usefulness appeared in the June 2009 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Patients that were intolerant to statin drugs due to muscle pain, took 1800mg of red rice yeast extract twice a day for 24 weeks. After 12 weeks the red yeast rice was able to lower LDL cholesterol by 1.11mmol/L. There was no effect on HDL cholesterol or triglycerides.
....Whenever someone has concerns about high cholesterol, I also tell them to take a good B complex multivitamin. This supplement will help to reduce the blood levels of the metabolic ‘bad boy’ homocysteine, thus reducing another risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Lets not forget about niacin, as it
Ian Lloyd...Continued On Page 8
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