Cho-⁠less-⁠terin—Nice Advice!

Among the things I look forward to every November is a visit from a friend of mine who sits as the Chief of Cardiology at a hospital in Bonn, Germany. We enjoy peering through life’s windshield, discussing all our plans for the upcoming year, along with stealing a glance at the rear-view mirror to reminisce about the fun times we’ve shared; however, no conversation is complete without me asking him his take on current trends in heart health.

He described in detail minimally invasive procedures to restore and repair damaged arterial walls, known as angioplasty. Better yet, these procedures, in certain cases, can be performed as day surgery. When I asked him about natural strategies to avoid a professional visit to his hospital, he stressed that if you smoke, it’s never too late to quit. Coenzyme Q₁₀ was the only supplement he touched upon, citing its antioxidant properties to deter plaque formation within arteries.

Let’s continue the conversation… In addition to eating well and being active, there are many natural nutrients you can supplement with to strengthen your cardiovascular status. A nutrient called guggul, extracted from the resin of a tree (Commiphora mukul), works within the liver to modulate production of harmful low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol); plant steroids, called guggulsterones, are the marker compounds within guggul that drive this process. Red yeast (Monascus purpureus) is an additional nutrient that decreases the liver’s production of harmful cholesterol.

Plant sterols are among the most researched of cholesterol-modulating nutrients. These naturally occurring compounds serve a similar function to cholesterol as the main component of cell walls. Among their many benefits for cardiovascular health is that they compete for and obstruct intestinal absorption sites for harmful cholesterol.

Soluble fibres called beta-glucans, found in oats, serve to amplify the beneficial action of plant sterols within the intestines. During digestion, they create a gel that binds to cholesterol-rich bile acids and reduces their rate of absorption. This process allows the liver to break down larger amounts of harmful cholesterol for excretion as bile acids.

Cholesterol is a waxy compound with a tendency to cling to arterial walls; even the healthiest people experience some degree of accumulation. A potent polyphenol (EGCG) in green tea protects cholesterol from plaque formation, the process commonly referred to as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

These synergistic nutrients found in our Cho-⁠less-⁠terin formula enter most discussions regarding cholesterol management and cardiovascular health. Consider Cho-⁠less-⁠terin a formula for your health you can take to heart.