Cholestoral Again. Something worked, but which one? (research, natural, effects)
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For many years I've had very scary high cholesterol. The numbers are so high I'm embarrassed to say. I don't have any weight to lose and I've tried several things, including statins.
Last week I got my bloodwork done and my levels are suddenly normal. I don't know what I did so any input is welcome.
These are things I've tried over the years that did not work: going vegetarian--got tested and there was zero change. Eating oatmeal--I used Quaker Oats, flakes that you cook on the stovetop--zero change. Red Yeast Rice--it worked but it's just another statin. I did try it again recently but it gave me brain fog so I stopped.
Here are the only things I've done in the last year: I took Pure Encapsulations Curcumin 500 with Bioperine. It ran out (don't remember when) and it's so expensive that I didn't reorder. I meant to get my bloodwork done to see if it had any effect but other problems intervened. It's probably been a few months since I stopped.
The other thing I've done is to eat steel cut oats made in the slow cooker almost every day for a few of the cold winter months. Still eating it.
Oatmeal didn't help before but maybe this oatmeal did because it's steel cut whole grain? Or did the Curcumin with (black pepper) do it? I can't think of anything else I've done and yet my triglycerides are normal and total cholesterol and HDL and LDL are good too.
I had just chalked up my unbelievably high levels to mean that I have something else going on, something I don't understand. High cholesterol doesn't run in my family btw. Whatever accounts for this improvement, I'll keep on doing it if I can find out what did it. Do some people just have something wrong that one of these two treatments would fix?
For many years I've had very scary high cholesterol. The numbers are so high I'm embarrassed to say. I don't have any weight to lose and I've tried several things, including statins.
Last week I got my bloodwork done and my levels are suddenly normal. I don't know what I did so any input is welcome.
I hate to be negative, but if your cholesterol has been "very scary high" for years and all of a sudden on this one test it is normal without you having done anything specific to lower it, then it is in the realm of possibility that the test result was either an aberration or an error by the lab. If possible, I'd suggest getting it tested again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland
These are things I've tried over the years that did not work: going vegetarian--got tested and there was zero change.
I was vegetarian for decades and it never had much of an effect on my cholesterol level, most likely because I still ate copious amounts of cheese and eggs and drank gallons of milk. My cholesterol really wasn't affected until I became Vegan. (As a side note, I did not initially choose to eat vegetarian or ultimately Vegan for health reasons; that was just an ancillary side effect of doing so.
Last edited by MadManofBethesda; 03-29-2021 at 07:21 AM..
Reason: corrected typo
For many years I've had very scary high cholesterol. The numbers are so high I'm embarrassed to say. I don't have any weight to lose and I've tried several things, including statins.
Last week I got my bloodwork done and my levels are suddenly normal. I don't know what I did so any input is welcome.
These are things I've tried over the years that did not work: going vegetarian--got tested and there was zero change. Eating oatmeal--I used Quaker Oats, flakes that you cook on the stovetop--zero change. Red Yeast Rice--it worked but it's just another statin. I did try it again recently but it gave me brain fog so I stopped.
Here are the only things I've done in the last year: I took Pure Encapsulations Curcumin 500 with Bioperine. It ran out (don't remember when) and it's so expensive that I didn't reorder. I meant to get my bloodwork done to see if it had any effect but other problems intervened. It's probably been a few months since I stopped.
The other thing I've done is to eat steel cut oats made in the slow cooker almost every day for a few of the cold winter months. Still eating it.
Oatmeal didn't help before but maybe this oatmeal did because it's steel cut whole grain? Or did the Curcumin with (black pepper) do it? I can't think of anything else I've done and yet my triglycerides are normal and total cholesterol and HDL and LDL are good too.
I had just chalked up my unbelievably high levels to mean that I have something else going on, something I don't understand. High cholesterol doesn't run in my family btw. Whatever accounts for this improvement, I'll keep on doing it if I can find out what did it. Do some people just have something wrong that one of these two treatments would fix?
Maybe it was some of both. Curcumin may have reduced your inflammation so your liver is producing less cholesterol. Studies show that taking it for a few months can do that. I guess the question is will it stick forever or will you need to do a regimen of x months on and x months off. Also soluble fiber has long been touted as one of the best ways to lower cholesterol and steel cut oats are higher in soluble fiber than regular oats.
I used home cholesterol test kits to track mine when I was working on a solution for me. Getting it tested only every 6 months at the doc was too long. The home kit only gave me the total cholesterol but that was helpful to know if I was on the right track. There are cholesterol meters now that breakdown hdl/ldl. Regular oats did nothing for me. Didn't try steel cut; I don't think they were even available back then. The main thing for me has been to restrict refined carbs (probably why processed oats didn't work) and consume more fish (which is essentially balancing omega 6 and 3 intake).
I'm interested in adding steel cut oats since they are a whole grain and curcumin. Is Pure Encapsulations the only brand you would take?
Last edited by SimplySagacious; 03-29-2021 at 08:32 AM..
Yes, Pure Encapsulations is the only brand because it has the black pepper that is such a good aid in absorption. I've done a lot of reading and the black pepper seems to be essential for absorption.
I started on the steel cut oats last year when a neighbor from Scotland gave us a bag of stone cut oats and they were delicious. The place he got them from has been sold of out the stone cut so I got steel cut, which apparently are Irish oats. Both are supposed to be very good for you.
MadMan, when I went vegetarian, I was already off dairy products due to allergy. Maybe I wasn't careful enough with other foods though but I don't think diet has anything to do with it, at least in my case. I wasn't even down one or two points. My first thought upon seeing these results was that it must be wrong and I need to be retested.
It's possible that the test results were wrong but hopefully not. It's feasible that curcumin healed whatever was causing your inflammation. It could have been gut since it's supposed to be a gut healer, or could have been something else. It's also feasible that adding more soluble fiber was enough to balance out your diet and keep imflammation down. I've found that small changes can have a big impact. Or maybe it was the combination of the two.
It's possible that the test results were wrong but hopefully not. It's feasible that curcumin healed whatever was causing your inflammation. It could have been gut since it's supposed to be a gut healer, or could have been something else. It's also feasible that adding more soluble fiber was enough to balance out your diet and keep imflammation down. I've found that small changes can have a big impact. Or maybe it was the combination of the two.
It's a mystery and whatever it was, I'd better keep doing it! I'll talk to my dr and probably get tested again.
I was curious about curcumin and gut healing. It favors growth of beneficial bacteria and reduces pathogenic strains, among other advantages (neuroprotective, etc.). Poor gut health is linked to just about everything, including high cholesterol. https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/ar...915-019-0715-8
Apparently it doesn't matter that curcumin has low absorption. It has pharmacological and therapeutic advantages because gut microbiota transforms it, so it doesn't require absorbing it unchanged in the bloodstream. There are several bacterial strains that modify curcumin (listed in the following study). This study explains the paradox of health benefits despite low absorption. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835970/
The effects can be different among individuals due to different bacterial content. Beneficial effects depend on the polyphenols in the diet and also the type of microbial population of an individual.
This is good news for me because black pepper disagrees with me. It's good to know it's not needed for curcumin health benefits. My microbiota will either transform curcumin - or not.
I was curious about curcumin and gut healing. It favors growth of beneficial bacteria and reduces pathogenic strains, among other advantages (neuroprotective, etc.). Poor gut health is linked to just about everything, including high cholesterol. https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/ar...915-019-0715-8
Apparently it doesn't matter that curcumin has low absorption. It has pharmacological and therapeutic advantages because gut microbiota transforms it, so it doesn't require absorbing it unchanged in the bloodstream. There are several bacterial strains that modify curcumin (listed in the following study). This study explains the paradox of health benefits despite low absorption. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835970/
The effects can be different among individuals due to different bacterial content. Beneficial effects depend on the polyphenols in the diet and also the type of microbial population of an individual.
This is good news for me because black pepper disagrees with me. It's good to know it's not needed for curcumin health benefits. My microbiota will either transform curcumin - or not.
I did more reading too. It said the pepper was for "retention." I don't know if anyone knows. Anyway, I was taking 500 mg of the curcumin and from what I can figure out (every article I read is different!) that's about right for the average person. Anyway, curcumin appears to be good stuff and will help with a lot of different ailments (somehow, lol.)
I did more reading too. It said the pepper was for "retention." I don't know if anyone knows. Anyway, I was taking 500 mg of the curcumin and from what I can figure out (every article I read is different!) that's about right for the average person. Anyway, curcumin appears to be good stuff and will help with a lot of different ailments (somehow, lol.)
I always read that pepper must be included and that's why I never tried it. I ordered Pure Encapsulations curcumin without the pepper since I don't tolerate it well. It's worth a try.
Black pepper has therapeutic properties too so it's possible that the combination of the two is better for certain conditions.
There certainly are differing opinions about it. This supplement company points out that most positive clinical research was carried out without the pepper. It also claims that independent studies found little difference in absorption after taking it for a few days. https://www.naturesbest.co.uk/our-bl...-black-pepper/
I would go with Jarrow's Bergamot if you want to give it a try. I prefer wileys orange burst fish oil for omegas(its really cod liver oil, very mild taste and good source of natural A)
Curcumin is tricky supplement, many people consider the black pepper absorption inferior to the new formulations.
This article disagrees and gives a break down of all the various formulations. I dont agree with them, but either way, its good info(esp metabolite picture half way down).
Two of the best supplement companies, Thorne and Jarrow, both use Meriva. Jarrow95 is always highly recommended for joint pain.
Another popular formulation, Longvida(NOW sells as circubrain), often recommended for brain inflammation or plaque. Life extension dropped their popular oil based formula in favor of their new ginger formula which they claim stops the liver from breaking curcumin down into the useless metabolites. This is the one Im using.
Last edited by Rom623; 04-01-2021 at 02:19 AM..
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