The natural statins

Statins are a group of cholesterol-lowering drugs, prescribed to prevent heart disease. There is an increasing awareness of the side-effects of long-term use of these drugs. Many individuals with heart diseases or high cholesterol are looking to switch to natural alternatives to statins or natural statins as these are widely known, to protect themselves from the potential side effects of statins. This is specially useful among people who have high cholesterol levels because of dietary absorption. Even those individuals in whom high cholesterol is familial (because of their family history), natural statins work as adjuncts to conventional therapy.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that eating certain foods can lower your cholesterol levels just as well as taking statin drugs. It also reported that these foods are as effective or, at times, even more effective than statin drugs. Cholesterol-lowering food components include dietary fibres, good fats, phytosterols and some vitamins. In this particular study, researchers found that foods such as soy protein, tofu, various other soy products, nuts and cereal fibre, as well as plant sterols, can lower total cholesterol and especially LDL cholesterol, better than statin drugs. Other less commonly known compounds and nutrients with cholesterol lowering benefits include probiotics like lactobacillus (obtained from fermented food products), guggulipids, red yeast rice, policosanol (found in jaggery and sugarcane), grape-seed extract, cinnamon, turmeric, niacin, pantethine (found in the form of vitamin B5) and vitamin C.

Dietary fibre, specially soluble fibre, has particularly been shown to significantly lower LDL (bad cholesterol) while levels of good cholesterol (HDL) remain unchanged and help prevent the heart disease. Soluble fibre can be found in foods such as oats, barley, legumes (peas, beans), certain fruits (apples, prunes and berries) and some vegetables like carrots, broccoli, yams, etc.). Interestingly, oatmeal is the only whole grain food recognised by the FDA to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, thereby allows its claim as a heart protective ingredient in food labels. Psyllium husk has also been known to exhibit cardio-protective role due to its high fibre content and beta-sitosterol (a plant sterol). A study reported that adding psyllium (12 g) to the cereal in low and high-fat diets for a month significantly reduced serum LDL-cholesterol levels by 12 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively.

Good fat: Accumulating data from observational and clinical trials have reported that omega-3 fats actually reduce risk of heart disease by reducing triglycerides and total cholesterol. These could be included through fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and green leafy vegetables. Besides being rich in omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseeds also provide dietary fibre (both soluble and insoluble fibre).

The Harvard School of Public Health advises that nuts have favourable effects on blood lipids and cholesterol reduction. Nuts include almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pine-nuts, cashew nuts and peanuts. A meta-analysis of seven studies on almonds showed as high as 10 per cent reduction in total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol for subjects with high-cholesterol levels.

Research has also shown that frequent seed consumption like sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, etc. is associated with lower levels of cholesterol. Thus it can protect from cardiovascular disease.

Phytosterols are plant sterols or stanols similar to cholesterol that act in the intestines to lower cholesterol absorption. Increasing the intake of phytosterols may be a practical way to reduce cholesterol levels. More than 40 types of phytosterols have been identified to have cholesterol-lowering properties. These are most commonly found in fruits, vegetables, including figs, avocados, nuts, oilseeds, oils such as rice bran, olive oil and whole grains, including barley, oats, whole wheat. Taking two grams of plant sterols or stanols per day usually results in a 10 per cent lowering of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Average American diet gives about 150-200 mg / day of phytosterols. According to the American Heart Association a reduction in blood cholesterol can be achieved by consuming one to three grams of plant sterols or stanols per day. These compounds effectively reduce LDL-cholesterol, both when taken as supplements or in natural foods.

Phytosterols (phyto — means plant and sterol means cholesterol like substance) have many special protective benefits on health. Phytosterols are plant sterols or stanols similar to cholesterol that act in the intestines to lower cholesterol absorption. Increasing the intake of phytosterols may be a practical way to reduce cholesterol levels. More than 40 types of phytosterols have been identified to have cholesterol lowering properties. These are most commonly found in fruits, vegetables including figs, avocados, nuts, oilseeds, oils such as rice bran, olive oil and whole grains including barley, oats, , wholewheat. Dietary phytosterols were once upon a time abundant in our ancestors’ food, which provided as much as 1000 mg/d. Studies have revealed that at recommended intakes of about 2 to 2.5 g/day, products enriched with plant sterol esters are good for health as they lower plasma LDL cholesterol levels by 10 per cent to 14 per cent without any reported side-effects. Thus, plant sterols can be considered to be natural, effective and safe cholesterol-lowering functional food ingredients. Effectiveness has been shown with dosages of 2 to 3 gm plant stanol per day. Average American diet gives about 150-200 mg / day of phytosterols. According to the American Heart Association, a reduction in blood cholesterol can be achieved by consuming 1 to 3 gm of plant sterols or stanols per day. These compounds effectively reduce LDL-cholesterol, both when taken as supplements or in natural foods.

Sources of phytosterols:

The phytosterol contents of some commonly consumed foods are presented in the table below:

Food Serving Phytosterols

Wheat germ ½ cup (57 g) 197 mg

Corn oil 1 tablespoon (14 g) 102 mg

Peanuts 1 ounce (28 g) 62 mg

Wheat bran ½ cup (29 g) 58 mg

Almonds 1 ounce (28 g) 34 mg

Olive oil 1 tablespoon (14 g) 22 mg

 

The National Cholesterol Education/ Adult Treatment III program guidelines recommend plant sterols/plant stanols as part of a heart healthy eating plan. Eating a heart-healthy, low-fat diet that includes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, plant sterols, plus regular physical activity help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Traditional remedies

Guuggulipid, also known as commiphora mukul or the Indian Bedellium has been a mainstay of traditional Indian herbal medicine (ayurveda) approaches in preventing high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

Red yeast rice has been used in China for over 1,000 years for medicinal purposes. It contains a naturally occurring statin called Mevastatin.

With so many different options, the best combinations can be worked out under supervision.

— The writer is Clinical Nutritionist & Founder, www.theweightmonitor.com, Centre for Dietary Counselling, Founder-Whole Foods India & Founder President-Celiac Society For Delhi.