Reduce Cholesterol Naturally

Reduce Cholesterol Naturally

Discover How Ganoderma May Help Reduce Cholesterol...
A Major Risk Factor In The Development Of Cardiovascular Disease

Elevated cholesterol levels are one of the major risk factors identified by the American Heart Association in the development of Cardiovascular disease which is the #1 killer in North America and Europe. We need to reduce cholesterol levels.

Even though high cholesterol is a major risk factor in the development of Cardiovascular disease, cholesterol can be both good and bad. So let's take a look at what exactly cholesterol is and how Ganoderma lucidum may help to reduce cholesterol naturally.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance that is found in the blood and all cells of the body. It is absolutely essential that you have it as your body uses it to:

- assist in the manufacturing of hormones

- break down carbohydrates and proteins

- form a protective layer around nerves

- build cell walls and produce bile

But just like most things in life, too much of a good thing is usually bad and cholesterol is no exception. As mentioned above, too much cholesterol is a major risk factor in the development of Cardiovascular disease. If your levels are high, you must find ways to reduce cholesterol in your body. Ganoderma lucidum may help.

High blood cholesterol is called Hypercholesterolemia.

You Get Cholesterol In Two Ways

The first way is from the liver. Your liver produces about 80% of the cholesterol in your body.

The second source is from consuming animal products like meat, eggs, dairy, and saturated fat.

Food from plant sources do not contain cholesterol, but be careful, some foods that do not contain animal products may have trans-fats (like hydrogenated oils) which will cause your body to make more cholesterol and therefore lower the level of good cholesterol in the body.

Lipoproteins

Cholesterol and other fats can not dissolve in the blood stream and as a result they have to be carried by special proteins called lipoproteins.

There are four types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood:

1. High-density lipoproteins (HDL), is known as good cholesterol. Your body makes this to transport cholesterol away from your arteries and back to the liver where they are removed. Some studies suggest that high HDL levels reduce your chance of heart attack. HDL's are stable and do not deposit on artery walls and have been shown to reduce some of the damaging effects of LDL's

2. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are known as or are associated with bad cholesterol as they contain more fat and less protein than HDL. This makes them unstable and they tend to fall apart. Instead of being transported to the liver where they can be removed, they tend to deposit on the lining of arterial walls and form a plaque which can lead to atherosclerosis. Therefore; high levels of LDL's are strongly correlated with increased risk of developing Cardiovascular disease.

3. Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) which are associated with extremely bad cholesterol.

4. Chylomicrons which only carry a small amount of cholesterol but carry a greater amount of fat called triglycerides. It is interesting that with people with high LDL's also have high triglicerides as both fats have similar risk factors like obesity and diabetes.

One last point on VLDL's and Chylomicrons is that studies are showing that high blood levels of these two can raise the risk of non-fatal heart attacks and angina in those that already have heart disease.

What Do Cholesterol Levels Mean?

Total Cholesterol Reading

Less than 200 mg/dL GOOD

200-239 mg/dL BORDERLINE

240 mg/dL and higher HIGH

HDL Cholesterol Reading

Less than 40 mg/dL LOW (more risk)

60 mg/dL and higher HIGH (less risk)

LDL Cholesterol Reading

Less than 100 mg/dL OPTIMAL

100-129 mg/dL NEAR OPTIMAL

130-159 mg/dL BORDERLINE

160-189 mg/dL HIGH

190 mg/dL and higher VERY HIGH

What Influences Cholesterol Levels?

Blood cholesterol levels can be influenced by many things:

What You Eat

Saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, excess calories and being overweight effect blood cholesterol levels in a negative way.

Being Overweight

If you are overweight, this can elevate your LDL's and lower your HDL's. Excess weight strains your heart, has a negative effect on blood pressure and triglycerides and increases your risk of diabetes.

Exercise

Exercise has the ability to raise HDL's and lower LDL's.

Heredity

Your genetic makeup has some bearing on how your body makes and processes cholesterol.

Age and Sex

In both sexes, cholesterol levels begin to go up at around age 20. Pre-menopausal women have lower levels than men of the same age. After menopause her LDL levels go up and so does her risk of heart disease.

Diabetes

This increases the risk of heart disease. An interesting fact is that Cardiovascular disease kills more than 80% of people with diabetes.

Stress

This contributes to Cardiovascular disease because people who are under stress may over eat and exercise less (both effect cholesterol levels).

So How May Ganoderma Help Reduce Cholesterol?

This #1 rated herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine has many potent healing properties. One being that it may help reduce cholesterol and or may help the liver in suppressing its production.

Researchers from the Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine found that Adenosine which is found in Ganoderma lucidum helped to reduce cholesterol in their studies.

Researchers at the Nestle Research Center in Switzerland called Ganoderma lucidum "a renowed medicinal species". In their study on hamsters and minipigs, oxgenated lanosterol derived from Ganoderma lucidum "inhibited cholesterol synthesis".

With hamsters it was able to reduce cholesterol (total) by 9.8% and HDL levels by 11.2%.

In minipigs the oxygenated lanosterol derived from the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum was able to reduce cholesterol (total) by 20%, LDL by 27%, and HDL by 18%.

The researchers conclusion was that Ganoderma "has the potential to reduce LDL cholesterol in vivo (inside the body) through various mechanisms... innovative new cholesterol lowering foods and medicines containing Gl (Ganoderma lucidium) are envisioned."

Click here to read the abstract on the above study on how Ganoderma may help to reduce cholesterol.

In Tokyo researchers researched Ganoderic acid and its derivatives derived from Ganoderma lucidum as cholesterol synthesis inhibitors and found that Ganoderma's derivatives "potently inhibited the synthesis of cholesterol".

Click here to read the abstract on how Ganoderma lucidum may inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol.

Another study entitled Effect of 26-oxygenosterols from Ganoderma lucidum and their activity as cholesterol synthesis inhibitors also talks about how Reishi inhibits cholesterol synthesis.

Other cholesterol reducing substances in Reishi may include:

* polysaccharides that form a gel like substance in the gut and inhibit absorpsion and prevent lipid oxidation.
* sterols and
* the fibrous components help to limit cholesterol absorption and bile acid recycling.

In Closing

The American Heart Association recommends that to lower cholesterol, eat foods low in saturated fats, lose weight if over weight, and exercise for at least 30 minutes most everyday. Some may have to take medication because diet and exercise alone may not be enough.

Ask your doctor if Ganoderma lucidum may fit in with his plan to lower your cholesterol. Always follow you doctors recommendations and take responsibility for managing your cholesterol levels. By doing so you'll cut your risk of developing Cardiovascular disease and empower yourself to better health.