Cholesterol Health Center
In my Cholesterol Health Center, learn all about:

• Are You in the Sinatra-Smart Zone? 
• Top 4 Cholesterol Myths I Bet You Didn't Know 
• Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally 
• Cholesterol: How it Works in Your Body
  

Dr. Sinatra's Top Recommendation for Cholesterol Health

Are You in the Sinatra-Smart Zone?

The Sinatra-Smart Zone is what I typically consider to be a safe zone in terms of cardiovascular health.

To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for cholesterol health, click here.

Top 4 Cholesterol Myths I Bet You Didn't Know

Myth 1: All cholesterol is bad.
Reality: Both LDL and HDL cholesterol are necessary for vital functions in your body. The key is to have a healthy HDL-to-LDL ratio.

Myth 2: Only overweight people need to worry about their cholesterol.
Reality: While weight does play a role in cholesterol levels, people of every body type are susceptible to unhealthy HDL-to-LDL ratios.

Myth 3: Cholesterol issues are genetic, there's nothing you can do about it.
Reality: While it's believed that genetics play some role in cholesterol health, it is not a primary indicator. Regardless of why your levels are where they are, diet, exercise, and the right nutrients can get them where they need to be.

Myth 4: I can control my cholesterol with diet and exercise alone.
Reality: Diet and exercise are extremely important for overall cardiovascular health, but Dr. Sinatra believes the right supplements may help to provide the extra support needed for a healthy HDL-to-LDL ratio.

To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for cholesterol health, click here.

Back to Top

Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

You can reduce your cholesterol level naturally-regardless of how high it is — if you:

1. Follow my PAMM diet, avoiding saturated fats and emphasizing cholesterol busters like oat bran, soy products, fresh garlic, and phytosterol-rich foods such as olive oil, nuts, flax and other seeds, and beans. Phytosterols are plant nutrients that inhibit the body's ability to absorb dietary cholesterol.

2. Take these targeted nutritional supplements in addition to a good multi-vitamin:

• Niacin, which is very effective at promoting healthy levels of cholesterol and Lp(a), another "toxic blood" risk factors for heart disease. Since therapeutic levels of niacin can cause an unpleasant flushing sensation and headache, gradually increase your dosage over several weeks or use the flush-free form of niacin, inositol hexaniacinate. Dosage: 100 mg twice daily, increasing to 1,000 mg daily. Or, ask your doctor about Niaspan, a source of niacin I like, which requires a prescription.
• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), the nutrient I can't imagine practicing medicine without. CoQ10 supports healthy HDL and prevents the excess oxidation of LDL. Dosage: 45-90 mg of liquid, water soluble CoQ10 daily.
• Policosanol, derived from the wax of sugar cane, is very effective for lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels. Take 10-20 mg after dinner.

3. For extra cholesterol-lowering support, consider adding several or all of my other hand-picked favorites:

• L-carnitine (500-1,000 mg daily), which works synergistically with CoQ10 to support healthy cholesterol.
• Tocotrienols (50-100 mg daily), more recently-studied forms of vitamin E that help lower cholesterol (which standard d-alpha tocopherol vitamin E does not do) and provide greater antioxidant protection than regular vitamin E.
• Fish oil (500-1,000 mg daily) lowers blood triglyceride levels, may elevate HDL, and helps support heart health.
• Garlic (dosage varies depending on the product) reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, and prevents LDL oxidation. In addition to using fresh garlic in your cooking, you can also take a therapeutic dose of garlic in supplement form. Look for garlic supplements standardized to allicin potential or yield, and aim for 6,000 mcg of allicin per day.
• Pantethine (500 mg, 3 times daily), a component of vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, supports healthy HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels.
• Probiotics (2 capsules a day, between meals) or "friendly bacteria" such as L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, E. faecium, and the Bifidobacterium family help promote healthy cholesterol by converting it into a less absorbable form and sending it down the gut so it can be eliminated.
• Rutin and Hesperidin, antioxidants which help to strengthen the lining of the arteries and maintain their health by fighting free radicals and supporting collagen - as well as helps to reduce LDL cholesterol oxidation. These types of bioflavonoids are typically found in foods, like fruits and vegetables, especially in the white pith or peel of citrus fruits and peppers that contain vitamin C.
• Phytosterol Esters, help reduce the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the small intestine, promoting normal cholesterol levels and HDL:LDL cholesterol ratios. Phytosterol Esters are waxy, oily, fat-like compounds found in many fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Although relatively abundant in our foods, we obtain very little from the diet due to modern food preparation techniques that destroy the sterol esters found in plants. Daily consumption of at least 1.3 grams of phytosterol esters in two meals as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol Solutions contains 0.65 grams of per serving.
• Both black and green tea contain catechins or polyphenols, which help lower and cholesterol and improve lipid metabolism. On average, green tea contains half the caffeine of black tea. Drink a cup or two of green tea daily. Green tea extracts are also available in supplement form.

Interactions you should know about

1. Since both garlic and fish oil have a mild blood-thinning effect, do not take either one with blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin (warfarin), heparin, Plavix (clopidogrel), or Trental (pentoxifylline).
2. Taking garlic with ginkgo or high-dose vitamin E can cause a risk of bleeding problems.
3. Taking fish oil by itself does not seem to cause bleeding problems.
4. Never take aspirin and ginkgo together.

To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for cholesterol health, click here.

Back to Top 

Cholesterol: How it Works in Your Body 

Like most of my patients, you've probably been trained to think of cholesterol as bad. Or maybe you've heard terms like "good cholesterol" and "bad cholesterol." But the fact is your body makes and uses cholesterol. It's a natural waxy substance produced by your liver and ingested from foods you eat. Your body uses it for cell membranes, hormone production, and for converting vitamin D into a form your body can use. It is a vital part of these functions — you need it.

Cholesterol is packaged in a special molecule called a lipoprotein that allows it to move around the body in your bloodstream. There are two main types of these lipoproteins, low-density (LDL) and high-density (HDL). The LDLs take the cholesterol from your liver throughout your body, wherever it's needed. The HDLs are responsible for taking the unused cholesterol back to your liver where it is either recycled or eliminated.

As with most of the systems in your body, it's a very efficient process — until diet and lifestyle disrupt the proper balance of LDLs and HDLs. If there aren't enough HDLs to take the excess cholesterol back to your liver, the LDL cholesterol stays in your tissues and becomes vulnerable to oxidation. This is when cholesterol levels become a factor in cardiovascular health.

To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for cholesterol health, click here.

Back to Top