I had a friend ask for my help the other day. She told me her VLDL cholesterol (CHL) was high and her doctor wanted to put her on some type of medication. If the amount of VLDL is high in your body, you are at an increased risk of a cardiovascular event. This person, I’ll call her ‘Susan’, is hesitant to plunge into pharmaceutical meds because of the unwanted trade-off, side effects.
How does one reduce VLDL naturally? Lifestyle choices: no tobacco, moderate alcohol intake, and a diet with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables are the first step. Weight reduction is also called for, as is an increase in physical activity.
Alfalfa sprouts are also beneficial for lowering VLDL, as is Capsicum. Capsicum can be found in several forms: tonic, pill, and natural. Most of you know it as part of the pepper plant-chili peppers, red, green, and yellow peppers, paprika, and pimento are types of Capsicum. Other foods that lower CHL are 1) oatmeal, bran, and other high fiber foods, 2) fish and omega-3 fatty acids, 3) walnuts, almonds, and other nuts, 4) olive oil.
This info is not that much different from that for other major diseases, so I hope all of you are now with the program. For the most part, you can choose the lifestyle you want to age with. I know my choice-what’s yours?
Happy Holidays from the Blilie’s
Stay well, John R. Blilie, M.S.