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Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and The Winning Trifecta

    How Purslane, Oyster Mushroom & Almonds can change test results.

    Someone once said, physically speaking, “You are what your chemical makeup dictates.”  Indeed, it seems like body chemistry is either wreaking havoc or speeding us along the path of health. It can be complicated and, it isn’t fun to worry about.  But you are your own “first responder” so being educated is important.

    Statins seem to be the go-to for doctor prescriptions, and some folks are in immediate danger if they do not take them.  However, there are many people with slowly escalating concentrations of fats or lipids in the blood (hyperlipidemia) who would rather not take statins for a number of reasons.*  Are you one of them?

    Good news! There are options for natural lovastatin.

    Purslane, Oyster Mushrooms and Almonds might not be what the doctor ordered, but might be just what you need to get those numbers down.

    Studies suggest that the evidence of these positive effects can be seen after 4 weeks of dosing, with significant improvement at 8 weeks, and more definitive improvement at the 12 week mark.  (Statins usually take about 2-4 weeks to show an improvement.)

    If  “food is medicine” you may want to consume Purslane and Oyster mushrooms in salads, which of course is a great idea, but you likely won’t be able to eat enough each day to get the therapeutic benefits. Not to mention, this stuff is hard to find growing in the winter! Regular dosages of a concentrated tincture will offer the supplementation you might need. To buy tinctures, go to the Beneficial Botanicals store or search for products using the search bar.

    PURSLANE (Portulaca oleracea)
    Targets:  Total Cholesterol, HDL, and LDL
    Studies show that Purslane contains hypolipidemic (lipid-lowering) properties. Added benefit as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and is the highest source of Vit A among green leafy vegetables.

    OYSTER MUSHROOM (Pleurotus ostreatus)
    Targets: Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides
    Oyster Mushroom may lower blood pressure and blood glucose as well as supporting immune system functioning as an immunomodulator

    ALMONDS (seed of Prunus dulcis)
    Targets: LDL
    People who ate about a handful of almonds a day lowered their bad LDL cholesterol by 4.4%. Those who ate two handfuls lowered it by 9.4%. Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.

    A Note About Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, & Triglycerides

    Total Cholesterol
    Your total blood cholesterol is a measure of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and other lipid components. Having a result less than 200 mg/dL is considered good. Borderline high results range from 200-239 mg/dL. High cholesterol levels are considered to be any number over 240 mg/dL.

    HDL Cholesterol
    This is the “good” cholesterol, so higher levels of HDL are desirable. A result below 40 mg/dL is poor. A result between 40 and 59 mg/dL is better, while a reading of 60 mg/dL or higher is the best result.

    LDL Cholesterol
    This is the “bad” cholesterol, so low levels of LDL are desirable. Recommendations, however, do vary based on the health of an individual.

    • People with heart disease or diabetes should aim for LDL levels below 70 mg/dL
    • Individuals with no heart disease but who are at higher risk for heart disease need to keep levels below 100 mg/dL.
    • For people with no increased risk of heart disease, LDL levels between 100 and 129 mg/dL are near perfect.
    • A reading from 130 to 159 mg/dL is considered borderline high for those with no heart disease and high for those where heart disease is present.
    • 160 to 189 mg/dL is considered high for those without heart disease and very high for those with heart disease.
    • 190 mg/dL is considered very high for all groups.

    Triglycerides
    Triglycerides store excess energy from your diet. A high triglyceride level combined with high LDL (bad) cholesterol or low HDL (good) cholesterol is linked with fatty buildups within the artery walls. Levels of triglyceride are considered desirable when below 150 mg/dL. Between 150 and 199 mg/dL is borderline high. Levels between 200 and 499 mg/dL are considered high. Any level above the upper end of this range is considered very high. Exercise 2-1/2 hrs a week will lower the triglyceride value 20%-30% according to webmd.com


    To read more about the risks associated with taking statins, go to this article on the Mayo Clinic website:  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/statin-side-effects/art-20046013

    Buy Tinctures of Purslane and Oyster Mushroom Here

    REFERENCES
    PURSLANE
    https://www.longdom.org/open-access/hypolipidemic-effect-of-purslane-portulaca-oleracea-1-in-rats-fed-on-high-cholesterol-diet-2155-0600-1000558.pdf

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3934766/

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/45947959_Hypocholesterolemic_Effects_of_Purslane_Extract_on_Serum_Lipids_in_Rabbits_Fed_with_High_Cholesterol_Levels

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0570178316000142

    https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f182/6e865295fc046589ffe515f08752f2b93bff.pdf

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30281177/

    OYSTER MUSHROOM
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3749453/

    http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jpbs/papers/Vol12-issue5/Version-7/L1205078189.pdf

    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/%28SICI%291521-3803%2819991001%2943%3A5%3C339%3A%3AAID-FOOD339%3E3.0.CO%3B2-5

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/pleurotus-ostreatus

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6461687_Oyster_mushroom_reduced_blood_glucose_and_cholesterol_in_diabetic_subjects

    ALMONDS
    https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/nuts-help-lower-bad-cholesterol

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol/art-20045192