Ten Natural Products to Lower Cholesterol

Sometimes in the battle against high cholesterol it is easy to look past the obvious and affordable, in favor or prescription medications. This could be a mistake! Many of the natural products to lower cholesterol listed in this article you have probably walked by hundreds of times in your local grocery store, as you were thinking about how to squeeze in your 30 minute workout, or worrying about how to get your blood lipid profile back in balance. If it is any consolation I have done the same thing on numerous occasions. In this article we will briefly touch on ten natural products to lower cholesterol that are affordable, and in plain sight at your local grocery store. These are not the only ones, maybe not even the best ones, but nevertheless studies show that all ten will in fact lower your cholesterol.

*Cranberry juice: Cranberry juice is high in antioxidant properties and recent research suggest it can raise good cholesterol levels.

*Grape juice: Dark colored grape juice contains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant which has been shown to lower bad cholesterol and protect the lining of the arteries. Make sure the sugar content of the product you choose is reasonable.

*Buttery spreads containing stanols and sterols: Stanols and sterols are plant extracts that block cholesterol absorption in the intestines, thus lowering bad cholesterol by as much as 10 percent.

*Soy milk with stanols and sterols: One study showed that soy milk lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol while reducing ones risk for type 2 diabetes. Throw in the stanols and sterols and you have a winner.

*Oat meal: At least at my grocery store oat meal on the bottom shelf and could be easily passed by, but if you are looking for natural products to lower cholesterol look no further than oatmeal. It is very high in cholesterol fighting soluble fiber, as well as being affordable. Oat bran is also a good choice if oatmeal is not to your liking.

*Flax bread: Flax bread contains three elements that are good for your heart; fiber, phytochemicals called lignans, and ALA, an omega 3 fatty acid found in plants.

*Mixed nuts: Mixed nuts containing almonds and walnuts are high in cholesterol busting plant sterols, fiber and heart healthy fats. They have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol and reduce the probability of acquiring diabetes. On the downside they are high in calories so use in moderation.

*Canned sardines: Canned sardines are one of those cold water fatty fish you have heard so much about. Substituting sardines for high fat snacks is a good plan. If you decide to implement this strategy be sure and bring along the breath mints!

*Olive oil: This is one of the better natural products to lower cholesterol on our list. Olive oil is high antioxidant polyphenols, and well monounsaturated fats. Studies show olive oil lowers troublesome LDL, keeps healthy HDL levels stable, and protects the blood vessels.

*Mustard: Mustard has been around for thousands of years and even today is one of the tastiest and most affordable condiments. Substituting mustard in recipes and for mayonnaise on sandwiches is a smart cholesterol lowering choice.

In summary, this list provides you with a great starting point to make your own list of natural products to lower cholesterol. Additionally, many people are finding that by combining heart healthy foods with natural cholesterol reducing remedies they have been able to achieve even better results.

You May Think Twice Before Having Your Defibrillator Removed

When the defibrillator that you had implanted to maintain a healthy heart is recalled, there are many decisions that you may have to wrestle with as reports of injured defibrillator patients roll in. In October 2007, a large manufacturer of defibrillators and pacemakers, Medtronic, recalled several units after it was discovered that the leads used in the devices may become defective over time. The defect caused patients to experience painful shocks in their chest, forcing many of them to be hospitalized for their injuries.

If you have been implanted with a Medtronic defibrillator, you may be struggling with the decision whether or not to have the device removed. While the FDA and Medtronic do not recommend the removal of defibrillators that do not show signs of the defect, the situation causes Medtronic patients a great deal of confusion and stress. No one wants to worry that the device that was implanted in order to save their life could end up being the device that leads to their death. Those who currently have implanted devices that have not shown defective tendencies have two choices: wait until the device harms them to have it removed and take the chance that the defect will not lead to their death, or face the serious dangers of having the functioning device removed.

The argument against removal states that the removal process is very dangerous. Studies show that between 2% and 7% of all surgeries involving defibrillators result in death. The removal process becomes complicated due to the growth of body tissue around the device over time. The FDA and Medtronic recommend that you do not have your defibrillator removed unless you have begun to experience the effects of a defect. Medtronic reports that of the 268,000 devices implanted before the defect was discovered, 2.3% of patients have experienced the painful shocks associated with the recalled devices.

The argument for having the device removed before symptoms occur is surrounded by concerns that the painful shocks associated with the defect could be avoided by removal. Many people do not feel comfortable living with the knowledge that their defibrillator may become defective at any time. If you are concerned about your defibrillator, speak with a doctor for appropriate medical advice. Choosing whether or not to remove your defibrillator is a difficult choice and can only be made by each individual patient.

If you have experienced the painful effects of a defective defibrillator, contact an experienced lawyer immediately. Expensive medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and many more damages may have occurred as a result of your defective defibrillator. There is no need to suffer financially, physically, or even emotionally if the damages you have experienced were caused by a negligent manufacturer.

No-Scar Heart Surgery Has Great Results and the Fastest Recovery - See What Your Best Options Are

When you are told you need open heart surgery a sudden rush of fear is often the first reaction. Gruesome images of huge scars, bleeding, unbearable pain and overwhelming fear of terrible complications come to mind in a whirlwind blur. All these images in your mind are very far from reality and reflect the way heart surgery was performed OVER FIFTEEN YEARS AGO. I hope this article will help you appreciate the giant leap forward our specialty has made to devise a soft touch, low impact surgical technology to allow our patients a rapid and uneventful return to their life style after a coronary bypass or a heart valve operation. I will give you a brief outline of the hospital course for a minimally invasive heart operation to help you see the difference between your fears and what actually happens when you are in the hospital.

My example will be the all too common case of a 75 year old lady who needs a mitral valve repair to correct her severe mitral valve leakage. Here we go:

All the testing before surgery is done as an outpatient to give you time to discuss every detail about your state of health and your heart condition.
The day of surgery you arrive at the hospital early in the morning and meet again with your surgeon. A small intravenous line is inserted in your arm. It feels like a pinch.
Once you are in the operating room you'll be given some anesthesia right away and you'll fall asleep. The rest of the time you will not see, feel, hear or remember anything until you wake up in our recovery area after surgery.
The only person who's really suffering during surgery is your relative or friend sitting in the surgical waiting room.
The operation is carried out through a tiny incision in the skin crease under the right breast. There is no bone cutting involved because the opening is in the space between two ribs. This is important because bones don't heal well in many female patients because of osteoporosis (brittle bones) after menopause
Before closing the surgical incision a local anesthetic is injected in the space between the ribs to make that portion of the chest wall completely numb
You are then transported to our intensive care unit and you'll wake up feeling groggy but pain free
By the morning after you'll be out of bed and walking and maybe hungry enough for a small meal. You are ready to be transferred to the regular floor to continue walking and deep breathing exercises with our nurses and physical therapists
The second day after surgery most paytients are ready to go home with arrangements for a visiting nurse and physical therapy service and the surgeon's phone number
You are encouraged to resume your physical activity right away, including going out for a stroll, going up and down stairs and receiving friends and relatives at home.
Two weeks later you'll be back at the surgeon's office for your postoperative visit and by that time you'll have my blessing to resume your life style in full, including driving, traveling, going back to work

Again, this is what you should picture in your mind when you are told you need an operation. Ask your doctors about minimally invasive heart surgery techniques that do not involve bone cutting and are carried out through tiny incisions. If they are not familiar with them, consider consulting a Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Center for a second opinion. More and more patients are gladly traveling out of town to get the best care available and they are glad they did. It's your body, it's your heart, it's the rest of your life!