A Cheap And Effective Way To Kill Cholesterol

Berberine, traditionally used as an over-the-counter remedy for diarrhea caused by bacterial infection, can lower levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) significantly and works in a different way from statin drugs like Lipitor or Zocor. A group of researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City published their animal and human studies of Berberine in the journal Nature Medicine in 2005.

Statin works by blocking cholesterol formation in liver cells. This cholesterol shortage causes more cholesterol receptors to appear on the cell surface in an effort to pull cholesterol from the blood to make up for the deficit. As a result, blood cholesterol levels drop. In contrast, berberine works in a way that does not depend on how much cholesterol is in the cell. The herb increases the number of cholesterol receptors on the cell surface but it does this by stabilizing and improving the process by which the receptors are formed.

The scientists in fact screened 700 Chinese remedies in laboratory tests and eventually found that berberine had the greatest effect in increasing cholesterol receptors. Further testing showed that receptor levels were increased further when the herb was used together with a statin.

A study was then conducted to assess cholesterol levels in a group of 91 patients with high cholesterol who were treated with Berberine or an inactive placebo for 3 months. It was found that the herb lowered total cholesterol by 18 percent and LDL by 20 percent. No effect on levels of HDL (good cholesterol) was seen, however. A subset of patients who were not taking any other medications or herbs before or during the study was analyzed. Berberine lowered their total cholesterol by 29 percent and LDL by 25 percent.

Berberine appears to be safe and is also extremely cheap, costing about 75 US cents (in 2005) a day.

While the effect of berberine was small compared with that of statin, the dose used for the trial was only moderate. Larger effects may be seen with larger dose. As the herb does work in a different way as statin, it could potentially be combined with statin to reduce cholesterol levels even further. Therefore, further studies are necessary to ascertain the best dose for treatment and the effect of the combination with statin.

Former Heart Surgeon Reveals ... How to prevent and even reverse heart disease - without drugs or surgery. Read more about Dr Robert's confession at: http://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/dr-robert.html

Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com

Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included. Heart Disease Prevention - 8 Simple Ways You Can Do Immediately, Goto: www.howtopreventheartdisease.com

Please Rate this Article  5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Health Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Health

• Qualities Needed For Participating In Yoga Teacher Training - By : Radiantly Alive
  
• What Are BCAA Supplements - By : Evitamins.com
  
• Lightening Up with Kojic Acid - By : Evitamins.com
  
• Natural Remedies and Lifestyle Tips for Heartburn Relief - By : Evitamins.com
  
• Short and Long-Term Effects of Nicotine on Health - By : Nate Rodney
  
• Prevent and Treat Wrinkles with Vitamin A - By : Evitamins.com
  
• Want To Know How To Gain Muscles - These 4 Exercises Will Show You - By : Kevin Shaw
  
• Can I Ask for More Detailed Explanations from My Dentist? - By : This Is Dentistry
  
• There Are Many Ways To Lose Weight By Exercising – These 3 Tips Will Get You Started - By : Kevin Shaw
  
• If You Eat These 5 Foods – You Will Gain Muscles Fast - By : Kevin Shaw