A Natural, Multi-Mechanistic Supplement Approach for Improving Cardiovascular Risk Factors
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Joe Vinson
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the developed world. With the emergence of herbal preparations, the number of people using these products to improve their health is growing. The purpose of this study is to investigate a product that contains a number of ingredients that singly have been shown to lower lipids.A commercial combination herbal extract containing phytosterols, fiber, and other plant extracts with lipid-lowering properties was investigated using a double blind placebo-controlled clinical study. There were two active phases and one placebo phase, each two months in length. Two groups of subjects were studied; one group was taking statin drugs and the other was not taking any cholesterol-lowering drugs but had high cholesterol.Safety was investigated with a battery of tests including blood chemistry, coagulation, hematology, blood pressure and weight. Efficacy for heart disease risk factors were evaluated and included lipids, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein. Glucose was also measured.There were no significant side effects with the active supplement and no changes in liver enzymes indicating a lack of toxicity. The product (11 g) taken daily and compared to placebo significantly lowered cholesterol, LDL and the risk ratio, and glucose only in the group not taking statins. There was no significant change vs. the placebo for two other heart disease risk factors, homocysteine and high sensitivity C-reactive protein. After combining both subject groups, the product lowered total cholesterol 4.8% (p < 0.001), decreased LDL 8.3% (p < 0.001) and lowered the cholesterol/HDL (heart disease risk ratio) 9.4% (p < 0.001). Triglycerides were also improved and declined 11.6%, but the change was not significant. Glucose was also significantly decreased 4.8% (p < 0.001).The product with low doses of herbal ingredients was shown to be safe and effective for improving the lipid profile and thus decreasing the risk of heart disease. An additional benefit was that glucose was lowered by the supplement.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
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- Discussion Paper
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Articles in the same Issue
- Review Article
- Pharmacology of Huperzine A, an Alkaloid Isolated from Huperzine Serrata, a Novel Cognition Enhancer with Dual Cholinergic and NMDA Action. Implications in Schizophrenia and Dementia
- Research Article
- Fuzzy Rule Based Systems in Classification of Terminalia Chebula Fruits of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- A Natural, Multi-Mechanistic Supplement Approach for Improving Cardiovascular Risk Factors
- How Do Private CAM Therapies Affect Integrative Health Care Settings in a Publicly Funded Health Care System?
- Preventive Effects of an Extract of Erythrina Lysistemon (Fabaceae) on Some Menopausal Problems: Studies on the Rat
- Bridge Building and Integrative Treatment of People with Multiple Sclerosis. Research-based Evaluation of a Team-building Process
- The Effects of Honey Compared With Sucrose and a Sugar-free Diet on Neutrophil Phagocytosis and Lymphocyte Numbers after Long-term Feeding in Rats
- Effect of Andrographolide on Monkey Hepatocytes against Galactosamine Induced Cell Toxicity : An In-Vitro Study
- Ginger Modulates Lymphocyte Activity in Vitro and in Vivo and Modestly Prolongs Cardiac Allograft Survival
- Discussion Paper
- Orthodox Use, or Misuse, of Complementary & Alternative Medicine
- Using the Behavioral Model for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The CAM Healthcare Model
- Conference Presentation
- Coming of Age -- Emerging Issues and New Directions in CAM Research: Abstracts from the Fourth Annual IN-CAM Symposium November 1 & 2, 2007, Vancouver, Canada
