Dear Reader,
Modern medicine still can’t get it right…
I just read an article in the latest issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and came across a finding that jumped out at me–
JAMA reported that those with HDL levels below 35 had an eight-fold higher incidence of cardiovascular disease than those with more than 65mg/dl of HDL. And not only that, but each 1mg/dl increase in HDL cholesterol resulted in a 6% lower risk of death from heart attack! 1
Simply put, if your HDL level is low, you’re at much greater risk for heart disease. But the good news is, you can easily improve your HDL levels and disease-proof your heart, using simple, inexpensive, all-natural strategies…without the nasty side effects of drugs.
After reading the entire article, JAMA did not want to say conclusively that HDL will benefit your heart health, regardless of your cholesterol level, citing that more studies need to be done. 1
…Truth is, you don’t need fifty more years worth of studies to confirm what I’ve known all along– increasing HDL cholesterol works to prevent heart disease.
It really doesn’t matter what your total cholesterol level is. It could be as high as 300, but as long as your HDL levels are high your risk of getting heart disease is virtually non-existent. The Framingham heart study proves this, showing that increasing HDL can reduce coronary disease independent of LDL cholesterol. 2
I’ve also found this to be true in helping hundreds of my own patients. In fact, one of my patients Roy, saw astounding success because we worked on increasing his HDL. Roy had suffered a heart attack and came to me because he had terrible pain in his back and legs and always felt weak and tired. He felt like he was 80 and thought it was because of the heart attack.
I worked to wean him off the statin drugs his doctor prescribed, and counseled him on diet and exercise. Within a few days of stopping the drugs Roy’s pain lessened and his energy levels started to rise.
Within months of committing to both interval and strength training, Roy went from 235 pounds and 30% body fat to 185 pounds with 16% body fat—and his HDL soared from 40mg/dl to 55mg/dl. His initial stress test after the heart attack showed significant damage to his heart…now his latest stress test showed very minimal damage, to the point where it was difficult to see any evidence that Roy had ever had a heart attack.
That’s the healing power of HDL.
Here are a few easy ways you can improve your HDL cholesterol and have a healthy, disease-free heart:
• Exercise – Intense, interval training like I describe in my PACE ® program is the most effective way to increase your HDL cholesterol levels.
• Diet – stay away from processed foods and junk foods…especially refined sugars. Instead eat lean proteins and unprocessed carbs, such as fruits and vegetables.
• Moderate alcohol consumption –1-2 drinks a day are proven to increase HDL by 12% (this was confirmed in the latest issue of JAMA).1
• Supplements – Taking 50mg of Niacin (vitamin B3) daily improves your HDL. Omega-3s increase good cholesterol as well. You can find rich sources of omega-3s in olive oil, fish, flaxseed oil, and in one of the newest supplements I’m excited about…Sacha Inchi oil.
If you’d like to learn more about protecting your heart, check out The Doctor’s Heart Cure.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD.
1 Singh I, et al, “High-Density Lipoprotein as a Therapeutic Target—A Systematic Review,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 298 (2007): 787, 790, 795.
2 Castelli WP. Cholesterol and lipids in the risk of coronary artery disease—the Framingham Heart Study. Canadian Journal of Cardiology.1998 July; 4 Suppl A:5 A-10A