Alison Odey

Since the media has brought public attention to the fact that quite commonly people are being affected by the side effects of ‘statins’ (a group of cholesterol reducing drugs), that in some cases they have been ill-informed about, I have been conscious of the fact that very few people are aware of the existence of new alternative products for cholesterol reduction.

The first to come on the market were products derived from the bark of the sugar cane or from certain species of pine bark. This last I was a little wary of as it did seem to cause stomach discomfort in some people. I have seen no such effects from any product derived from sugar cane bark however and cholesterol reducing effects seem to be reasonable.

The next on the market were products derived from the bran of ‘red rice’. Red yeast rice has been used in China for hundreds of years and its consumption has been found to regulate cholesterol levels. These are starting to show excellent results even in instances where the first group of products have not been successful. I have seen no detrimental effects to date and personally prefer this type.

Contact us if you would like to try this product.

Both products help to correct the LDL/HDL ratios (HDL being High Density Lipoprotein that is considered to be protective against coronary heart disease).

Deficiency of Coenzyme Q10 is a common finding in patients with hyperlipidaemia and this is believed to be a factor in oxidative damage found in tissues such as the arterial walls.
– CoQ10 has been shown also to help reduce cholesterol levels and to prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol.
– Supplementation with 100mg of CoQ10 daily has also been shown to prevent the development of deficiencies in patients taking ‘statin’ type drugs, which are known to induce deficiency.
– CoQ10 is also advised when using the natural alternatives to these drugs. Research has used levels of 100-300mg daily.
See page on Co-enzyme Q10

If you are concerned about your personal situation, then if possible make an appointment to come in and discus the alternative possibilities.
It is important that if you decide to embark on any alternative regime that you inform your doctor of what you are doing and have your cholesterol levels and blood pressure checked regularly.
Click here to see page on ‘Cholesterol’.