Heart Health
Pomegranate Juice for Diabetes and Heart Disease
Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants that have many anti-atherosclerotic properties. In other words pomegranate juice would be helpful in people with heart disease, including diabetics with heart disease (since diabetics have increased risk of coronary heart disease). There is quite a lot of research on the scientific databases (pubmed). Here is a highlight of a few…
Read MoreThe Cholesterol and Thyroid Connection
Patients with abnormal lipid profiles (including cholesterol) are often prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications. I often tell my patients that their thyroid health directly affects their blood-cholesterol levels. Many patients are surprised as their primary physician may not have investigated this connection. The Claim: Your Cholesterol May be High Due to Low Thyroid Function You’ll see there…
Read MoreHow to Reduce Triglycerides
Various molecules are counted and/or calculated when we do blood work. This article focuses on Triglycerides and how we may reduce them. To learn about HDL-C and LDL-C, please click the links. A Brief Review of Triglycerides Next to cholesterol, triglycerides are the most important measurement in the lipid panel. Triglycerides relate to overall heart…
Read MoreWhy We Thought Cholesterol Was Bad
Cardiovascular disease prevention has been a major research topic since the 1950s [1]. It’s a safe bet that at some point, you have been told cholesterol is bad. The good news is science has now proven dietary cholesterol isn’t bad, in fact it’s important. However, it was also science telling us it was bad all…
Read MoreWhat is LDL-Cholesterol?
Various molecules are counted and/or calculated when we do blood work. This article focuses on LDL-Cholesterol. I have written similar articles about HDL and triglycerides. Defining LDL and Cholesterol LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein; LDL-C refers to the cholesterol contained within that lipoprotein. Think of LDL as a boat: Cholesterol is the cargo: The…
Read MoreWhat is HDL-Cholesterol?
Defining HDL and Cholesterol High density lipoprotein (HDL) is a carrier molecule for cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides. Think of HDL as a boat. Cholesterol is the cargo. Click here to learn how important cholesterol is. Cholesterol (cargo) can’t float in the blood; it needs to be carried around by the lipoprotein (the boat). This video…
Read MoreWays to Increase HDL-C
HDL is crucial for heart health. Learn more about HDL-C by clicking here, and LDL-C by clicking here. This article discusses dietary and lifestyle interventions proven to raise HDL-C and therefore reduce cardiovascular risk. Diet Interventions that Increase HDL-C Lower Carb/Higher Fat Diets Lowers triglycerides, raises HDL-C [1] LDL-C may not change in concentration, but…
Read MoreWays To Improve LDL
LDL is often discussed in the context of heart disease. It’s important to understand how LDL, HDL, cholesterol and triglycerides all relate to heart disease. Click the links to read more about each one. This article discusses dietary and lifestyle interventions proven to be helpful for improving the LDL particle profile. For a review of…
Read MoreEverything You Need to Know About Triglycerides
Various molecules are counted and/or calculated when we do blood work. This article focuses on Triglycerides and how they contribute to heart disease risk. I have written similar articles about HDL and LDL. What are Triglycerides? Next to cholesterol, triglycerides are the most important measurement in the lipid panel. Triglycerides enter our blood from 2 sources:…
Read MoreThe Truth About Eggs and Cholesterol
Eggs have historically been given a bad reputation. Websites, news shows and even doctors spread the word that eggs (due to their cholesterol content) are bad. As a result, this myth is known almost worldwide. Eggs have been accused of many bad things, but I hope this article will prove to you eggs are safe…
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