Oatmeal -- Cholesterol

[hoodat]

So the Doc says I've got high cholesterol. Wanted to write me a scrip for statin drugs. I'm not wild about taking any drugs if I don't have to, at least until I try to get things under control with healthier eating and living.

A few folks, my sister included, have told me great things about oatmeal and recipes with it for lowering cholesterol. I haven't eaten the stuff for years, except maybe energy bars and such. I tried the basic recipe this morning, and- HEY!! I could live with this for breakfast -- and snacks too.

I'm gonna go heavy on it for awhile and see if it makes a difference. Has anyone got good things to say abut this idea. -- or good recipes? jd

[dannyd]

The Oatmeal works depending your age; if your 35 the Oatmeal regiment is great but if your over 65 then the scrip would be more affective at slowing down the heart disease that comes from high cholesterol.

Watch how heavy on the Oatmeal it has a lot of fiber that may make an appearance at a bad moment.

[gmsharps]

I believe diet and exercise is the best fix. My cholesterol was at one time over a thousand. Docs said I should not even be alive. I went on several statins niacin and a host of others. My diet then was horrible . I don’t think anything I ate was good for you. I changed my diet some and with the statins and the such we got it down to the 350 range. About 3 months into this regimen I started getting the side effects of the statins. Severe muscle pains . Couldn’t walk up a 3 step flight of stairs without holding onto a handrail. Stopped the statins and about 2 months I was back to where I was but the cholesterol level was in the high 200’s but at least I was going in the right direction. Nowadays I try to eat healthier like oatmeal fresh fruit and green veggies a fair amount. I’m out on the property most days and keep moving . Cholesterol is around 200 sometimes lower but that’s about it. You have to be in for the long hall there’s no quick fix but you have to start somewhere
Good luck

Gmsharps

[kerplode]

Watch out Wilford...That oatmeal will give you diabeetus! (j/k)

Regarding "going heavy on it": Many years ago, for S&G, I decided to exclusively eat oatmeal just to see what would happen. The first couple days were OK, but by day 4 I started to have significant, shall we say, "intestinal distress." After being unable to leave the house for the entirety of day 5, the experiment ended.

[facetious]

I did all that stuff. Eat good, exercise daily , lots of fish, limit the read meat. In the end the pill brought my cholesterol down more any of that stuff. Same with blood pressure ,in the end it was the pill that got it down.

[Winger Ed.]

Oat meal is supposed to be good for you, but it tastes like dirt.

On the other hand--- this is America. We have a pill for everything.

[DougGuy]

Which oatmeal? Plain rolled or steel cut oats? Or packages of prepared oats with flavoring and high fructose corn syrup and/or hydrogenated vegetable oils?

The plain stuff is great, until you go to sweetening it up then it's sugar and it doesn't matter where the sugar comes from, or if it's natural, it's still sugar. I will confess to using some dark brown sugar in my oatmeal and muesli.

Let me also suggest Uncle Bob's Muesli, it's got oats in it, and a lot of other grains and nuts and seeds, it's like oatmeal deluxe. I like to switch off and have grits and eggs, muesli and I add a spoon of Uncle Bob's quick cooking steel cut oats.

[45workhorse]

Oatmeal, with milk and cinnamon, pinch of brown sugar or honey, and pecans. Put in the fridge overnight, and you can eat it cold or warm it up. Just plain ole quick oats
DougGuy I will look for the Uncle Bob's stuff.

[hoodat]

The stuff I got is just plain old fashioned rolled oats. This morning I did one dose which is a half cup of oats, boiled in one cup of water. While it boiled, I put in the same amount of stevia that I'd sweeten two cups of coffee with, and a smidge of cinnamon. So no sugar. It was great.

We'll see how it goes, I just don't want to start taking pills for everything if I don't have to. I don't eat much sugar, or much of pre-packaged junk food. Fast food about once a week. I am heavy on meat, -- beef, elk, pork, chicken, and whatever varmints I can catch and kill. My total cholesterol count was 265. 186 of that is the LDL. (bad stuff)

I appreciate all responses about this cholesterol thing. Keep em coming. jd

[DougGuy]

The stuff I got is just plain old fashioned rolled oats. This morning I did one dose which is a half cup of oats, boiled in one cup of water. While it boiled, I put in the same amount of stevia that I'd sweeten two cups of coffee with, and a smidge of cinnamon. So no sugar. It was great.

We'll see how it goes, I just don't want to start taking pills for everything if I don't have to. I don't eat much sugar, or much of pre-packaged junk food. Fast food about once a week. I am heavy on meat, -- beef, elk, pork, chicken, and whatever varmints I can catch and kill. My total cholesterol count was 265. 186 of that is the LDL. (bad stuff)

I appreciate all responses about this cholesterol thing. Keep em coming. jd

Yer on the right track! Look at the healthy fats too. The body makes cholesterol, and if you restrict intake, it will start manufacturing until it gets what it needs, you can't live without cholesterol, that's a fact. The task is to search out the healthy fats, fish, some red meat, avocados, even butter has health benefits compared to other oils. I probably spend 1/4 of my shopping time in the aisles reading the labels.

If the ingredients is a large paragraph, that's not a good thing. In the center aisles, where the prepared food is, that's where your nasty stuff is, and you have to pick and choose and read labels. On the outer aisles, around the outsides of the groceries, is the healthy stuff. Produce, fish and seafood, non processed meats, dairy, etc..

[slim1836]

I take a bunch of prescription pills and they have kept me going for more years than I should have. I don't like it but I have to face the facts. Combine that with a good diet and exercise, hopefully, you might eliminate one or two of the meds over time.

My mother is 95, eats oatmeal with blueberries, walks at least 1/2 mile every day, lives on her own, still drives, etc... She researches every pill she takes and questions doctors all the time. Me, I just take the pills.

She will outlive me.

Slim

[DougGuy]

I was taking Praluent injections in my tummy every 2 weeks, cholesterol came down but doc wanted it down more so December of 2021 he upped from 75mg to 150mg. About 2months after this change my walking gait just pooped it seems, dragging my right foot, easily felt off balance, I actually fell twice, backwards and my sense of balance was slow in preventing the falls. I told the doc I wanted to go back down to 75mg 2x/month and after a few months of this things were better but they still weren't right so I went off all the cholesterol meds and it seems like my walking is getting much better, I still have some balance problems especially if I crouch down low or bend over low, I have to be extra careful coming up and make sure to catch myself.

A friend of mine said her G'ma was having some of the same kind of symptoms and she went off her cholesterol meds and they cleared up. The symptoms I was having started SO un noticed, insidiously to be more specific, and I thought well hell 69 is the year things are turning, I thought well maybe I am just getting old but it was real quick after it started. I am going to see how things pan out this year before I pass judgement on the meds but they are certainly suspect, more than just turning 70.

[alamogunr]

I ate the quick cooking oatmeal for years(always in a hurry) but changed to regular Quaker Oats after retiring. Got tired of it every day so started varying what I ate for breakfast. When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the doctor put me on a statin and a blood pressure pill. His reasoning was that both would help control the glucose. Neither was a very big dose. I've always had decent blood pressure numbers and I guess the medication has held it down. I'm 80 now and everything seems to be under control.

[Thundarstick]

Stop worrying about your cholesterol! Keep an eye on your triglycerides instead! Statins are poison, I wouldn't take them ever! Stop eating carbs, bring your insulin levels down, practice intermittent fasting, and DON'T eat oatmeal!

[MrWolf]

I believe diet and exercise is the best fix. My cholesterol was at one time over a thousand. Docs said I should not even be alive. I went on several statins niacin and a host of others. My diet then was horrible . I don’t think anything I ate was good for you. I changed my diet some and with the statins and the such we got it down to the 350 range. About 3 months into this regimen I started getting the side effects of the statins. Severe muscle pains . Couldn’t walk up a 3 step flight of stairs without holding onto a handrail. Stopped the statins and about 2 months I was back to where I was but the cholesterol level was in the high 200’s but at least I was going in the right direction. Nowadays I try to eat healthier like oatmeal fresh fruit and green veggies a fair amount. I’m out on the property most days and keep moving . Cholesterol is around 200 sometimes lower but that’s about it. You have to be in for the long hall there’s no quick fix but you have to start somewhere
Good luck

Gmsharps

Agreed. I have a bad back and in constant pain and the statins almost crippled me with the low back pain. I started taking those Balance of Nature type pills from Costco. Kirkland brand and WAY cheaper than the TV advertised stuff. So far my blood pressure is normal and my cholesterol hasnt been a issue with the doc. Been told the reduced blood pressure could be from the beets in the pills. No idea but I do feel better taking them, especially when I compare the price of the Kirkland brand to TV. Walk, best thing for you and keep active. Good luck.
Ron

[Wag]

I like oatmeal but it did nothing to bring down my cholesterol. Oddly, eggs brought it down some, though not enough. Mine was at 800+. I tried red yeast rice, too, which is touted to be a solution for cholesterol but it did nothing for me.

After trying several things for about six months with very little result, I started simvastatin and that did the trick. I'm below 100, if I remember the numbers correctly. Whatever it is, it's doing well. No side effects from the statin, either, knock on wood.

The doc told me that 70% of cholesterol is made by your own liver so if you have the DNA for it from your family, it's just a bad hand of cards you have to deal with.

--Wag--

[steveu]

I use Red Yeast Rice, it is a natural statin. I get mine from wall world.

[bubbadoyle]

If you’re willing to commit to it keto, low carb and carnivore diets do a great job of lowering cholesterol in most people. Reducing blood sugar and insulin spikes seems to have a great overall effect on many health issues.


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[hoodat]

If you’re willing to commit to it keto, low carb and carnivore diets do a great job of lowering cholesterol in most people. Reducing blood sugar and insulin spikes seems to have a great overall effect on many health issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I'm up for cutting down my carbs, but unless ABSOLUTELY necessary, I won't cut them out completely. I'm not in the diabetic zone yet, and don't want to be. I'm not hardly over weight, and am still in pretty good shape.

What I AM is 66 years old, pretty much retired, and at a stage where it would be easy to get lazy, eat too much, and let myself go physically. I hadn't had blood work done for about three years, and the numbers were worse than last time.

By the way, on the oatmeal thing, I discovered that the "dash of salt" they recommend, is for a reason. It doesn't taste right without it. jd

[DougGuy]

I use Red Yeast Rice, it is a natural statin. I get mine from wall world.

The mayo clinic has some promising things to say about this as a supplement, and the appropriate cautions as well: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-sup...e/art-20363074

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Overview

Red yeast rice is the product of yeast (Monascus purpureus) grown on white rice. The powdered yeast-rice mixture is a dietary staple in Asia and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Red yeast rice is also available as an oral supplement.

Red yeast rice might contain compounds that appear to lower cholesterol levels. One of the compounds is monacolin K, the same ingredient that is in the prescription cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin (Altoprev).

As an oral supplement, people take red yeast rice for high cholesterol and heart disease.
Evidence

Research on red yeast rice use for specific conditions shows:

High cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). Research shows that red yeast rice containing considerable amounts of monacolin K can lower your total blood cholesterol level, your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol level and your triglyceride level.

Our take

Yellow light: Caution


Red yeast rice is capable of lowering blood cholesterol levels and total blood cholesterol levels. While the supplement is generally considered safe, it might carry the same potential side effects as statin cholesterol drugs.

Red yeast rice might cost less than a statin. However, with a supplement, there's less assurance regarding quality and how much active ingredient is actually in the product. Some red yeast products might contain only small amounts of monacolin K and potentially have little effect on cholesterol levels.


Safety and side effects:

Red yeast rice can cause mild side effects, including:

Abdominal discomfort
Heartburn
Gas
Headache
Dizziness

Red yeast rice might contain monacolin K, the same ingredient that is in the prescription cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin. Lovastatin side effects include liver damage and muscle disorders (myopathy).

Don't take red yeast rice if you're pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast-feeding.

An older study raised the concern that some red yeast rice products contain a contaminant called citrinin, which can cause kidney failure. However, a more recent study that analyzed 14 red yeast rice dietary supplements didn't find citrinin in any of them.

Interactions:

Possible interactions include:

Alcohol. Don't drink alcohol if you are taking red yeast rice. The combination might increase the risk of liver damage.

Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune). Taking this immunosuppressive drug with red yeast rice might increase the risk of myopathy.

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors. Taking red yeast rice with drugs, such as erythromycin, that inhibit this enzyme might increase the risk of harmful red yeast rice side effects.

Grapefruit. Drinking grapefruit juice and taking red yeast rice might increase the risk of the supplement's harmful side effects.

Gemfibrozil (Lopid). Taking this cholesterol drug with red yeast rice might increase the risk of myopathy.

Hepatotoxic drugs, herbs and supplements. Red yeast rice might contain monacolin K, which can cause liver damage in some people. Taking red yeast rice with these types of drugs, herbs and supplements could increase the risk of liver damage.

Niacin. Taking red yeast rice with high-dose niacin might increase the risk of myopathy.

St. John's wort. Taking this supplement with red yeast rice might reduce the effectiveness of red yeast rice.

Statin. Taking red yeast rice with other statins might increase the risk of harmful side effects.