This oil supplies more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil, carrying nearly 45-50% oil content. It is a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. Sunflower oil has been known to help arthritis, constipation, skin conditions, wound healing, and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL, “bad”) cholesterol. There are several types of sunflower oils produced, such as high linoleic, high oleic and mid oleic. High linoleic sunflower oil typically has at least 69% linoleic acid. High oleic sunflower oil has at least 82% oleic acid. Variation in unsaturated fatty acids profile is strongly influenced by both genetics and climate.

The highly polyunsaturated sunflower oil  is a great alternative and excellent for grills, mayonnaise and salad dressings.

The highly monounsaturated sunflower oil is a premium healthy oil which is highly versatile for use in long life frying, sauces, dressings and marinades. Mono-sunflower oil has the highest monounsaturated content of all the oils (> 80%), poly-sunflower oil has high levels of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats.

Oils are incredibly versatile, and great in many dishes:

• try margarine spreads made from nutritious oils
• use a variety of oils as an essential ingredient to cook delicious meals
• add as many different oils to apple cider vinegar for a very powerfully healthy salad dressing
• infuse oils with other ingredients, such as chilli, rosemary, truffle or vanilla, to add flavour and fun to your menu
• use convenient spray oils for greasing baking pans
• add oils in your kitchen to bring variety to your cooking, and enjoyment to every meal

Sunflower Oil Composition:

Sunflower oil contains predominantly linoleic acid in triglyceride form.

Palmitic acid : 4 – 9%,
Stearic acid : 1 – 7%,
Oleic acid : 14 – 40%,
Linoleic acid : 48 – 74%.

Sunflower oil also contains lecithin, tocopherols, carotenoids and waxes. Sunflower oil’s properties are typical of a vegetable triglyceride oil. Sunflower oil is produced from oil type sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and has a high Vitamin E content. It is a combination of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels.

Sunflower oil is safe when used in appropriate amounts. A diet high in sunflower oil seems to raise blood sugar after meals in people with type 2 diabetes and might contribute to hardening of the arteries. So if you suffer from diabetes do not take sunflower oil.

Caution

Do not take sunflower oil if:

• You are pregnant or breast-feeding
• You are allergic to ragweed, marigolds, daisies, and related herbs
• You have diabetes

AOF
www.australianoilseeds.com

National Sunflower Association
www.sunflowernsa.com

Wikipedia
www.wikipedia.com

Sesame Seed Oil has been used as a healing oil for thousands of years. Sesame oil is mentioned in the Vedas as excellent for humans. It is naturally antibacterial for common skin pathogens, such as staphylococcus and streptococcus as well as common skin fungi, such as athlete’s foot fungus. It is naturally antiviral. It is a natural anti inflammatory agent.

Nutritional content of sesame oil:

• 14% saturated fats, 42% monounsaturated fats, 45% polyunsaturated fats
• 42% oleic acid (omega-9), a monounsaturated fatty acid
• 45% linoleic acid (omega-6), a polyunsaturated fatty acid
• 10% palmitic acid, 5% stearic acid
• High in Vitamin E, 1 Tbsp meets 21% of daily requirement for tocopherol
• Naturally contains sesamol and sesamolin, which are antioxidants that keep the oil fresh.

• Add sesame seeds into the batter the next time you make homemade bread, muffins or cookies.
• Use the traditional macrobiotic seasoning, gomasio, to enliven your food. You can either purchase gomasio at a health food store or make your own by using a mortar and pestle. Simply mix together one part dry roasted sea salt with twelve parts dry roasted sesame seeds.
• Sesame seeds add a great touch to steamed broccoli that has been sprinkled with lemon juice.
• Spread tahini (sesame paste) on toasted bread and either drizzle with honey for a sweet treat or combine with miso for a savory snack.
• Combine toasted sesame seeds with rice vinegar, tamari and crushed garlic and use as a dressing for salads, vegetables and noodles.
• Healthy sauté chicken with sesame seeds, tamari, garlic, ginger and your favorite vegetables for a healthy, but quick, Asian-inspired dinner.

• As nose drops, sniffed back into the sinuses, sesame seed oil has cured chronic sinusitis. As a throat gargle, it kills strep and other common cold bacteria. It helps sufferers of psoriasis and dry skin ailments. It has been successfully used in the hair of children to kill lice infestations. It is a useful natural UV protector.
• Used after exposure to wind or sun it will calm the burns. It nourishes and feeds the scalp to control dry scalp dandruff and to kill dandruff causing bacteria. It protects the skin from the effects of chlorine in swimming pool water. Used before and after radiation treatments, sesame seed oil helps neutralize the flood of oxygen radicals which such treatment inevitably causes.
• On the skin, oil soluble toxins are attracted to sesame seed oil molecules which can then be washed away with hot water and a mild soap. Internally, the oil molecules attract oil soluble toxins and carry them into the blood stream and then out of the body as waste.
• Used as a douche mixed with warm water, the oil controls vaginal yeast infections.
• Sesame seed oil absorbs quickly and penetrates through the tissues to the very marrow of the bone. It enters into the blood stream through the capillaries and circulates. The liver does not sweep sesame seed oil molecules from the blood, accepting those molecules as friendly.
• Sesame seed oil helps joints keep their flexibility. It keeps the skin supple and soft. It heals and protects areas of mild scrapes, cuts and abrasions. It helps tighten facial skin, particularly around the nose, controlling the usual enlargement of pores as skin ages chronologically.
• Teen boys and girls have learned, wrongly, that all oil is bad for their facial skin. Heavy oils and toxic oils and creams are bad for all facial skin. But sesame seed oil is the one oil which is actually good for young skin. It helps control eruptions and neutralizes the poisons which develop both on the surface and in the pores. With sesame oil, no cosmetics are needed. The oil will cause young facial skin to have and display natural good health.
• Used on baby skin, particularly in the area covered by a diaper, sesame seed oil will protect the tender skin against rash caused by the acidity of body wastes. In the nose and ears, it will protect against common skin pathogens.
• For children going to school, who will be in the presence of other children with colds and sniffles, sesame seed oil swabbed in the nose can protect against air borne viruses and bacteria.
• When using the oil as a massage oil, stroke the long limbs up and down. Use circular motions over all joints to stimulate the natural energy of those joints.

WH Foods
www.whfoods.com

Cis-linoleic acid, the omega-6 fatty acid in safflower oil is responsible for prostaglandin production and is a catalyst for burning brown fat. Brown fat is the inner body fat that surrounds vital organs and acts as a fat-burning factory, using calories for heat rather than storing them as white fat. During normal metabolism, cis-linoleic acid converts to GLA (gamma linolenic acid). GLA then stimulates the body’s brown fat into a flurry of calorie-burning activity. When brown fat is active on a regular basis, the body is best able to maintain its ideal weight.

Safflower oil is an oil expressed from the seeds of the safflower plant, a member of the sunflower family. Regular safflower oil, has a fatty acid profile of 79 percent polyunsaturates, 13 percent monounsaturates and just 8 percent saturated fats. Safflower oil is used mainly as a cooking oil, in salad dressing, and for the production of margarine.

Monounsaturated safflower oil is very shelf-stable, although it should still be stored in a cool dry place out of the light to prevent it from going rancid. It is odorless and colorless, with a very high smoking point which means that it can be used for deep frying and other high-heat cooking methods. Polyunsaturated safflower oil, which is also colorless and tasteless, needs to be handled much more carefully, because it goes rancid very easily. It should not be subjected to heat, and some people even recommend storing it in the fridge.

There are two distinct types of safflower oil, each with very different uses; Monounsaturated safflower oil and polyunsaturated safflower oil.

Monounsaturated safflower oil is high in oleic acid and is used as a heat-stable cooking oil. Like other products high in oleic acid, monounsaturated safflower oil is not terribly beneficial to human health.

Polyunsaturated safflower oil is high in linoleic acid and is used as a cold oil. This oil has a great deal of nutritional value, making it an excellent choice for dressings and other applications in which a cold carrier oil can be useful. Polyunsaturated oils are fragile. When exposed to heat, light or oxygen, they can quickly turn rancid and lose their ability to function.

In addition to being used in food production, safflower oil also appears as a medium for painting, and as a component in a wide variety of commercial products. Safflower oil is also used in painting in the place of linseed oil, particularly with white, as it does not have the yellow tint which linseed oil possesses. Traditionally, safflower crops were grown for their seeds, and used for colouring and flavouring foods, in medicines, and making red (carthamin) and yellow dyes.

WiseGeek
www.wisegeek.com

BNET
www.findarticles.com

Wikipedia
www.wikipedia.com

• Don’t think of it as a replacement for extra virgin olive oil, but rather as a new oil, a new flavour, to introduce to food. Use it in place of other oils, or as a blend with olive oil.
• It will heighten the flavour of any dish that features avocados. Stir it into avocado dips, guacamole and avocado soup, for example.
• Drizzle it over a fresh mozzarella and tomato salad. Season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a few squirts of lemon. You could also add some plump Spanish or Italian green olives to this. Basil, lemon and lime basil will also add an extra complementary flavour.
• Make a New World gazpacho with avocado oil in place of olive oil and garnish the chilled soup with finely diced avocado carefully tossed with avocado oil, chopped fresh red chilli and chopped coriander.
• Make a bulky gazpacho (use very little liquid) and strew the top with garlicky prawns seared in avocado oil.
• Sear fresh scallops in very hot avocado oil, grind over some black pepper and sprinkle with chopped coriander.
• Drizzle over a salad of cos lettuce, goats’ cheese, snipped chives, lemon or lime segments and serve with crispy chunks of garlic or walnut bread.
• Make a tapas of fat green Spanish olives with a few strips of orange peel, a few cloves of smashed garlic, a sprig of oregano or marjoram and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with avocado oil.
• Drizzle it over cooked seafood, mixing in crushed garlic and chopped Italian parsley, or crushed garlic and a little finely chopped fresh red chilli.
• Mix it with ground pink peppercorns and drizzle it over salmon steaks before grilling them.
• Marinate seafood in avocado oil and lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, before pan-frying, grilling or barbecuing.
• Use it in a fruity smoked chicken salad that includes cubed rock or honeydew melon.
• Dress fresh steamed artichokes with avocado oil mixed with lemon juice, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and crushed mint leaves

Avocado oil

Cold pressed from the flesh of the avocado fruit, this oil is rich in Vitamins, A, B & D and lecithin. Possessing a mild nutty flavour. Avocado oil is a tasty and healthy choice when used as a base for salad dressings and oil marinades. When cooking, avocado oil must never be heated as bitter flavours will develop. Avocado Oil readily penetrates the skin and its extremely high vitamin and mineral content nourish dry climate-abused or aging skin. To nourish the skin, massage a portion of avocado oil into the skin using a warm face cloth to remove excess oil.

Safflower oil

Low in saturated fats and has a neutral flavor that is perfect for salad dressings, dips, mayonnaise and low temperature baking. Safflower oil, with a fatty acid profile of 79 percent polyunsaturates, 13 percent monounsaturates and just 8 percent saturated fats, is the most highly polyunsaturated vegetable oil available.

Sesame oil

Suitable for salads, sautés and frying. Sesame oil can make a wonderful moisturiser for the skin. This light yellow oil is distinctively sweet and nutty in aroma. Excellent stability and resistance to oxidation due to natural sesamol content.

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and supplies more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. It is a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. The versatility of this healthy oil is recognized by cooks internationally. Sunflower oil is valued for its light taste, frying performance and health benefits. Great for cooking, salads and dressings.

Soybean oil

Soybean oil is cheap, healthful and has a high smoke point. Soybean oil’s clean, natural taste and nearly imperceptible odor support and enhance the natural flavors of prepared foods. This versatile oil is great for salad dressings, sandwich spreads, margarine, bread, mayonnaise, non-dairy coffee creamers and snack foods. The high smoke point of soybean oil allows it to be used as frying oil.

Pumpkin seed oil

Pumpkin seed oil is a delicious tasting nutritional oil, that keeps better than flax seed oil and very rarely goes rancid. Pumpkin seed oil offers the good fats  for smooth skin, increased energy, maintenance and improvement of sexual health and optimum brain function. Pumpkin seed oil is known to prevent and alleviate bladder and prostate problems. Pumpkin seed oil is typically used as a salad dressing combined with apple cider vinegar and salt. Additionally, it can be used in cooking and baking as an ingredient in sauces and cakes.

Grapeseed oil

Grapeseed oil is light in color and flavor, with a hint of nuttiness. It has a very high smoking point, so many people use grapeseed oil to fry foods. Grapeseed oil can also be included in dressings and sauces. Culinary grapeseed oil can also be flavored with the addition of things like peppers, truffle shavings, and herbs. Grapeseed Oil (Vitus vinifera). Grapeseed Oil is full of antioxidants and moisturising properties helpful in restoring damaged done by the elements. It has mild astringent qualities which may help to tighten and tone the skin. Some cosmetic grapeseed oils are stabilized with chemicals which could be harmful to consume. Like other oils, grapeseed oil should be stored in a cool dark place until it is used.

Flaxseed oil

Flaxseed oil can be used in salad dressings, over toast as a substitute for butter or even added to protein shakes. Some people enjoy its buttery, nutty taste, but others find it unpleasant. Flaxseed is used for a variety of medicinal purposed, most commonly constipation and other conditions
requiring high fiber. It is also said to be good for arthritis, heart
disease, cancer, depression, Crohn’s disease, and much more.

Wheatgerm oil

Wheatgerm oil is a very sensitive oil, therefore must be used cautiously. It
tends to degrade in quality, when exposed to high temperatures. It is
usually dark in color and also has a heavy smell. Wheatgerm oil is a good
source of fatty acids that are very vital for the healthy growth of the
body. Wheatgerm oil supports the skins natural process of regeneration. Good
for stretch marks, scar tissue, and for dry rough skin. Wheat Germ Oil can
be taken alone, drizzled on top of salads, vegetables, pasta, pesto, or
other meals. Wheat Germ Oil should not be heated.

Some of these oils include:

• avocado oil
• safflower oil
• sesame oil
• sunflower oil
• soybean oil
• pumpkin seed oil
• grapeseed oil
• flaxseed oil
• wheatgerm oil
• fish oil
• olive oil
• canola oil
• corn oil
• evening primrose oil

How to Use Healthy Oils

Even though these oils are significantly better for your health than saturated fats and other hydrogenated oils, remember that they are still a liquid fat.  Use the oils sparingly so that you do not overindulge and possibly suffer from weight gain.

Oils need to be stored in dark bottles as clear glass or plastic bottles allow light to penetrate into the oil and oxidise the fatty acids.  Contact with air will also affect the oil so be sure to keep the lid on tightly.  Be aware that the healthier the oil is, the more quickly it will spoil.  Many healthy oils will need to be stored in the refrigerator.  Olive oil is an exception however as it is high in oleic acid and contains antioxidants that slow spoiling. 

The more omega 3 fatty acids that are in the oil, the less suitable it is for cooking.  High temperatures can damage many oils as the heat not only damages the fatty acids, it can also make them harmful.  Where possible, use the healthy oils at room temperature, such as in salad dressings.  Olive oils are the best for cooking.

How Often Should I Eat These Oils?

Essential fatty acids are important for the diet and should be eaten on a regular basis.  You should consume a source of omega 3 or 6 essential fatty acids three to five times a week.  Where possible, consume them in a food form such as fish or flaxseed oil, rather than in a supplement form, as fresh is always better.

Natural Therapy Pages :: Australia’s no. 1 natural therapies and natural health site
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Kerrie Marks BHSc (Comp Med) , Dipl Nutr, DBM is our resident natural health practitioner specialising in herbal medicine and nutrition.

Q: I am currently recovering from a cold. When my symptoms started, I began taking Echinacea, and I   found my sniffles only lasted a couple of days! Can I continue taking Echinacea to prevent another cold? Maria, QLD.

A: I’m glad the Echinacea was such a great help! However, a 1999 review of Echinacea’s use in upper respiratory tract infections suggested that the current evidence is stronger for supporting the use of Echinacea in acute treatment and quite modest for its use in prevention. I suggest you try Astragalus, a traditional Chinese herb that is useful in enhancing the body’s immune function during convalescence. It can be taken long-term over the winter months to build up your resistance and reduce the likelihood of catching a second bout of the cold or flu. But don’t throw away the Echinacea! Keep it and some vitamin C in the medicine cabinet for the family to take at the first signs of a cold.

Q: I know there are a few herbs that help boost breast milk production. Is one better than another? Chantelle, VIC.

A: The main herbs used to boost breast milk production

are Blessed Thistle, Fenugreek and Asparagus racemosa root. All are equally good in this regard, so your choice comes down to which of their other properties would be most beneficial. For example, Blessed Thistle is a gentle liver tonic that, due to its bitter action, may also stimulate the appetite of a baby who is a poor feeder. Fenugreek is an expectorant that can help relieve excess mucus and coughs, so might help if you have a cold or flu. Asparagus helps with minor menstrual irregularities and lightens bleeding, so may be the best choice if your period tends to be heavy or painful.

In the beginning

As a boy, Gene Hughes would often come home from school and smell the pungent aroma even before he stepped into the house. He knew immediately his mother was making another one of her garlic sandwiches. “Taking herbs ran in my family”, he says and later as an adult, he found when a nagging stomach condition just wouldn’t go away, that a teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper eased his discomfort. The only problem was swallowing a spoonful of Cayenne Pepper was not an easy task. So when his wife suggested the idea of putting the powder into easy-to-swallow gelatine capsules, a revolutionary idea was born! In 1972 a small family business, Nature’s Sunshine Products was formed. As a pioneer in the natural health supplement industry, NSP were keen to help others to a healthier happier life and this became the cornerstone on which the business was based.

From those time-honoured kitchen table beginnings, NSP has grown and today is an international company at the forefront of the natural health industry. NSP today employs cutting edge technology to create high quality, pure and efficacious products.

Quality is mandatory

NSP strongly believes that uncompromising quality is not an option – it’s an obligation. It’s not a vague goal – it’s standard operating procedure.

Quality begins in the fields, where only the finest herbs and raw materials are selected. The company’s global sourcing of raw materials ensures that the highest quality ingredients are selected from many countries.

 After herbs are harvested they are shipped to the NSP manufacturing faculty where they are subject to a series of in depth quality control tests to ensure purity, potency and cleanliness. All incoming raw materials are thoroughly tested before they are released for use in NSP supplements and those materials that don’t meet the stringent quality levels are rejected and not used.

Because quality is so important, NSP continually test raw materials and products throughout the entire production process. In all, NSP use more than 150 tests and procedures to ensure the quality of the raw materials and the finished products, which includes not only encapsulated herbs but also herbal combination formulas, vitamins, liquids, other natural supplements and skin care products. Before being released products are tested once again to ensure that each batch meets the label claim for potency and additional retention stability testing ensures all products continue to meet the label claims until the expiry date of the product.

Manufacturing

The US corporate head office has recently expanded its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which of course meets or exceeds the current Australian government regulations and pharmaceutical quality standards. The 250,000+ square-foot facility includes a climate-controlled warehouse and cutting-edge laboratory equipment. High-quality products are manufactured here for distribution all over the world.

 Being able to develop and manufacture their own product is one of NSPs greatest assets. This gives complete control over selecting ingredients, establishing efficacious products and creating stringent manufacturing specifications. Each finished product must meet exacting criteria to ensure quality and consistency.

Research and development

NSP has set up joint collaboration projects with leading research institutes around the world to create innovative new products. For instance NSP teamed with researchers from Ohio State University to study certain constituents of liquorice root and stolons and found that three compounds in particular possessed powerful antioxidant properties.

Vice President of NSP Health Sciences, Dr William Keller says “at Nature’s Sunshine we believe that original, basic science research is vitally important. Data from our research establishes the identity of ingredient actives and provides a correlation of these actives with the health benefit of our products.”

In Australia, herbal medicines are referred to as complementary medicines and are regulated as therapeutic goods by the Therapeutic Goods Administration or TGA. As such they must be manufactured according to pharmaceutical standards of good manufacturing practice (GMP) and be listed or registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). (Further information: tga.gov.au/cm/ cmreg-aust.htm) From its humble beginnings to a major force in international health, NSP remains committed to the principles on which it was founded and believes that by providing the finest quality herbs and nutritional supplements to the world that individuals will take responsibility for their health to look and feel their best.

Whole plant part versus standardised extracts

NSPs signature product is its encapsulated herbs. The only manufacturing process that the encapsulated herb part is subjected to is powdering and insertion into a capsule – there is no need for unnecessary binders or

fillers. NSP uses the most effective part of the herb in its supplements, for example Nature’s Sunshine Echinacea is from the root, traditionally the most effective part. The benefits of taking the whole plant part often outweigh those of the isolated components, given the complex chemical interplay of the whole plant part.

However, standardised herbal extracts do guarantee the potency of the active ingredient which can allow for a more accurate dose. There are instances where the evidence supporting a particular herb for a specific indication is based on a particular daily dose and therefore a concentrated herbal extract may be called for. NSP offers a range of standardised extracts for those herbs that require this type of approach.

 Even though many cases may be due to an inherited tendency to produce excess amounts, elevated cholesterol is often caused by an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Stress also plays a big role, as prolonged stress elevates a hormone called cortisol which leads to an increase in cholesterol levels. One in two Australian adults over 25 are living with high cholesterol, greatly increasing their risk of heart disease. In 2008 the National Cholesterol Test surveyed more than 500 Australians about their knowledge of cholesterol and its health implications. Over 50 per cent incorrectly believed that the majority of cholesterol comes solely from food when, in fact, the body makes most of the cholesterol it needs. Nearly half of those surveyed try and manage their cholesterol through lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise and weight loss, but this may not always be enough to lower cholesterol to an acceptable level.

What does cholesterol do in the body?

Some cholesterol is actually required for a number of functions, including insulating nerve fibres, ensuring nerve signals travel properly and making the hormones that carry chemical signals around the body. Moderate cholesterol is associated with higher levels of serotonin, the body’s natural ‘feel-good’ chemical. There are two types of cholesterol: HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol) collects fats that have deposited in your arteries and delivers them back to

the liver so they can be made into bile to help digest your next fatty meal. The ‘bad’ cholesterol, LDL, delivers cholesterol to places in the body where it’s needed but if there is too much of it, deposits it in unwanted places, such as the arteries.

How do I know if my cholesterol is high?

The short answer is you don’t, not without a blood test. Even slim people who consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can have elevated cholesterol, particularly since the cholesterol obtained from food only accounts for about 25 per cent of your total levels. Having high cholesterol doesn’t usually produce obvious symptoms, except the noccasional fatty deposit called xanthomas that generally appear as yellow patches around the eyes. Left untreated, a build up of cholesterol on the artery walls can lead to atherosclerosis, angina or even a stroke

What about medications to lower cholesterol?

The class of medication most commonly used to lower cholesterol are the statins, which work by blocking the enzyme your body uses to make cholesterol. Although effective, they are not without side effects. A recent New Zealand study found that statins were reportedly involved in depression, memory loss, confusion and aggressive reactions. This could be because serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter needed to be happy, is associated with cholesterol. If your cholesterol levels are too low, your serotonin levels can also be too low, leading to low mood. If you are prescribed statins, I recommend you also take a coenzyme Q10 supplement, as evidence shows that taking statins depletes the body’s supply of coenzyme Q10.

Are there natural alternatives to statins?

Yes, several supplements have been shown to be effective in lowering elevated LDL, and I would consider Globe Artichoke to be one of the most helpful cholesterol-lowering herbs. In one double-blind study, a dose of 1800 mg Artichoke leaf extract was administered daily for six weeks. At the end of the trial the active group had a decrease in total serum cholesterol of 18.5 per cent compared to the placebo group’s 8.6 per cent. Not only is Globe Artichoke effective at lowering cholesterol levels in combination with a low fat diet, it also assists with symptoms

of indigestion and dyspepsia. Globe Artichoke acts on the bile duct, allowing a regular release of bile to help digest dietary fats. Cynarin, the active component in Globe Artichoke, also exerts a protective function on liver cells, protecting them against alcohol, prescription medicine and even viruses.

What sort of reduction in my total cholesterol level can I expect by taking Globe Artichoke?

A typical example is Debbie, one of my patients whose total cholesterol reading was 6.1 before she started taking a Globe Artichoke supplement. Debbie took one 6 g capsule daily, followed a low-fat diet and walked regularly. After 12 weeks her total cholesterol reading was 4.1.

Are there any additional measures I should take?

If you make healthy eating choices and stay aware of the different kinds of fats in foods, then you’re well on the way to controlling your cholesterol levels. You should also make a commitment to exercise regularly. One recent review evaluated 25 different studies on exercise and cholesterol and found that, for exercise to have an effect on HDL cholesterol, participants needed to exercise for about two hours a week consistently – the longer the exercise session the greater the HDL boost. Aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling, was found to be the most effective.

Can anyone take Globe Artichoke?

Most people can, except those with an allergy to plants in the daisy family. I recommend anyone with an existing liver or gall bladder condition to consult with their healthcare professional to determine the suitability of Globe Artichoke. Also, it is important to check in with your healthcare practitioner to monitor your cholesterol levels to ensure that your changes to diet, supplements and lifestyle have the desired results.