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Max
Help with HDL/LDL Cholesterol
Most bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts that use AAS/AI/SERM compounds see a change for the worse when they get their blood work during and after cycling. Even TRT has been shown to change your cholesterol ratios for th e worse. I did some research on the subject using NIH, JAMA, Harvard Research, Web MD, the Cleveland Clinic, National Heart Foundation, and others. Below are some ways to try to combat this. Please feel free to add to this list as I am always looking to improve my bloods and try to stay as healthy as possible.
Add these foods to lower LDL cholesterol:
Lots of colorful salads, Oats, Barley and other whole grains, Fresh garlic, Beans, Eggplant and okra, Nuts{big +}, apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits, Fatty fish, Fiber supplements 20-30g , extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, flax seeds/oil.
Lifestyle:
Increased cardio, quit tobacco, lower processed foods, if you drink alcohol; limit your intake to 2 drinks per day. If you dont drink; dont start.
Supplements:
Red Yeast Rice{10mg monacolin K}, Citrus Bergamot, fish oils, niacin, green tea extract, garlic, artichoke leaf extract, Hawthorne berry extract, plant sterols. * soy was shown to help but there were too many pros and cons for me to get into.
Cardarine and Ostarine were both shown in studies to help with cholesterol but there was a lack of evidence to prove that. I have seen positive improvements on the forums by members using cardarine.
one study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, by walking or running 50 to 60 minutes per day, five days per week for 12 weeks, overweight men significantly decreased their body fat, insulin resistance, blood pressure and “bad cholesterol” levels while upping their “good cholesterol.”
FIBRATES:
Doctors often prescribe a fibrate for patients who can't take a statin. Like the statins, fibrates reduce the body's cholesterol production. They are substantially better at boosting HDL levels but not as good as a statin in lowering LDL levels.
Gemfibrozil (Lopid) and fenofibrate (TriCor) appear equally safe and effective. Fenofibrate is more convenient, since it is taken once rather than twice a day, but generic gemfibrozil is substantially less expensive. The fibrates are particularly effective in patients with high triglycerides and low HDL. Fibrates should not be taken by patients with advanced liver or kidney disease, and they should not be combined with a statin, a Harvard study found that the combination of a statin and a fibrate increases that risk more than sixfold.
VITAMIN B3/NIACIN:
It's a natural vitamin, vitamin B3. It also has the best effect on HDL cholesterol as well as an excellent ability to lower triglycerides and a good ability to reduce LDL levels. But that doesn't mean niacin is right for you. To improve your cholesterol levels, you'll need 20–200 times more niacin than the Dietary Reference Intake of 15 mg a day. At those doses, niacin has potentially serious side effects. Whether you get it with a doctor's prescription or on your own, treat niacin as a serious drug. Use it only if you must, always under medical supervision.
The many niacin preparations fall into two categories, crystalline and controlled release. Crystalline niacin is quickly absorbed and rapidly metabolized, so it's usually taken two or three times a day, ideally at the end of a meal (but not with hot foods or beverages). Many patients experience unpleasant itching, flushing, and headaches, particularly as the dose is slowly increased. This side effect can be minimized by taking an 81-mg aspirin tablet 30–60 minutes before taking niacin.
ZETIA/Ezetimibe:
A type of cholesterol-lowering drug, ezetimibe (Zetia), is assuming a significant clinical role. The drug acts by blocking the intestinal absorption of cholesterol in a different way than the resins do. On its own, a 10-mg dose can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 17%–19%, a major benefit. When added to a statin drug, ezetimibe can produce additional LDL reductions of about 25% without boosting the risk of statin side effects. Ezetimibe can enable some patients who experience side effects from high-dose statins to reduce the dose to one that is tolerated. As a result, the FDA has approved a preparation combining simvastatin and ezetimibe in a single tablet (Vytorin).
Ezetimibe has remarkably few side effects; a few patients may develop mild diarrhea. It also has a very low potential to interact with other medications. Another advantage is the convenience of taking a single 10-mg tablet once a day. The only apparent disadvantages are the limited clinical experience and its expense.
Don't despair if you can't take a statin. Above all, remember that even statins finish second behind lifestyle therapy. Even if you can't take a statin, you can enjoy the many benefits and pleasures! Using healthy diet, an exercise program, and taking some of the supplements I mentioned in the first post after speaking with your physician can vastly improve your situation. I will remind you that QUITTING ALL TYPES OF TOBACCO has a drastic effect improving both LDL and HDL levels on its own, obviously no one here is just going to pick up tobacco use as a habit but, the ones who do, quitting is a MAJOR plus in improving your overall health and your ability to build a better physique in every single way. Do what it takes and teach one goal per day!
Max
