Take Control of Your Heart Health the Natural Way

If you've been diagnosed with heart disease—or even if you'vebee told you're at high risk—you know how scary it is. You're facing a major life change… and not for the better. In these moments of crisis, it's perfectly understandable if you begin considering prescription medications as a solution to your health problem.

When it comes to chronic diseases, it can feel like you don't have any good alternatives. You know that prescription drugs come with side effects, but you don't know what else to do.

Well, research now shows that an alternative approach to lowering heart disease risk can be more effective than prescription drugs. There are no side effects, unless you consider losing weight and having more energy a side effect.

In a study comparing statin drug treatment combined with traditional diet and exercise recommendations versus daily supplements of red yeast rice, fish oil, and weekly educational meetings with healthcare professionals, the alternative treatment outperformed the drugs.

Patients in the alternative group took a single daily dose of red yeast rice and 6 fish oil capsules daily. They also adapted a Mediterranean diet and had the opportunity to meet with a variety of alternative and traditional healthcare professionals during the study. On average, these patients lowered their LDL cholesterol by 42.4 percent. Those following conventional treatment saw similar results at 39.6 percent. (Study appears in the July 2008 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.)

Participants in the alternative group also lost weight and lowered their triglyceride levels—gains that the conventional group didn't make.

When it comes to heart disease and lowering your risks, you do have options. It's refreshing to see that your options can actually outperform traditional drug therapies without dangerous side effects.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace