Acupuncture can help lower cholesterol to improve heart health. After doing some research to expand my acupuncture techniques that lower cholesterol, I found that research studies of foods, supplements, and lifestyle choices were also abundant. I spent a lot of time looking at research studies and was surprised at how many of these things I do already.

The most exciting information I found was on the supplement Red Yeast Rice, which is called Hong Qu in Chinese. It is made by fermenting rice with the yeast Monascus purpureus, which then changes its color to red. The study cited in my herbal medicine textbook found that after 8 weeks of taking 600 mg of Red Yeast Rice twice a day, total cholesterol was reduced by 23%, LDL “bad cholesterol” was reduced by 31%, triglycerides were reduced by 34%, and HDL “good cholesterol” was increased by 20%. I’ve seen other studies that found that Red Yeast Rice can lower cholesterol by up to 34%. In contrast to statin drugs that can lower cholesterol by up to 24%, but only work on some people and have side effects, Red Yeast Rice is a good alternative.  Additionally, it lowers blood pressure and is an antioxidant that can help prevent cancer.  The important thing to know about the Red Yeast Rice, though, is that it needs to be fermented properly because otherwise a chemical called citrinin is created that can damage the kidneys. Some products that were found to be high in active ingredients while being free of citrinin are Cholestene, Chole-sterin, and Healthy America. The recommendation is to take 1200 mg twice a day.

Following are some lifestyle recommendations, foods, and supplements that can help with cholesterol. I included doses and amounts when cited in the research as well as the percentage that each affects the cholesterol. There were also 2 supplements called Policosanol and Guggulipid that are commonly used for cholesterol, but the research studies on them did not support any benefits.

Reducing Total Cholesterol (lowered by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 22.7%
• Exercise – modest – 30 mins most days of week (3-9%)
• Raisins – 1 cup daily (9%)
• Pectin – 2 carrots/day (10%) – also in apples and white inside of citrus rinds
• Psyllium fiber – 10-12 g/day (3-14%)
• Flax seed – grind weekly and store in refrigerator – 1-2 T./day
• Garlic – ½-1 clove/day (10%) – chop and let sit for 10-15 minutes before eating
• Onions – quercetin in them lowers cholesterol
• Polyphenols – grapes, wine, blueberries, cranberries, bilberries, black currants, peanuts, green tea, black tea, onions, legumes, parsley – blue, purple, or dark colored grapes or berries

Reducing LDL “bad cholesterol” (lowered by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 22-34%
• Exercise – modest – 30 mins most days of week (14%)
• Nuts – 1 oz. daily for 1 month (29%) – small handful or <1/4 cup – almonds, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, macadamias
• Oat bran – 2.6 g/day for 2 months (6-26%)
• Soy – 20-50g/day (10%) – 10 g in 1-2 cups soymilk, 4 oz. tofu
• Sterols & Stanols – avocado, soybeans, olive oil, green leafy vegetables (9-14%)
• Raisins – 1 cup daily (14%)
• Pomegranate Juice – 40 g/day (9%)
• Artichoke Extract – 900 mg twice daily for 6 weeks (23% – one study, not repeated yet)
• Psyllium fiber – 10-12 g/day (5-10%)
• Policosanol – studies in Cuba in 1990s showed benefit, but no studies able to support results since then
• Guggulipid – no research supporting
• Niacin – (5-25%)
• Statin drugs (23.5%)

Raising HDL “good cholesterol” (increased by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 20%
• Quit smoking (5-10% within 30-60 days)
• Exercise – vigorous – increase heart rate above 65% (5-10%)
• Diet – low carb (15%)
• Diet – reduce saturated fats to less than 7% of total calories
• Diet – eliminate trans fats (3%)
• Alcohol – up to 1 drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men (5-15%, but less benefit if drink more)
• Soy – 20-50g/day (3%) – 10 g in 1-2 cups soymilk, 4 oz. tofu
• Niacin (15-35%)
• Estrogen (10-15%)
• Statin drugs (7.5%)

Reducing Triglycerides (lowered by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 34%
• Exercise – daily brisk 30 minute walk (20%)
• Diet – low carb (8-21%)
• Soy – 20-50g/day (11%) – 10 g in 1-2 cups soymilk, 4 oz. tofu
• Fish oil – 3-4g/day (30-50%)
• Niacin – 2-3g/day (20-50%)

Reducing C-Reactive Protein (inflammatory mediator)

• Quit smoking
• Diet – high in antioxidants – whole foods, richly colored fruits & veggies, berries, wine, dark chocolate
• Fiber – mixed results
• Some statin drugs

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065837/?tool=pmcentrez

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3151482/?tool=pmcentrez

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17302963

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11327519

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20636227

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20730532

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20975018

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20886788

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19489487

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18807715

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17650655

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21487493

Frequently patients come in for acupuncture and tentatively ask if there’s anything that can be done for heart health. Usually they have high cholesterol or high blood pressure and are concerned about cardiovascular disease risk.

In general, there are 3 groups of risk factors. The first group has the unchangeable factors that include family history, gender, and age.  Then come the lifestyle factors which include whether the patient is a smoker, diet, exercise, and stress. Finally there is a third group of factors that come with a diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome when 3 factors are present and indicate a greater risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. These risk factors are defined differently by the World Health Organization (WHO) than by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) and the American Heart Association (AHA) but I chose the IDF/AHA list because they were updated more recently.

Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors:

• Abdominal obesity – 35” waist or higher for women, 40″ waist or higher for men
• High blood pressure – 130/85 or higher
• Low HDL cholesterol – less than 50 mg/dL for women, less than 40 mg/dL for men
• High triglycerides – 150 mg/dL or higher
• High blood sugar – fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or higher

While looking at research, I found an online cardiac risk factor calculator. Check it out at

https://www.heart.org/gglRisk/locale/en_US/index.html?gtype=health

In general, acupuncture lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. I have been looking at the medical research out there to determine what the best treatments are to have a more specific effect on each of these risk factors. We can also do specific treatments to help with quitting smoking or losing weight while educating you about diet and exercise habits that will help you lead a healthier lifestyle. So the next time you come in for acupuncture, give us an update on your cardiac risk factors so we can personalize your treatments to address these concerns. We have also been researching foods and supplements that can help reduce your cardiac risk factors, so check back for more info soon!

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/109/3/433.full

http://www.idf.org/metabolic-syndrome

Do you have a flexible spending account (FSA) that needs to be used up by the end of this year? We can help! Acupuncture is a covered medical expense for flex spending plans as well as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). And don’t forget your benefits card because we can run those through for immediate payment instead of going through all the paperwork for reimbursement.

Next Thursday, November 17th is the American Cancer Society’s big day called the Great American Smoke-Out! If you have been thinking of quitting smoking and couldn’t quite pick a date, that might be a great day to celebrate your commitment to being healthy by quitting smoking or choosing a quit date. We can help make quitting easier by treating you with the NADA protocol that was developed to treat addiction and mental health. Our 3 month program uses a combination of acupuncture treatments, ear treatments, and herbs to help reduce cravings and keep you feeling motivated. Even if you’ve just been thinking you’d like to quit soon, give us a call and we can talk with you about options to make it easier.

We are offering a new referral bonus for the months of August and September.  When you give our name out to a new patient and they come in for their first treatment between August 1st and September 30th, 2011, you will receive $10 off your next treatment and they will receive $10 off their first treatment.  Since we know you love us and are telling people about us already, we figured you could use a small gift as a thank you for helping others feel better and helping our business grow.

Print this message and give it to a friend who would benefit from Beautiful Ama’s acupuncture treatments.  You will each receive $10 off a treatment, subject to the guidelines above.  And tell them they can save even more by using pre-tax dollars since acupuncture is a covered expense when they use their Flex Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) benefits account!

Last week I had the honor of performing free ear treatments for Acupuncturists Without Borders for victims of the May 22nd tornado in Minneapolis. Many of the people who came when I was there had been there earlier in the week and found so much relief from their treatment that they returned for more. They reported reduced stress levels, improved sleep, better moods, and less anxiety overall. We had a great time giving back to the community.

Last week we were also featured on the channel 9 news, so check out this clip!

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/health/tornado-victims-get-free-acupuncture-jun-12-2011

Sarah giving free ear acupuncture for Minneapolis tornado victims

Free acupuncture treatments are being offered this week through Acupuncturists Without Borders to help our community recover from the May 22nd tornado. Everyone is welcome to receive free acupuncture to help with stress, sadness, anxiety, fear, and fatigue associated with the trauma from this disaster. I will be volunteering my time to provide free acupuncture treatments on Thursday at the Center for Families and possibly some other days.

Location: The Center for Families, 3333 North 4th Street in Minneapolis

Mon 6/6 at 12:00-7:00 pm

Tues 6/7 at 12:00-7:00 pm

Wed 6/8 at 12:00-7:00 pm

Thurs 6/9 at 12:00-7:00 pm

Fri 6/10 at 12:00-4:00 pm

Acupuncture will be provided in a community-style setting, with participants sitting in chairs, fully clothed. Sterile needles are placed in the ears only. All treatments are performed by licensed acupuncturists. Please come for a free acupuncture treatment at the Center for Families. No appointment is necessary.

We’ve been so excited about using the NADA Protocol from our training for Acupuncturists Without Borders in January that we’ve been using it on our patients.  The response has been phenomenal.  People feel more relaxed and recover more quickly when we use these 5 points on the ear in addition to their usual acupuncture treatment. So  we have decided to offer the NADA Protocol ear acupuncture as a stand-alone treatment to make it more affordable for people who would like to come in more often for treatment.

We’re excited to offer new ear acupuncture treatments for only $25.  The treatments will be done community style (seated in a chair) with the 5 needles in each ear for 45 minutes.  The NADA Protocol was developed to treat behavioral health and is used for addiction, mental health, disaster and emotional trauma.  We have been using it to treat a wide range of issues, including:

• Quitting smoking
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Daily stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating disorders
• Insomnia

To schedule a NADA Protocol ear treatment, give us a call!

In January, we attended 15 hours of training for Acupuncturists Without Borders, where we learned more about using ear acupuncture and the NADA Protocol. This technique was developed to treat addiction (including smoking, alcoholism, and street drugs), but can be applied to a wide range of conditions. It uses 5 needles in the ear and is the system used by Acupuncturists Without Borders to treat trauma victims, including the wildfires out west, flood victims, hurricane Katrina, earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, and a variety of other emergency situations. We are a member of Acupuncturists Without Borders and hope to travel to Haiti or Nepal later this year.

In the meantime, since the NADA Protocol helps reduce stress, improve sleep, and improve wellbeing, we are using it in our clinic along with regular acupuncture to treat mental health, insomnia, weight loss, and quitting smoking. The overwhelming response has been that our patients love the technique because they feel so much more relaxed and balanced after treatment. If you’re interested in trying it out, come in for acupuncture and ask us to add these points in your ears as part of your regular treatment. We hope you’ll love it too!

I have studied a variety of martial arts including kickboxing, escrima stick fighting, American Jiu Jitsu, self defense, and mixed martial arts (MMA).  But what I love the most is kickboxing. So when I dislocated my right knee while sparring, I started acupuncture and topical herbs that very day to get me back into fighting as soon as possible. Then 6 months later I tore my left knee and I knew I had to give my body a break. I continued to do acupuncture on my knees and although I had pain for a year, I recovered completely with no medications or surgery.

This month I returned to kickboxing. When I told someone about my previous knee injuries, they remarked that knees never really heal completely. I was excited to tell him that mine are back to normal because of acupuncture. I’m still strengthening my knees, but they don’t hurt at all. And while my body is re-conditioning to the vigorous kickboxing drills, I’m trying to remind myself to savor these first few weeks back when my lungs are burning, my muscles are tired, and my arms are bruised. I’ve been waiting to come back for so long and although I love my yoga classes, there’s just something about punching and kicking someone until you’re exhausted. Sometimes it’s frustrating that I don’t have the coordination, strength, and endurance that I used to have, but it’s still really good to be back.