Mustard and Cholesterol

Had lunch yesterday at a German-American restaurant that is run by an old friend. He reported that his yearly physical showed that his cholesterol was elevated. Not wanting to go on medication, he decided to do the oatmeal bit and to start using more mustard. He had read that an ingredient present in mustard lowers cholesterol.

A follow-up blood test confirmed that his cholesterol is now below 200. His only problem is -- What is lowering the reading? He’d like to drop the oatmeal in favor of a diet of ham, cheese, mustard and pumpernickel at lunch. Prudently, he says he’ll stay with both.

Does anybody know anything about mustard lowering cholesterol?

Bill

quote:

Originally posted by BrooklynBill


Does anybody know anything about mustard lowering cholesterol?

Bill

I wonder if it has to do with using mustard in place of things like mayonnaise, schmaltz, or other fat containing condiments ??

Mustard is a very medicinal plant. It would not surprise me if it can lower cholesterol.

Here is a link on the health benefits of mustard seeds.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=106

Rather impressive and they are not even including mustard greens!

quote:

Originally posted by Tony Bad

quote:

Originally posted by BrooklynBill


Does anybody know anything about mustard lowering cholesterol?

Bill

I wonder if it has to do with using mustard in place of things like mayonnaise, schmaltz, or other fat containing condiments ??

I would think this would be 90+% of the issue. In my opinion, there are no bad mustards. Fresh mustard greens and even some canned ones are most excellent, also.

quote:

Originally posted by Tony Bad

quote:

Originally posted by BrooklynBill


Does anybody know anything about mustard lowering cholesterol?

Bill

I wonder if it has to do with using mustard in place of things like mayonnaise, schmaltz, or other fat containing condiments ??

I think Dr. TonyBad has the answer.

quote:

Originally posted by BrooklynBill

Not wanting to go on medication, he decided to do the oatmeal bit and to start using more mustard. He had read that an ingredient present in mustard lowers cholesterol.

A follow-up blood test confirmed that his cholesterol is now below 200. His only problem is -- What is lowering the reading? He’d like to drop the oatmeal in favor of a diet of ham, cheese, mustard and pumpernickel at lunch. Prudently, he says he’ll stay with both.

Bill

I don't know anything about mustard per se lowering cholesterol but I do know there are a number of products other than prescription medications which have been proven effective. I personally take pretty much all of them and, in spite of the fact that I eat pretty much anything that tastes good to me, my LDL (bad cholesterol) was 92 (down from 130 years ago) when last measured a few months ago.

First let's consider the oatmeal. The effective ingredient in that is soluble fiber and the fact is, you have to eat a lot of oatmeal to get a therpeutic amount of soluble fiber (although any amount helps). I take another approach. I use a product called ProFibe (see http://www.profibe.com/index.htm?action=help&helpfile=research.htm ) which is a source of soluble fiber derived from grapefruit pectin by a researcher at the U. of FL med school whom I personally knew when I worked there. This stuff isn't exactly cheap, but 1.5 scoops a day in a glass of purple grape juice (because maybe there is something to the French paradox thing) keeps me from having to eat oatmeal except when I want to (I actually like a bowl now and then).

Beyond the fiber, there are plant sterols and stanols: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS01033.html . These are substances found in plants but chemically resembling cholesterol (which is only found in animal tissues) which, to put it simply, fool your body into absorbing them from the gut rather than cholesterol. They are found naturally in a number of plant foods, but, like fiber, it's hard to get enough directly from veggies so they now come as either pills (called Cholest-Off, widely available but cheapest at CostCo) or in certain margarines (e.g. Benecol, Take Control and, my favorite, Smart Balance Plus which tastes the best to me and is relatively cheap) and other products.

Finally, there's Omega 3 fatty acids: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632 . These are found in fish oils and are thought to explain why Eskimos, for example, can eat a very fatty diet but have a low rate of heart attacks. Omega 3's don't lower bad cholesterol much but they are one of the best ways to raise "good" cholesterol and they also can dramatically lower triglycerides, another "bad" fatty substance in the bloodstream. Omega 3's can also be found in Smart balance Plus margarine but I take mine in fish oil capsules (to get a really therapeutic dose, you have to take a lot--12 capsules a day--and one side effect is that this much reduces blood clotting so people on blood thinner meds shouldn't do it and everybody doing it should mention it to their doctor).

Beyond these 3 substances known to benefically effect cholesterol, there are a number of other dietary modifications that don't have to be painful. I personally believe in and try to follw a so-called "Mediterranean" diet which means using olive oil (monounsaturated) as the primary cooking/eating oil, eating as much seafood and almonds (omega 3 oils) as I can handle and eating frequent vegetarian meals (I love good plate of spaghetti with putanesca sauce).

Finally, there's an over-the-counter drug, niacin, which is as effective as most prescription drugs. But, like the prescriptions, in high enough doses (3-5 grams/day) to significantly effect cholesterol, it has as many side effect as the prescriptions and should only be taken under a doctor's supervision.

I would suggest if your friend can't handle the oatmeal regimen, he consider using ProFibe and/or Cholest-Off, and, if his doctor says it's OK, take fish oil capsules daily. If he were doing those things, I think he could eat ham and cheese in reasonable amounts and still keep his cholesterol down while skipping the oatmeal.

Wow, a very interesting post BT. The only thing I question is the Smart Balance thing. I have tried Smart Balance and the taste is not bad for a margarine. As I recall it's primary ingredient is palm oil which is not hydrogenated but is so naturally saturated that it does not need it. Perhaps it is palm kernel oil I am thinking of, but to me it does not matter. I do not trust tropical oils of any sort.

I am aware that palm kernel oil is supposedly an entirely different thing, yet I still do not trust it to be so. I see it creeping into many products with health claims.

For now I will stick to butter, which I have infrequently. I buy perhaps two to three pounds of butter a year for a family of three. I doubt that slight amount is hurting any of us.

quote:

Originally posted by Greyghost

Wow, a very interesting post BT. The only thing I question is the Smart Balance thing. I have tried Smart Balance and the taste is not bad for a margarine. As I recall it's primary ingredient is palm oil which is not hydrogenated but is so naturally saturated that it does not need it. Perhaps it is palm kernel oil I am thinking of, but to me it does not matter. I do not trust tropical oils of any sort.

I am aware that palm kernel oil is supposedly an entirely different thing, yet I still do not trust it to be so. I see it creeping into many products with health claims.

For now I will stick to butter, which I have infrequently. I buy perhaps two to three pounds of butter a year for a family of three. I doubt that slight amount is hurting any of us.

There are several versions of Smart Balance--the one I personally use is Smart Balance PLUS. Still, they all do contain tropical oils which allows them to have no trans-fats for the reason you said. I think trans-fat is worse for you than saturated fat and, for that reason, I prefer either Smart Balance PLUS (as a source of Omega 3 and plant sterols, both of which it contains) or butter to regular margarine. If you want the sterols, you can get those from Cholest-Off and, of course, you can get the Omega 3 fats from fish oil--or lots of fish (but beware of mercury!).

There's a very simple answer to the original question.

Turmeric, the common ingredient in mustard which gives it its distinctive yellow color, is thought to have medicinal values. From my limited reading about it, I agree that it probably does.

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

There's a very simple answer to the original question.

Turmeric, the common ingredient in mustard which gives it its distinctive yellow color, is thought to have medicinal values. From my limited reading about it, I agree that it probably does.

Not so simple. Certainly tumeric is found abundantly in the bright yellow American-style mustard, but I'm not so sure you'll find it in German , Dijon or brown deli-style mustards. I actually looked at the mustard jars in my fridge and all they say is "spices" but I'm pretty familiar with how little tumeric it takes to produce the well-known bright yellow color (I use it a lot in Indian curries) and I can't imagine there'd be much in brown mustard.

quote:

Originally posted by BT

Not so simple. Certainly tumeric is found abundantly in the bright yellow American-style mustard, but I'm not so sure you'll find it in German , Dijon or brown deli-style mustards. I actually looked at the mustard jars in my fridge and all they say is "spices" but I'm pretty familiar with how little tumeric it takes to produce the well-known bright yellow color (I use it a lot in Indian curries) and I can't imagine there'd be much in brown mustard.

I didn't fully explain what I was saying, and after re-reading my post, I realize it was misleading.

From Bill's opening post: "He had read that an ingredient present in mustard lowers cholesterol." That ingredient would be turmeric. I have also been told the same thing. So, what I meant was, "I agree that turmeric probably has medicinal values."

Now, as to whether eating more mustard will lower cholestrol, I would think the answer is "probably not". Particularly, a ham & cheese sandwich made with mustard is probably not going to improve cholesterol levels. (However, nothing wrong with enjoying a ham & cheese sandwich.)

Bill, I would guess that the soluble fiber in the oatmeal may have done more to help than the mustard. Have him stay with the oatmeal, eat fresh foods with fiber, maybe try a turmeric supplement and take some niacin. (Always notify your doctor when adding supplements.)

I commend your friend for wanting to stay off the statin drugs!

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

quote:

Originally posted by BT

Not so simple. Certainly tumeric is found abundantly in the bright yellow American-style mustard, but I'm not so sure you'll find it in German , Dijon or brown deli-style mustards. I actually looked at the mustard jars in my fridge and all they say is "spices" but I'm pretty familiar with how little tumeric it takes to produce the well-known bright yellow color (I use it a lot in Indian curries) and I can't imagine there'd be much in brown mustard.

I didn't fully explain what I was saying, and after re-reading my post, I realize it was misleading.

From Bill's opening post: "He had read that an ingredient present in mustard lowers cholesterol." That ingredient would be turmeric. I have also been told the same thing. So, what I meant was, "I agree that turmeric probably has medicinal values."

Now, as to whether eating more mustard will lower cholestrol, I would think the answer is "probably not". Particularly, a ham & cheese sandwich made with mustard is probably not going to improve cholesterol levels. (However, nothing wrong with enjoying a ham & cheese sandwich.)

Bill, I would guess that the soluble fiber in the oatmeal may have done more to help than the mustard. Have him stay with the oatmeal, eat fresh foods with fiber, maybe try a turmeric supplement and take some niacin. (Always notify your doctor when adding supplements.)

I commend your friend for wanting to stay off the statin drugs!

My wife had a terrible reaction with Lipitor which is a statin drug. She had terrible muscle and joint pain for one month. It was ascertained that Lipitor was the varmit and it took that long to leech it out of her system. She was in terrible pain. Since then, I have heard of numerous folks having the same problem. I take a statin drug and it has not affected me.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

There's a very simple answer to the original question.

Turmeric, the common ingredient in mustard which gives it its distinctive yellow color, is thought to have medicinal values. From my limited reading about it, I agree that it probably does.

A friend of mine eats a several ounce mix of tumeric, ginger and cinnamon daily to relieve some of her pains from lupus.

quote:

Originally posted by BT

quote:

Originally posted by BrooklynBill

Not wanting to go on medication, he decided to do the oatmeal bit and to start using more mustard. He had read that an ingredient present in mustard lowers cholesterol.

A follow-up blood test confirmed that his cholesterol is now below 200. His only problem is -- What is lowering the reading? He’d like to drop the oatmeal in favor of a diet of ham, cheese, mustard and pumpernickel at lunch. Prudently, he says he’ll stay with both.

Bill

I don't know anything about mustard per se lowering cholesterol but I do know there are a number of products other than prescription medications which have been proven effective. I personally take pretty much all of them and, in spite of the fact that I eat pretty much anything that tastes good to me, my LDL (bad cholesterol) was 92 (down from 130 years ago) when last measured a few months ago.

First let's consider the oatmeal. The effective ingredient in that is soluble fiber and the fact is, you have to eat a lot of oatmeal to get a therpeutic amount of soluble fiber (although any amount helps). I take another approach. I use a product called ProFibe (see http://www.profibe.com/index.htm?action=help&helpfile=research.htm ) which is a source of soluble fiber derived from grapefruit pectin by a researcher at the U. of FL med school whom I personally knew when I worked there. This stuff isn't exactly cheap, but 1.5 scoops a day in a glass of purple grape juice (because maybe there is something to the French paradox thing) keeps me from having to eat oatmeal except when I want to (I actually like a bowl now and then).

Beyond the fiber, there are plant sterols and stanols: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS01033.html . These are substances found in plants but chemically resembling cholesterol (which is only found in animal tissues) which, to put it simply, fool your body into absorbing them from the gut rather than cholesterol. They are found naturally in a number of plant foods, but, like fiber, it's hard to get enough directly from veggies so they now come as either pills (called Cholest-Off, widely available but cheapest at CostCo) or in certain margarines (e.g. Benecol, Take Control and, my favorite, Smart Balance Plus which tastes the best to me and is relatively cheap) and other products.

Finally, there's Omega 3 fatty acids: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632 . These are found in fish oils and are thought to explain why Eskimos, for example, can eat a very fatty diet but have a low rate of heart attacks. Omega 3's don't lower bad cholesterol much but they are one of the best ways to raise "good" cholesterol and they also can dramatically lower triglycerides, another "bad" fatty substance in the bloodstream. Omega 3's can also be found in Smart balance Plus margarine but I take mine in fish oil capsules (to get a really therapeutic dose, you have to take a lot--12 capsules a day--and one side effect is that this much reduces blood clotting so people on blood thinner meds shouldn't do it and everybody doing it should mention it to their doctor).

Beyond these 3 substances known to benefically effect cholesterol, there are a number of other dietary modifications that don't have to be painful. I personally believe in and try to follw a so-called "Mediterranean" diet which means using olive oil (monounsaturated) as the primary cooking/eating oil, eating as much seafood and almonds (omega 3 oils) as I can handle and eating frequent vegetarian meals (I love good plate of spaghetti with putanesca sauce).

Finally, there's an over-the-counter drug, niacin, which is as effective as most prescription drugs. But, like the prescriptions, in high enough doses (3-5 grams/day) to significantly effect cholesterol, it has as many side effect as the prescriptions and should only be taken under a doctor's supervision.

I would suggest if your friend can't handle the oatmeal regimen, he consider using ProFibe and/or Cholest-Off, and, if his doctor says it's OK, take fish oil capsules daily. If he were doing those things, I think he could eat ham and cheese in reasonable amounts and still keep his cholesterol down while skipping the oatmeal.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7



My wife had a terrible reaction with Lipitor which is a statin drug. She had terrible muscle and joint pain for one month. It was ascertained that Lipitor was the varmit and it took that long to leech it out of her system. She was in terrible pain. Since then, I have heard of numerous folks having the same problem. I take a statin drug and it has not affected me.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Both my mother and father and I, myself, have had a similar experience to your wife. Although my cholesterol was never terribly high, I do have what is known as type IV hyperlipidemia meaning a hereditary condition of high triglycerides. None of the family, it has turned out, can take statins (although I continue to think they are excellent drugs for those who can tolerate them).

Nevertheless, as I said, I have managed to get my triglycerides down from 750 to about 160 and my LDL down from about 130 to 92 using a regimen of niacin (under doctor's supervision), fish oil, plant sterols/stanols, fiber and, now the new drug ezetimibe (Ezetia) which is not a statin but rather acts to block cholesterol absorbtion from the intestinal tract.

quote:

Originally posted by kland01s


A friend of mine eats a several ounce mix of tumeric, ginger and cinnamon daily to relieve some of her pains from lupus.

I eat that mixture whenever I can because I love curry!

Thank you for all the useful information and opinions. I will pass them on to my mustard-eating friend.

Bill

It is very important to suppliment with coq10 enzyme while taking statins. Statins block more than just cholesterol, they block coq10, and others. I believe (as do many doctors) tht the problems from statins can be stopped with supplimentation of coq10.

Read up on it.