Cholesterol Levels And AAS
As posted by "Severed Ties" at WCBB
Easiest thing would be to come off and your cholesterol levels should go back to normal in 2-3 months.
Anabolic steroids effect HDL directly be increaseing the production of hepatic lipase in the liver.
Steroids effect HDL/LDL in this order
1- Winstrol -worst
2- all Other 17-AA
3- non-aromatizable androgens
4- aromatizable androgens + aromatase inhibitor
5- aromatizable androgens
Best thing for blood lipids is cardio as well including an SERM like clomid or nolvadex throught your cycle and post cycle.
Testosterone seems to be the safest steroid as far as blood lipids go. When athletes were given 600mg/week for 10 weeks only a slight decrease in HDL was observed, however LDL also decreased so the ratio of HDL to LDL remained the same which puzzled the researchers because this idicated a beneign effect on blood lipids.
I posted a study below that showed Testosterone increases reverse cholesterol transport(1). Which is the process where is transported back to the liver to be destroyed. Drugs that potentiate this process are thought to be the next generation of cholesterol Meds so Testosterone at moderate doses may actually protect against atherosclerosis.
The best thing you can do for your HDL is start regular cardio 20-30 minutes 4-5 times per week. Doesn't need to be high intensity but the more the better as this is neglected far to often by guys on cycles.
Also eliminate excess saturated fat and as much trans fatty acids as possible from your diet.
Below is some info I put together on supplements that can be used to help blood lipids.
Supplements
Niacin (4)
green tea (4)
gugglesterones(4)
fish oils (4)
red yeast rice (3)
policosanol (2,4)
(1) : Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2002 Sep 6;296(5):1051-7
Testosterone up-regulates scavenger receptor BI and stimulates cholesterol efflux from macrophages.
Langer C, Gansz B, Goepfert C, Engel T, Uehara Y, von Dehn G, Jansen H, Assmann G, von Eckardstein A.
Institut fur Arterioskleroseforschung an der Universitat Munster, Domagkstrasse 3, D-48149, Munster, Germany.
By lowering high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, testosterone contributes to the gender difference in HDL cholesterol and has been accused to be pro-atherogenic. The mechanism by which testosterone influences HDL cholesterol is little understood. We therefore investigated the effect of testosterone on the gene expression of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), hepatic lipase (HL), scavenger receptor B1 (SR-BI), and the ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), all of which are important regulators of HDL metabolism. In both cultivated HepG2 hepatocytes and primary human monocyte-derived macrophages, testosterone led to a dose-dependent up-regulation of SR-BI, which was assessed on both the mRNA and the protein levels. As a functional consequence, we observed an increased HDL(3)-induced cholesterol efflux from macrophages. At supraphysiological dosages, testosterone also increased the expression of HL in HepG2 cells. Testosterone had no effect on the expression of apoA-I in HepG2 cells and ABCA1 in either HepG2 cells or macrophages. These data suggest that testosterone, despite lowering HDL cholesterol, intensifies reverse cholesterol transport and thereby exerts an anti-atherogenic rather than a pro-atherogenic effect.
(2) Gouni-Berthold I, Berthold HK.
Policosanol: clinical pharmacology and therapeutic significance of a new lipid-lowering agent. Am Heart J. 2002 Feb;143(2):356-65
(3) Heber D, Yip I, Ashley JM, Elashoff DA, Elashoff RM, Go VL.Cholesterol-lowering effects of a proprietary Chinese red-yeast-rice dietary supplement.
Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Feb;69(2):231-6.
(4)Efficacy of Over-the-counter Nutritional Supplements.
Davidson MH, Geohas CT.
Department of Preventive Cardiology, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, 1725 West Harrison Street, Suite 1159, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. [email protected]
More than 100 million people in the United States report using nutritional supplements. Most people are under the impression that nutritional supplements offer health benefits and are closely regulated to ensure safety and efficacy. Unfortunately, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allows for the promotion of nutritional supplements without review by the United States Food and Drug Administration; therefore, it is important to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these supplements. There is strong scientific evidence supporting the use of plant sterols/stanols, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, folate, vitamin B(6)/B(12), and tree nuts. There is potential evidence for the health benefits of soy protein, tea extracts, policosanol, guggulipids, coenzyme Q10, and L-arginine. There has been a lack of evidence for the health benefits of garlic and antioxidants.
Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea has been shown to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels. Further, green tea's potent antioxidant effects inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the arteries, which plays a major contributory role in the formation of atherosclerosis. "There is considerable epidemiological evidence that tea drinking lowers the risk of heart disease" (FEBS Lett., Aug. 1998, 433(1-2):44-46).
The cholesterol-lowering (hypocholesterolemic) effects of green tea (as well as black tea) have been confirmed by both animal and human epidemiological studies. High consumption of green tea by humans, especially more than 10 cups a day, was found to be associated with higher HDLs and lower LDL and VLDL cholesterol, as well as with various biomarkers indicating better liver health. Lower levels of lipid peroxides in the liver are one well-confirmed benefit of green-tea supplementation found in study after study.
A Japanese study relates, "Green tea catechin acts to limit the excessive rise in blood cholesterol" based on a series of studies reported in 1996 (Journal Nutritional Science Vitaminol., 32:613).
Additionally, some very exciting results were found when rats were fed 2.5% green tea leaves in their diet. The experimental group showed a drop in total cholesterol, low-density cholesterol, and triglycerides. The body weight of green tea-fed rats was 10 to 18% lower than that of rats not consuming green tea. In addition, the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and of anticarcinogenic phase-II enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), were significantly higher in the green tea group, as was the glutathione level in the liver. There was no liver or kidney toxicity. Thus, the study demonstrated combined cardiovascular and anticancer effects of green tea.
The relation between green tea consumption and serum lipid concentrations were examined using cross-sectional data on 1306 males in Japan. Results indicated that total cholesterol levels were found to be inversely related to the consumption of green tea. "Adjusted mean concentrations of total cholesterol were significantly lower in men drinking nine cups or more a day than in those consuming zero to two cups a day" (Prev. Med. July 1992, 21(4):526-31). No wonder the Japanese people have the longest life span. Most Japanese sip tea all day long.
Green tea also has been shown to elevate levels of HDL, the good cholesterol that helps remove atherosclerotic plaque from arterial walls. Green tea is a natural ACE inhibitor. This is an extra benefit for those with high cholesterol and blood pressure, as published studies show lowered blood pressure in animals and humans given green tea extracts. We recommend one capsule (350 mg) of green tea 95% extract daily, or drinking one to ten cups of green or black tea a day.
12/02) LEF publication at www.lef.org
Is Conventional Medicine Finally Catching Up?
...A few pages later in this same issue of JAMA, a startling new finding showed that garlic prevents arterial occlusion by the same mechanism as HDL-cholesterol.2,3,4 Previous studies demonstrated that garlic protects against arteriosclerosis, but it was not clear how it does so 5-11
One way arterial occlusion occurs is when LDL-cholesterol binds with molecules secreted from the inner lining of the artery, forming tiny plaques that can accumulate and harden. HDL-cholesterol inhibits this process by absorbing excess plaque-forming molecules.12,13
According to the JAMA report, garlic extract works the same way as HDL cholesterol, but more potently. The researchers who conducted the study stated that, in concentrations relative to man, "garlic extract was 2.5 times more effective in inhibiting plaque formation than was HDL-cholesterol."
What the JAMA authors did not discuss was the positive impact that high-HDL confers on longevity. A common trait of people living to age 100 is high levels of HDL-cholesterol in their blood.14 It is not easy, however, to significantly elevate HDL levels. Even with the proper drugs and supplements, it is extremely difficult to raise HDL more than 27%. In some people, it is hard to get HDL levels to nudge upward at all. The fact that garlic extract was shown to be 2.5 times more effective in inhibiting arterial plaque formation than HDL represents a potential breakthrough in the prevention of the most common disease afflicting civilized man, i.e. plugged-up arteries.
The JAMA editors cautioned against supplementing with garlic because the potencies of active constituents vary so greatly between brands. Life Extension does not agree with this position based upon the fact that standardized aged-garlic extract under the Kyolic brand name is readily available to consumers. Previous studies confirm the protective effect of Kyolic garlic extract on the arterial wall.5,8
The best news is that the Kyolic company has finally come out with a high-potency caplet that enables most people to swallow just one a day to obtain 1000 mg of standardized aged garlic extract. For more than a decade, Life Extension had asked the makers of Kyolic for a high-potency supplement so that users would not have to swallow so many capsules. Based on the research reports we have reviewed, it would appear that one 1000 mg Kyolic caplet should be taken for every 1.1 pounds of food eaten a day...
For longer life,
William Faloon
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References
1. JAMA, September 18, 2002, 288(11):1342.
2. Garlic Prevents Plaque, JAMA, September 18, 2002, 285(11): 1342.
3. Siegel, et. al., Effect of Garlic on Arteriosclerosis, presentation at NIH workshop on herbs and heart disease, August 2002.
4. Siegel, G., A Primary Lesion Model for Arteriosclerosis Microplaque Formation, Int. J. Angiol, 2000, 9: 129-134.
5. Efendy et.al., The Effect of the Aged Garlic Extract, 'Kyolic', on the Development of Experimental Atheriosclerosis, Atherosclerosis, 1997, 132: 37-42.
6. Fogarty, M., Garlic's Potential Role in Reducing Heart Disease, BJCP, March/April 1993, 47(2): 64-65.
7. Campbell, JH et. al., Molecular Basis By Which Garlic Suppresses Atherosclerosis, J. of Nutrition, March 2001 Suppl, 131(3S): 1006S-1009S.
8. Borek, Antioxidant Health Effects of Aged Garlic Extract, J. of Nutrition, March 2001 Suppl., 131(3S): 1010S-1015S.
9. Lau, Benj., Suppression of LDL Oxidation by Garlic, J. of Nutrition, March 2001 Suppl., 131(3S): 985S-988S.
10. Slowing et. al., Study of Garlic Extracts and Fractions on Cholesterol-Fed Rats, J. of Nutrition, March 2001 Suppl., 131(3S): 994S-999S.
11. Ho et. al., S-Allyl Cysteine Reduces Oxidant Level in Cells Involved in the Atherogenic Process, Phytomedicine, 2001, 8(1): 39-46.
12. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 15th ed., 2001, The Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis, 1377-1382.
13. Stein, et. al., Internal Medicine, 1988, 1889.
