I have been following Dr Mc Dougall’s Whole Foods plant based diet for 26 years. My LP(a) is elevated. It’s very discouraging. My mom changed her diet in 1993 with me. Her cardiologist’s pill regimen in combination with a strict Whole Foods plant based diet improved her blood pressure but never really stopped her cardiovascular issues. After I found out I have LP(a) and that it’s strongly genetic, I asked her to get her levels checked and found that this is her issue, too. I ordered ALMA and will continue to treat with Vitamin C as some studies suggest it’s helpful.
MdoubleHB Let me know what you know. I saw a TH-cam video that suggests high levels of vitamin C can lower it and that scurvy would kill me slower than others.
@@Bravecomet Do you eat canola oil! Heck any vegetable oil that is super processed or GMO'd like soy bean oil or corn oil will kill you! Except coconut oil ...cold pressed Olive oil and grass fed butter.
@@KeyofDavid5778 Canola is better than olive oil. Most olive oil sold in the US isn't extra virgin olive oil, it's made from a blend of oils and has no health advantages over canola oil.
As an old retired scientist (octogenarian) I just came across this video. I am in good condition considering my age. People typically think I’m in my 50’s. However, I have struggled with CVD since my forties. While watching your video I became annoyed with your overly animated presentation when you hit the meat of your subject. I have some hearing difficulties. I would like to suggest you slow your delivery down and don’t vary your softness to loudness on key words. Or if you choose not to change put key sentences on the screen. Your research is very important but will not help us old people if we can’t get it. My father in law is 103yo. He played tennis until he was 92. He couldn’t understand you key point either. Thankyou for sharing your findings. Now I’m going to spend time trying to understand what you were trying to get us to comprehend.
@k.h.6991 I was a former vegan, and yet I am reversing my heart disease on the Linus Pauling Heart Protocol verified by CAC Score 660 reversed to 458 in 20 months.
I am not an octogenarian and I agree. Your delivery is not good. Your sing song delivery is annoying and I could not hear what the substance is that might help improve LPa without rewinding and going back through. The information is valuable but your delivery needs improvement
@@KeyofDavid5778 I eat 70-90% of my calories from carbohydrates, almost never more than 15% fat, 100% plant foods, and I eat 1-2 meals a day. If 2 meals, I eat within a 6 hour window at the longest if not shorter.
@@KeyofDavid5778 I actually almost never eat any high fat foods. No animal fat or added oils, and no nuts or avocadoes. Only about 5-15% of my caloric intake comes from fat. Almost all my calories come from whole grains, legumes, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I just finished eating 5 pounds of steamed potatoes.
Hi I'm 61 years old and have gene determined high Lp(a). It was 403mg/l in 2012 and 400mg/l this summer. Yesterday I had a scan and feared a dead sentence. However the outcome was quite positive. I have very litle to no plaque. Only 3% at my age have less plaque I was told. My cardio age was judged to 34-39 years! I'm quite healthy and my triglyceride have been low the few times measured, which should hint I'm metabolic healthy. Maybe that's what matters? Not the level of cholesterol or Lp(a)?
@@Raatwastories I’m curious about the race question. What do the studies reveal about the role of ethnicity in disease risk. I’m African American and my doctor doesn’t seem concerned, even though my recent LP (a) is 244 nmol/L. Should I be concerned?
I love the editing on your latest videos! You've improved the cuts/edits on Greger, and took him out of the shot completely where we should focus on the charts! much better, good job!
I was born vegan I am 98 years old i still play soccer an i run 20 miles marathon I will tell everyone this the vegan diet is the best thing you can ever do is full of the power of pure love an is that power of love in the vegan diet is what keeps me young even at 98 years old man .i want to thank both my father an mother to raise me from infancy as vegan my father passed away at 108 an my mother at 112 years old they where living active lives not in a nursing home completely active playing soccer my mother loved volleyball they where simply 100% active to the last day they lived . People will always say I love animals I adore animals I always ask them do you really love animals They say yes I say what did you eat today?
I’m 63 vegan for 20 years, workout regularly don’t smoke About 5 months ago,out of curiosity I’ve had my lpa checked, it was 129 Now I just got my blood test results and it’s 236 I wonder what could’ve caused it to almost double in such a short period of time? The rest of my tests are perfect I was under impression that lpa stay pretty much constant without drastic changes in life style, which is not the case with me
For all those who are concerned about the actual point of this video, Amla is a potent but very healthy fruit. You can take a pinch of its powder every day for other benefits, if not for this specific issue.
I have. I've been eating plant based for the last 3 years, not cooking with oil or adding salt in the week days and eating take away 2-3 meals in the weekends(mostly thai food) and my LDL were at 136 and my Lp(a) 82. I also eat 1 tsp of amla powder everyday. I am very concerned about my health now...
Trevor Regay If you’re in the US, you’ll likely need to pay out of pocket unless you’re an established cardiology patient and have a good cardiologist. Most doctors still only look at the standard lipid panel, which is nearly useless.
I have very high Lp(a) 243nmol/L. Going completely plant based did not lower my Lp(a) and the vast majority of studies confirm that diet and lifestyle have almost no effect on Lp(a). I went on PCSK9-inhibitor and my Lp(a) dropped by 40% It generally will cause Lp(a) to drop 20 to 40%. There are a number of drugs in the pipeline that lower Lp(a) by about 80%. I appreciate that eating whole foods is the way we all should be eating. Unfortunately, diet has not been shown to reduce Lp(a) significantly. Even if the cherry picked study presented by Dr. Greger proves reproducible, 16% is not a robust reduction. For me personally, it would not significantly reduce my risk of CVD due to my Lp(a). But, yes, lifestyle changes, that reduce CVD risk for everyone, are especially important for those with elevated Lp(a).
Dr. Ford Brewer has a livestream every Wednesday at 8am PST. He treats a lot of patients with high Lp(a). He is also good after each presentation with Q & A. th-cam.com/users/FordBrewerMDMPH
Check out Dr Nadir Ali. What is LP(a)? Does it cause Heart Disease? TH-cam. Looks like we want high LP(a) for multiple reasons, cancer and longer life. It’s a firefighter, not an arsonist per Dr Ali.
He kind of mumbled fast through the conclusion. Did he just conclude to eat a plant-based diet because it reduces all of those other risk factors and that the amla powder "might be worth a try" despite there being a conflict of interest in the study?
Playing Devil's advocate here (and trying to get my lipids to a level that gets my doctor to 'shut up,' I'M not worried!) Yes, dietary lifestyle needs to change----for ALL the right reasons. Because of arrythmias I have a pacemaker--but TWO cardiologists (in separate states) and electrophysiologist, have seen the same labs as my Primary doc, and NEITHER suggested Statins. (Nor dietary changes for that matter.) There is NO money in Health, or Death---only in managing a chronic disease for as loooonnng as we can drag it out. (which diet change will usually fix) In 1976 when I graduated from Nursing a "NORMAL" total cholesterol was 240. (They didn't even break it down into components.) THEN, the Pharmaceutical companies made a drug that would bring those numbers down, and 200 became the "new norm" meaning EVERYONE who had had a NORMAL cholesterol level, NOW needed to be on this drug. People are resilient, so they lowered theirs by various means to 200, and lo and behold, "they" changed the goal to BELOW 200, NOW those even at 200, needed to be put on drugs. They've done the same thing with B/P parameters, I remember the last "AMA change" as recent as 2017, the statement was actually made "Making half the population of America , hypertensive and need to be on medication." $$$$$ All this in spite of the fact that Heart disease is STILL the #1 disease. So it's NOT working! I had a patient whose cholesterol was over 1000! We rushed him to the larger area hospital where they did a heart catherization--only to find----Oops, vessels as clean as a whistle! (I'm sure this is NOT the norm. So yes, work on getting it down, but don't STRESS over a NUMBER.) (Maybe we should do a study on what STRESSING over our arbitrary LDL numbers do to those numbers.) NOW what do we do?! Do we stick him on drugs ('for the rest of his life') with wild side effects to get the "ink blots" on the page to say what we want (the lab test results) or do we look at the evidence that his vessels are totally clear no matter WHAT the darn LAB results say they SHOULD look like. I'm so done with ALL of them. And the constant "worrying" they make us do--especially for those who DON'T have any medical knowledge--are at their mercy. PS--I DESPISE the word RISK. Do what's needed for HEALTH (diet) then treat IF I have it---don't fill me with a pharmacy load of drugs to "prevent" the "risk." And for heaven's sake, treat what's CAUSING the problem, not the symptom. The body is a WELL designed CREATION. No headache was ever caused by a LACK of Aspirin!! Pharmacy--comes from Latin and Greek meaning--Greek pharmakeia "a healing or harmful medicine, a healing or poisonous herb; witchcraft, a drug, POISON potion; magic (potion), dye, raw material for physical or chemical processing."Oct 13, 2021
That's beautifully written, and spot on! I'm a 69yo male with a strong family history of ASCVD, and I don't care what my cholesterol is. There are a few important markers: triglycerides, LP-IR, hBa1c- but if you avoid the toxic garbage most people have been dupped in thinking is food, get regular (4+ times a week) vigorous exercise (sweat!), sauna (heat-shock proteins), fast 2+ times a week (autophagy! ). You are so right about the levels over the years, especially after the 'miracle' of statins (the patents are running out soon!). My sister is a retired 30 year rn (on the cardiac floor for 20+ years) who would tell me that the cardiologists were leaving new things form me! It's like the Matrix: THEY want to keep us all sick, but alive, because they have an umbilical inserted into our bank accounts! It'S CRIMINAL!!...er, wait...it's the American way lol
I agree, I'm left unsure whether this contradicts his earlier videos extolling the virtues of Amla. I'm plant-based for 5 years now and in spite of eliminating dairy, meat and eggs, my LDL and total cholesterol remains stubbornly high. I now make a cup of green tea/Amla from a powder daily and, if nothing else, I hope the high anti-oxidant and Vitamin C of Amla is beneficial.
He wasn't saying that amla isn't useful here. He was saying that this particular study isn't that compelling overall, but does indicate possible benefits for consuming amla relative to Lp(a) levels. This doesn't have any effect on the other studies out there that indicate that amla is good for health. It still overall has pretty good evidence that it's likely a health food.
I came across a comment from one of Nutrition Facts staffers a few years back where they addressed this issues and said that you can get amla that has been tested for metals (or at least lead) at Mountain Rose Herbs
I've been on a plant based diet for many years and have eaten Organic Amla powder daily for about 7 years - I just had my LP (a) tested for the first time, and my number was 197. According to Dr. Gregor, I imagine it would be worse if I hadn't been eating this way. Still very discouraging considering I have atherosclerosis already.
@@IlIKRATOSIlIreally? A diet of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet is crap? A diet that has been shown to reduce the risk of all chronic diseases and contribute to healthy aging is crap? How so? Again, I repeat: 1. Lower risk of all chronic diseases 2. Improved healthy aging And you don’t like that?
You can also try weight bearing exercise like adding weighted vest or two weighted vests to your walking exercise. But add it gradually, say a pound a week or so so as not to damage knees. I eventually worked up to two twenty-pound vests while walking a mile which reduced my cholesterol greatly.
Lp(a) of 390 nmol/L here (Yep, you read that right). Sometimes, when y’screwed, y’screwed. Oh, you DO get to choose between being screwed by dying young or getting screwed by having to live like an ascetic monk. Whee. Calcific aortic valve stenosis diagnosed at age 41 (normal tricuspid valve, just calcified to heck) and a CAC score of 156, about average for a man in his 70s. Some people just get screwed. Hard. But don’t worry! Treatment drugs are on the way! And they have been for over a decade. As the FDA s-l-o-w-l-y drags. its. feet. considering. whether. to. allow. them. to. be. available. Someday, someday, drugs will be available that lower Lp(a) by 90% or more. And the FDA will pat itself on the back for doing such a GOOD JOB gatekeeping those drugs for so long. I’ll be dead by then, though.
@@abuhamzayahya6901 Maybe if I were Bill Gates I could afford PCSK9 Inhibitors. As it stands, because I have not been lucky enough to have survived a heart attack already, my insurance will not pay for them, and my doc will not prescribe them. Cardio docs are real good at gladhanding! “Ya gonna be FINE!” More like, “Ya not gonna sue me when ya DEAD!”
? Not sure what has you triggered. Personally I'm not a vegetarian, but I am into health. I check out a lot of viewpoints and am interested in what science backs it. But vegetarian/vegan isn't a threat to anything or anyone... seems like there are far better things to be concerned about right now as opposed to what other people want to eat.
I'm sure the people editing the videos would like to know more about which information you want to see that they're not currently showing. The whole point is to make information available to people.
As I have said before, the info is top notch.... but his need to twitch a body part with every syllable of each word is distracting. He must have calves of steel for the number of times he does toe raises in a single video. At least I now know why he is so lean. He burns more calories in one of these 5 minute videos than I do working out in the gym for an hour. :)
My lp(a) has been tested 4 times in the last 15 years and it always falls between 8 and 10. I don’t follow any particular diet. Although I have experimented with KETO off and on for over 40 years. 8 months was longest I stuck with it. At was during that time that my lp(a) was the lowest. But I became severely hypothyroid, so that was the last time I did keto that was 2010.
Oh man my story! I am so confused. I went low carb carnivore diet and reduced my Lpa but my LDL went up. So i now take a statin. When i was doing vegan high carb my Lpa exploded to the high level! So i dont know what to do. I eat now a normal diet with lots of meat and take statins. I am actually not interested in any of content coming from this guy. I am only here to read the comments. His looks are enough for me to avoid any advice.
For what it's worth, I am 71 years old and have familial hypercholesterolaemia, and have been able to keep my cholesterol in the 140-160 range for the last few years with vegetarian and now vegan diet alone. I've tried the dried powdered amla with no difference in results. I'm not sure it's worth the price, especially after seeing this video.
Try triphala, perhaps? Triphala is an Indian traditional remedy that uses amla, but it also uses two other berries (haritaki and bibitaki). The combined formula has alot of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and it's mostly used for regulating metabolism and digestion. There's also Triphala Guggulu, which is the triphala formula plus myrrh gum and black pepper. Guggul helps lower cholesterol. I take triphala just because it helps keep me regular. I cycle on and off it every few days.
@@komalthecoolk ?? no it's called context switching, you cannot read and focus on an avatar at the same time. it makes for twitchy viewing. This has since been cleared up in recent videos. Watch his latest; he'll show up at the beginning, then thankfully stay out of sight while going over the data. That works
Consider Amla if you need to reduce your LP(a), but know that the only study that found statistical significance that Amla might help was funded by an Amla supplement company.
@@ludicrousone8706 I prefer to take it like I would a medicine, bc it's taste and me just don't get along! So I just mix it with a bit of water and down the hatch 😊. Anything you eat following it tastes divine by contrast! 😆 It's really a great topical skin treatment, though, that's where it really shines in my opinion.
"But Anyways...?" Come on Dr. Greger! You're better than that. This is the first truly poorly concluded nutritionfacts vid I've seen. Try them anyway? They are worth a try? Come on. By condoning this study and conclusion funded by a drug company, you are also condoning all of the studies that were done by the dairy lobby groups, meat lobby groups, sugar lobby etc. etc. It's an industry funded study and that's the end I will hear of it. Maybe I misunderstood, but you condoning this study does not bode well for your credibility. [All of the hooey starts around minute 4 and 4:20 when he says the study was completely not true and the study was poorly done. Then he said there was spin and said bull@#$ and conflict of interest. 5:15. Then he says try it anyway... ]
I'm guessing it's because there is not enough data to reject the hypothesis that these berries help. They are not harmful, and have benefits such as antioxidants. More research is needed, definitely!
This video was definitely confusing as Dr. Greger is not real clear on what he is trying to say. This is what I gathered from the video: How to Lower Lpa with Diet: Lipoprotein(a) is a genetic factor linked to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks, significantly increasing risk despite low LDL levels. A whole food plant-based diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, can lower Lpa levels by 16% in just four weeks, highlighting the impact of diet. Certain foods, like nuts and Indian gooseberries (amla), have shown potential in reducing Lpa, though results vary and some claims require cautious interpretation. Insights Based on Numbers: 16% Reduction: A whole food plant-based diet can reduce Lpa levels by 16% within four weeks, demonstrating the power of dietary changes. 20% Drop with Amla: Indian gooseberries (amla) can reduce Lpa levels by 20%, potentially lowering them to more optimal levels.
@@hihi9674 I’ve been vegan (no processed junk) for decade. Vegetarian for 40 years before that. No appreciable change in my LPa when I went vegan. So don’t think plant based diet has any impact on this.
Ive been mostly plant based for almost 2 months now...eaten sardine a few times, less than once a week. All my muscle is gone and Im fatigued. thinking about going back to heavier foods
*Short Answer from the video and from his listed studies* 1. A Whole Food Plant based diet (vegan) does lower and control LPa in a clinical trial - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30014498/ 2. Almonds appear to lower LPa by 8%. - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12221048/ 3. Alma in a questionable study with smokers eating an inflammatory diet did reduce LPa by 20% in 4 weeks, so the results are ambiguous. The net message: The only known clinical solution is a WFPBD to help protect against and reduce LPa at this time. But both trials listed above did produce a measurable drop in LPa. Just lean on the well formed trial with the Amla conflict of interest trial as some supporting evidence to bolster the solid one.
I’ve been prefiabetic for 15 years, found out by unrelated health issue I had non alcoholic fatty liver . I too can’t control the ldl. I’ve dropped grains on and off to 2-3x a week. That didn’t help the ldl. Im cutting it down some more. But unsure if oats would be a hindrance ornot(we know it’s good to control the cholesterol). I begged t get lipo a andb tested and was ignored. Finally I got it and it was over the ideal range. Icamt lise weights so vegas sleep disorder. For 25 years.
So, your other vids on the Amla are old fake news? I have been taking 2 teaspoons powder every morning for weeks now. And in this vid you mention that most of the same things mentioned in your other vids about the amla are now false?
How is it possible that Lipoprotein (a) is bad when there are articles on Pubmed that say Centenarians also have elevated levels of Lp(a) that could be in the genetics for a good reason as to be protective for the body? Please explain.
Lp(a) tends to increase with age. Thus, those who made it to 100 likely started out with a normal or even low level which gradually climbed over the course of their long life.
@@Seanonyoutube No, a person does not become an expert on google for 3 minutes. The important question is what does the Lp(a) do to your body and lifespan that is predictable for a human to know. There are always people trying to create a problem so they can sell you an expensive cure. This takes more than 3 minutes to find out.
@@beepbeepnj2658 you seem to have a difficult time comprehending facts. But the facts don’t change because you have a hard time with them. Plasma Lp(a) increases with age. This is a fact. Simple as that.
My experience… I tried the Linus Pauling therapy…. Vitamin C, lysine, proline. It dropped me from 3-4x safe levels to… the safety zone. My cardiologist wouldn’t give a point of view. He retested me twice to the same result. Niacin did nothing, diet did nothing. This worked with disciplined application, within 2 months. No idea why this isn’t more broadly available as an ALL NATURAL AND INEXPENSIVE option.
What is the diet or your dad. What did he eats his life. Please, because i am so frustrated with my Lpa. I thought we cant get old . Does he take any supplements? What kind of diet? Alcohol? Lifestyle? Thx
@@BladeRonnie all the advice I’ve seen is control your other risks factors-quit smoking, control blood pressure, get your Apo B level below 80 (with 60 being better). PCSK9 inhibitors lower LPa, but you have to have had a cardiac event to get those covered by insurance. They do sometimes recommend statins to people with high LPa, but not to lower the LPa; it’s to lower LDL (so controlling other risk factors)
I love Dr Gregor, but my experience is the exact opposite of this message. I was on a strict WFPB diet and losing weight, but my Lp(a) was sky high (208nm/L). Desperate to control my levels until the antisense oligonucleotide therapy becomes available (hopefully), I switched gears and ate a HFLC diet for several months and had my levels checked again. It came in averaging 160 nm/L after three tests. That’s over 20% reduction doing the exact opposite of this video. Those levels are still way to high and probably won’t help in the grand scheme of risk, but I don’t think that WFPB diet will help with my lp(a) curse, u fortunately.
@@cherylstrong4179 right. It helps other things but not LPa, which is genetic. It’s a test they tell you to do once. If it’s high then you know you’re in the lucky 20%
conclusion: there is not (good) enough data for or against those berries, but try them anyway, because they are not harmful? and also almonds. and also wfpb diet.
So in light of this video- should I toss my Amla powder? (And the thought that perhaps someone in the comments below might receive their mail addressed to S.Baker most definitely occurred to me.) Thanks Dr. G 🌿✅🌈🌈
There are other better studies that also say amla is likely to be good for health (he's made videos about them). Even the study he talks about here indicates there are likely a few benefits. He was just making it clear that this particular study was definitely greatly overstating its results. If nothing else, though, there's high confidence that amla is a good source of antioxidants (antioxidants are something we can measure outside of the human body, so they're much easier to be certain about compared to specific clinical benefits after something's been eaten).
As I recall, he strongly recommends amla for antioxidants, and to help with blood pressure and blood glucose control. I think he was being a tad glib in this video, intending to criticize this one study and not the others. I hope that's the case, as I've gone to some trouble to have amla every day.
I can't speak about a WFPB diet but in my experience a low carb diet helped to decrease my lp(a) from 104 to 70. Prior to that I tried the Vitamin C/Lysine/Proline protocol and my lp(a) actually increased. I'm currently trying a very low carb (close to Carnivore) diet to and I will retest to see how that affects my results.
How did it turn out for you? After a few weeks on keto, my cholesterol went through the roof, LDL high, triglycerides increased and lipoprotein A is over 350. I don't know what to do. Thank you.
I am also a vegan and I had the same frustration of not being able to lower my cholesterol levels. In August of this year, I got my cholesterol checked and got it at 235 and triglycerides at 244, then I decided to give Amla a fair try and started to take 1/2tsp of powdered Amla every morning mixed in my oatmeal or smoothie without fail. I checked two months later (in mid October) my levels again, and got very encouraging results of cholesterol at 214 and triglycerides 221. Hope my words will get you motivated to try Amla for yourself, I am getting another blood work sometime in December, hopefully the levels will keep going down
I just had my annual physical and despite being on a WFPB diet, my LDL was 134 ( HDL 112 and Tri 63mg). My PCP recommended CholestOff (plant sterol supplement). Any comments on its effectiveness? Thanks!
If I could interject. You need cholesterol for your brain to function. I would focus on your Trig. and A1c if they are good your on the right tract. There is a lot of new evidence out there that LDL is secondary to Trig. numbers. And if your got good blood viscosity. ( not sticky) I have made significant improvements on a WFPB diet ( high raw - lots of beans) Dr. Furman advice.
In response to the first reply, the Triglyceride/HDL-C equation is mostly only useful to determine if someone has metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes for example) which is a huge risk factor for heart disease. I believe a TG/HDL of more than 2 is undesirable. The poster’s TG/HDL is ~0.5 which is pretty excellent. So they are most likely not pre-diabetic! That’s a good sign. Keep in mind the equation is a quick and dirty way of measuring and certainly not the final word. So the bad news is that your cholesterol is high. The good news is that it’s probably not from having unmanaged diabetes! TG and HDL don’t cause heart disease directly however as neither are atherogenic. Serum cholesterol is still the main contributing factor for heart disease as it is literally what gets oxidized in the arterial wall and taken up by macrophages, creating foam cells. Now, sorry, but I do feel the need to correct you on suggesting that LDL delivers cholesterol to your body’s tissues. LDLs for the most part do not deliver cholesterol to your body’s tissues - all your tissues make their own cholesterol, including your brain. In fact, LDLs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. The purpose of serum cholesterol is technically still unknown, but it’s thought to just give your ApoB lipoproteins (VLDL, IDL and LDL) their structural support as they transport triglycerides. People who have low serum cholesterol are perfectly healthy - and when low enough, their risk of heart disease is greatly diminished. Having low LDL cholesterol does NOT deprive your body’s tissues of cholesterol. The poster’s LDL measurement is quite high. They probably have some genetic predisposition, as I do. Diet can do a lot for those who are hyper absorbers of dietary cholesterol in the gut, but for some, like myself, the effect of going low saturated fat and cholesterol is not enough. I’m not a medical doctor but I think most would recommend a statin if you have a history of heart disease in your family. I’m not sure if the sterols have great scientific evidence backing up their use, but it probably won’t harm you (do note that plant sterol supplements can have side effects) and you can just get a blood test after a few weeks to find out if it’s effective. If not, it might be time for prescription medicine - especially if you have a family history. If you don’t smoke and don’t have a family history, well certainly, having high cholesterol is not guaranteed to kill you. Life is full of risks, so you have to calculate what risk you can live with and work with your PCP to find an approach you’re happy with. I’m sure your PCP has talked to you about your risk increasing post-menopausal. I’m quite risk adverse and had a severe blockage, so I take a statin. If you have enough interest in your health to follow a WFPB diet and still have high cholesterol, it’s probably not your diet!! Your cholesterol is high enough that if it were something you were eating, it’d be super obvious (ie 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut oil in your oatmeal every morning… yummmm! 😂)
A trial of the so called "Covid organics" from Madagascar would be interesting. They suggest an extract of a plant called Artemisia, which they also believe to be effective against Malaria. Unfortunately the research on it that I'm aware of is weak. As far as I know partly due to lack of funding and partly due the reason that research on it is banned in some countries. So I'm honestly uncertain and confused who is the bad guy here, Madagascar for trying to make money off snake oil or big pharma who tried to discourage the research on a cheap plant based alternative? Maybe Dr. Greger and his team could shed light on it.
Well another significant finding seem to be that it lowers platlet aggregation, that´s bound to have a positive effect on disease outcome, since in a later phase of the disease clots can form.
Confused. The study’s claim of no conflict of interest is bs, but we should use amla anyway? Based on what? A single study underwritten by amla vendors? What happened to “unbelievable”?
@@dj-fe4ck what Jo Parks said, 100%, it looks like dirt, too! To elaborate on the taste...It reminds me of the inside of a banana peel mixed with dried grapefruit rind.😳 It's extremely astringent and puckery. But it makes a great exfoliating scrub depending on how fine it's ground, or a face mask. Just rub in, let dry, wash off with cool water. I've also had it frozen. It tastes just as bad, but at least it's prettier! A round light green fruit roughly the size of a ping pong ball, with a uniquely shaped tan pit/seed inside. The sides of the pit are flat, three sided. 🌱
This guy is just an anti-omnivore vegan. As humans, we are capable of eating almost anything....this is REALLY powerful. Not saying we have to only eat meat, but being able to eat meat AND vegetables makes us quite the dominate species. I do agree that Americans need to eat WAAAAAAAAAY less meat. Lots of good recipes that don't include meat. Meat is VERY calorie dense which leads to expanding waistlines, but if you were starving to death (not in the USA)...and you needed fulfilling foods (not in the USA)....meat is the way to go (not in the USA). Moral of the story...this guy is just pro vegan (that's all this channel is about), and Americans need to eat less meat...but not eliminate it.
I have been plant based for 4 yrs eat high raw and my lp(a) is still double the high side. I am going to try the amla berry as a last resort . fyi my weight is 98lbs, never have been over weight.
@@ibisclaimconsultants5841 - Just noticed the comments. No I am not on any medications - and labs are coming back great - the LP(a) is coming down. I take a lot of supplements and have come to the realization that exercise is a big factor - No I do not have an exercise routine - I walk a lot /still working
@@hawaasmr I eat fat but don't do well with avocado for some reason. my labs have been coming in great and the LP(a) is coming down. I think I really need more HIT exercise
That was a dramatic presentation. Could please only say what works and not point out fake studies , who have a conflict of interest. I am not a native speaker. It is hard to follow, and you gave me hope with the amla study only to destroy it. I am plant based since 2010. High cholesterol. Just found out about my LPa gene. My triglycerides are ok. But I am not able to get of my bloodpressure medication or ldl levels. Total cholestezol is 220 . Its frustrating 🤯
It's more likely due to the high consumption of dairy. Dairy has more saturated fat than meat. Saag paneer with buttered naan bread isn't exactly health food if you have a metabolic syndrome that predisposes you towards hyperlipidemia (which is the case for many south Asians).
@@Magnulus76 Indian cooking uses a lot of oil, the vegetables are fried in oil, the rotis are applied with ghee, Sugary tea 2/3 times a day with biscuits, increasing western foods, Dominos is very popular. Oil is liberally used, also carbs are consumed in high quantity. Saag Paneer and Naan is a restaurant food not cooked in indian homes regularly, the indian restaurant food and indian daily diet is very different. Indian diet isnt nutritious due to the cooking method of too much frying. Growing up in India my daily calories came from Mostly different types of bread and Sugar as i was a picky eater and also been overweight till my late teens.
And talking about dairy, I am currently trying the no dairy diet but Indian wrestlers eat a lot of dairy , Indian wrestler Guru Hanuman died at 99 in a car accident he looked like someone in his 60s when he was in his 90s th-cam.com/video/WJz01vERgv8/w-d-xo.html
We should check our body's response to a limited set of intervention at a time and go from that with the next. For example, if I know my triglycerides go normal taking wine out, fine. Then eating olives put them on the upper limit, so the next is to cut down on the olives before any other intervention, see my point?
That's actually not a good idea in general. There are a lot of changes you can make all at once that are highly likely to improve your health based on an abundance of clinical evidence in humans. If someone were trying to do their own trial of each individual change, it could take many years to make the same progress they could make in a few months by just acting on the existing evidence. Also, many foods that are good for health wouldn't directly impact any of the tests we do in the short term. Monitoring your own responses and adjusting from there is a good idea, but most people have a lot of changes available that they can make that are virtually certain to be good for them, so waiting years to make those changes doesn't make sense.
A lot of evidence isn't what actually you see in you working. Do whatever you feel comfortable anyway but doing several things at once will preclude you to see clearly which in actuality worked on a specific level for you
Bergamot, Serrapeptase, Nattokinase, Lumbrokinase, etc. Colchicine low dose also answers the actual cause of the progression of atherosclerosis, INFLAMMATION.
Even 30% relative reductions are insignificant when optimal levels are 28 mg/dL or below. Say I have 70 mg/dL levels and reduce that 30%, then my new level is a still dangerously high 49 mg/dL. There are therapeutics soon to be FDA approved that will drop levels by 80%. That's significant. That diet (sourcing, storage, and collateral macro- and micronutrients deficiencies) is as inconvenient as apheresis treatments.
@@Magnulus76 The new therapeutics include one by "big pharma name irrelevant" that is inject straight into tho liver. No systemic side effects like statin pez.
In these purposefully weird times, it's best to put natural things in your body. Currently I'm on Amla, Camu Camu, Noni, Tart Cherry, Maca, Bee Pollen, Goji Berry, Nopal Cactus, Pomegranate, Collagen, Moringa, Matcha, Flax, Chia, Hemp, and these are just my POWDERS for smoothies. Can't tell me I'm not better off than people eating hamburgers made from the meat of 1000 cows, or intaking MSG daily, and ingesting the other myriad of food-grade poisons, oops, I mean chemicals, that the U.S. tells you is ok.
If you missed the previous video on Lp(a), watch Treating High Lp(a) - A Risk Factor for Atherosclerosis. th-cam.com/video/dDJVrA0zhB0/w-d-xo.html
I have been following Dr Mc Dougall’s Whole Foods plant based diet for 26 years. My LP(a) is elevated. It’s very discouraging. My mom changed her diet in 1993 with me. Her cardiologist’s pill regimen in combination with a strict Whole Foods plant based diet improved her blood pressure but never really stopped her cardiovascular issues. After I found out I have LP(a) and that it’s strongly genetic, I asked her to get her levels checked and found that this is her issue, too. I ordered ALMA and will continue to treat with Vitamin C as some studies suggest it’s helpful.
MdoubleHB Let me know what you know. I saw a TH-cam video that suggests high levels of vitamin C can lower it and that scurvy would kill me slower than others.
@@Bravecomet Do you eat canola oil! Heck any vegetable oil that is super processed or GMO'd like soy bean oil or corn oil will kill you! Except coconut oil ...cold pressed Olive oil and grass fed butter.
Sand Fox Good point! And no...no oil.
@@KeyofDavid5778 Canola is better than olive oil. Most olive oil sold in the US isn't extra virgin olive oil, it's made from a blend of oils and has no health advantages over canola oil.
Possibley the most unclear video I have ever watched in my life regarding LP(a)
Possibley the worst spelling mistake in a comment I have ever seen in my life.
I love Dr G. I love his brand of science info-humour-mild sarcasm-aha moments!
He enjoys his work. Very animated 😁
Until the comedy clouds the issue.
Still very interesting findings! I never even knew lp(a) was even a thing.
As an old retired scientist (octogenarian) I just came across this video. I am in good condition considering my age. People typically think I’m in my 50’s. However, I have struggled with CVD since my forties. While watching your video I became annoyed with your overly animated presentation when you hit the meat of your subject. I have some hearing difficulties. I would like to suggest you slow your delivery down and don’t vary your softness to loudness on key words. Or if you choose not to change put key sentences on the screen. Your research is very important but will not help us old people if we can’t get it. My father in law is 103yo. He played tennis until he was 92. He couldn’t understand you key point either. Thankyou for sharing your findings. Now I’m going to spend time trying to understand what you were trying to get us to comprehend.
Yeah this is not the clearest video ever. The conclusion, as I understand it: eat a whole foods plants based diet.
@k.h.6991 I was a former vegan, and yet I am reversing my heart disease on the Linus Pauling Heart Protocol verified by CAC Score 660 reversed to 458 in 20 months.
I always use the cc option.
@@geendoodhout1915 Unfortunately, the cc option doesn’t work if it can’t pick out the words like I can’t.
I am not an octogenarian and I agree. Your delivery is not good. Your sing song delivery is annoying and I could not hear what the substance is that might help improve LPa without rewinding and going back through. The information is valuable but your delivery needs improvement
I’ve been plant based for over 7 years and intermittent fasting for over 3 years. I highly recommend both!
Right before you go on a fast what kind of fats do you eat sustain it? 13 hr /16 hrs how long can u make it on plants alone ?
do you recommend fasting longer for a few days?
@@KeyofDavid5778 I eat 70-90% of my calories from carbohydrates, almost never more than 15% fat, 100% plant foods, and I eat 1-2 meals a day. If 2 meals, I eat within a 6 hour window at the longest if not shorter.
@@dj-fe4ck 18 hour fast everyday and you eat once to 2 times A-day what do you eat in your last meal? What kind of fats can hold you for 18 hours ?
@@KeyofDavid5778 I actually almost never eat any high fat foods. No animal fat or added oils, and no nuts or avocadoes. Only about 5-15% of my caloric intake comes from fat. Almost all my calories come from whole grains, legumes, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I just finished eating 5 pounds of steamed potatoes.
I'm confused. Was the conclusion that amla is worthwhile or to just go/stick with wholefood plant-based dietary approach?
I enjoy the doctors lively delivery and sense of humour. Thankyou for your work to help all of us pursue our health through nutrition.
Hi I'm 61 years old and have gene determined high Lp(a). It was 403mg/l in 2012 and 400mg/l this summer. Yesterday I had a scan and feared a dead sentence. However the outcome was quite positive. I have very litle to no plaque. Only 3% at my age have less plaque I was told. My cardio age was judged to 34-39 years! I'm quite healthy and my triglyceride have been low the few times measured, which should hint I'm metabolic healthy. Maybe that's what matters? Not the level of cholesterol or Lp(a)?
Very sorry for asking this question, but are you Black or White by race . (It's a scientific question)
What did you do to correct it? im 61 with a plaque score of 500 ! but my cholesterol is perfect?
That is great news for someone with Lp(a) that high! Somebody should study you and find out why you are seemingly immune.
There are some questions here for you to address…
@@Raatwastories I’m curious about the race question. What do the studies reveal about the role of ethnicity in disease risk. I’m African American and my doctor doesn’t seem concerned, even though my recent LP (a) is 244 nmol/L. Should I be concerned?
I love the editing on your latest videos! You've improved the cuts/edits on Greger, and took him out of the shot completely where we should focus on the charts! much better, good job!
I was born vegan
I am 98 years old i still play soccer an i run 20 miles marathon I will tell everyone this the vegan diet is the best thing you can ever do is full of the power of pure love an is that power of love in the vegan diet is what keeps me young even at 98 years old man .i want to thank both my father an mother to raise me from infancy as vegan my father passed away at 108 an my mother at 112 years old they where living active lives not in a nursing home completely active playing soccer my mother loved volleyball they where simply 100% active to the last day they lived .
People will always say I love animals I adore animals
I always ask them do you really love animals
They say yes
I say what did you eat today?
How much lp a you have
That is awesome!
@@TamTam-pu7ed how are you
Yours is an amazing story.
Liar
I’m 63 vegan for 20 years, workout regularly don’t smoke About 5 months ago,out of curiosity I’ve had my lpa checked, it was 129 Now I just got my blood test results and it’s 236
I wonder what could’ve caused it to almost double in such a short period of time? The rest of my tests are perfect I was under impression that lpa stay pretty much constant without drastic changes in life style, which is not the case with me
Doc! I've been eating a ton of amla the last 3 months. Glad to hear this! 💚
For all those who are concerned about the actual point of this video, Amla is a potent but very healthy fruit. You can take a pinch of its powder every day for other benefits, if not for this specific issue.
I spat out my hibiscus tea at 5:10
Is that where he mentioned a meat based product ? : )
BS.
@@spamsucker132 BS.
I almost choked on my lentils.
You should watch his other video before you spit out your hibiscus tea. th-cam.com/video/_QfhK6R14C4/w-d-xo.html
How many people here have tested their Lp(a), out of curiosity?
I have. I've been eating plant based for the last 3 years, not cooking with oil or adding salt in the week days and eating take away
2-3 meals in the weekends(mostly thai food) and my LDL were at 136 and my Lp(a) 82. I also eat 1 tsp of amla powder everyday. I am very concerned about my health now...
Yes. Twice.
Just learned about this recently due to the good old doc here.....will have it tested the next time I have a check up....
Trevor Regay If you’re in the US, you’ll likely need to pay out of pocket unless you’re an established cardiology patient and have a good cardiologist. Most doctors still only look at the standard lipid panel, which is nearly useless.
20% of USA supposedly has this risk factor. In Europe they are testing heavily. No drug treatment for it, therefore, no testing in the USA
Is there a way to make a state clearly what's what now previous videos said it was great stuff and now ????
I have very high Lp(a) 243nmol/L. Going completely plant based did not lower my Lp(a) and the vast majority of studies confirm that diet and lifestyle have almost no effect on Lp(a). I went on PCSK9-inhibitor and my Lp(a) dropped by 40% It generally will cause Lp(a) to drop 20 to 40%.
There are a number of drugs in the pipeline that lower Lp(a) by about 80%.
I appreciate that eating whole foods is the way we all should be eating. Unfortunately, diet has not been shown to reduce Lp(a) significantly. Even if the cherry picked study presented by Dr. Greger proves reproducible, 16% is not a robust reduction. For me personally, it would not significantly reduce my risk of CVD due to my Lp(a). But, yes, lifestyle changes, that reduce CVD risk for everyone, are especially important for those with elevated Lp(a).
Please how can I contact you i have LPA 300 level
Are you a coffee or coke drinker?
Hi. Are you being treated?
Dr. Ford Brewer has a livestream every Wednesday at 8am PST. He treats a lot of patients with high Lp(a). He is also good after each presentation with Q & A.
th-cam.com/users/FordBrewerMDMPH
Check out Dr Nadir Ali. What is LP(a)? Does it cause Heart Disease? TH-cam. Looks like we want high LP(a) for multiple reasons, cancer and longer life. It’s a firefighter, not an arsonist per Dr Ali.
The almond study with effect also was supported by the "Almond Board of California"
What is WFPB diet? Whole food plant based?
Yes, allegedly coined by Dr. Campbell to contrast it to Junkfood vegan diets ....
That's how it "works".
Trust the science.
Possible conflict of interest?
He kind of mumbled fast through the conclusion. Did he just conclude to eat a plant-based diet because it reduces all of those other risk factors and that the amla powder "might be worth a try" despite there being a conflict of interest in the study?
That’s what I heard, but I wasn’t sure either.
yes.
That’s what I got out of it.
Yes, he mumbled through that. Basically there is nothing promising. I’ve been WFPB for a year and mine went up.
Dee D. I had my hopes up for 6 min. This could have been a 30 sec video.
Playing Devil's advocate here (and trying to get my lipids to a level that gets my doctor to 'shut up,' I'M not worried!) Yes, dietary lifestyle needs to change----for ALL the right reasons. Because of arrythmias I have a pacemaker--but TWO cardiologists (in separate states) and electrophysiologist, have seen the same labs as my Primary doc, and NEITHER suggested Statins. (Nor dietary changes for that matter.)
There is NO money in Health, or Death---only in managing a chronic disease for as loooonnng as we can drag it out. (which diet change will usually fix)
In 1976 when I graduated from Nursing a "NORMAL" total cholesterol was 240. (They didn't even break it down into components.)
THEN, the Pharmaceutical companies made a drug that would bring those numbers down, and 200 became the "new norm" meaning EVERYONE who had had a NORMAL cholesterol level, NOW needed to be on this drug.
People are resilient, so they lowered theirs by various means to 200, and lo and behold, "they" changed the goal to BELOW 200, NOW those even at 200, needed to be put on drugs.
They've done the same thing with B/P parameters, I remember the last "AMA change" as recent as 2017, the statement was actually made "Making half the population of America , hypertensive and need to be on medication." $$$$$
All this in spite of the fact that Heart disease is STILL the #1 disease. So it's NOT working!
I had a patient whose cholesterol was over 1000! We rushed him to the larger area hospital where they did a heart catherization--only to find----Oops, vessels as clean as a whistle! (I'm sure this is NOT the norm. So yes, work on getting it down, but don't STRESS over a NUMBER.) (Maybe we should do a study on what STRESSING over our arbitrary LDL numbers do to those numbers.)
NOW what do we do?! Do we stick him on drugs ('for the rest of his life') with wild side effects to get the "ink blots" on the page to say what we want (the lab test results) or do we look at the evidence that his vessels are totally clear no matter WHAT the darn LAB results say they SHOULD look like.
I'm so done with ALL of them. And the constant "worrying" they make us do--especially for those who DON'T have any medical knowledge--are at their mercy. PS--I DESPISE the word RISK. Do what's needed for HEALTH (diet) then treat IF I have it---don't fill me with a pharmacy load of drugs to "prevent" the "risk." And for heaven's sake, treat what's CAUSING the problem, not the symptom. The body is a WELL designed CREATION. No headache was ever caused by a LACK of Aspirin!!
Pharmacy--comes from Latin and Greek meaning--Greek pharmakeia "a healing or harmful medicine, a healing or poisonous herb; witchcraft, a drug, POISON potion; magic (potion), dye, raw material for physical or chemical processing."Oct 13, 2021
That's beautifully written, and spot on! I'm a 69yo male with a strong family history of ASCVD, and I don't care what my cholesterol is. There are a few important markers: triglycerides, LP-IR, hBa1c- but if you avoid the toxic garbage most people have been dupped in thinking is food, get regular (4+ times a week) vigorous exercise (sweat!), sauna (heat-shock proteins), fast 2+ times a week (autophagy! ). You are so right about the levels over the years, especially after the 'miracle' of statins (the patents are running out soon!). My sister is a retired 30 year rn (on the cardiac floor for 20+ years) who would tell me that the cardiologists were leaving new things form me! It's like the Matrix: THEY want to keep us all sick, but alive, because they have an umbilical inserted into our bank accounts! It'S CRIMINAL!!...er, wait...it's the American way lol
I didnt get it. So is amla useful or not? Too much wisecracks can obscure the message.
I agree, I'm left unsure whether this contradicts his earlier videos extolling the virtues of Amla. I'm plant-based for 5 years now and in spite of eliminating dairy, meat and eggs, my LDL and total cholesterol remains stubbornly high. I now make a cup of green tea/Amla from a powder daily and, if nothing else, I hope the high anti-oxidant and Vitamin C of Amla is beneficial.
Ditto.
Yes, it might be useful based on one study funded by an Amla supplement company, but may not be.
He wasn't saying that amla isn't useful here. He was saying that this particular study isn't that compelling overall, but does indicate possible benefits for consuming amla relative to Lp(a) levels. This doesn't have any effect on the other studies out there that indicate that amla is good for health. It still overall has pretty good evidence that it's likely a health food.
From his other videos on Amla, I think it's safe to say Amla is a health food. Maybe the healthiest fruit on Earth.
You had videos on Amla in which you talked about heavy metals. That has stopped me from using it. Please clarify
I came across a comment from one of Nutrition Facts staffers a few years back where they addressed this issues and said that you can get amla that has been tested for metals (or at least lead) at Mountain Rose Herbs
I've been on a plant based diet for many years and have eaten Organic Amla powder daily for about 7 years - I just had my LP (a) tested for the first time, and my number was 197. According to Dr. Gregor, I imagine it would be worse if I hadn't been eating this way. Still very discouraging considering I have atherosclerosis already.
That is a bit discouraging.
I'm wondering if you've had it tested again in the last seven months.
what is your carb intake like ?
Because plant based diet is a load of crap.
it DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK FOR EVERYONE. JUST MOSTPEOPLE.
@@IlIKRATOSIlIreally? A diet of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet is crap? A diet that has been shown to reduce the risk of all chronic diseases and contribute to healthy aging is crap? How so?
Again, I repeat:
1. Lower risk of all chronic diseases
2. Improved healthy aging
And you don’t like that?
Thanks Dr Greger x
You can also try weight bearing exercise like adding weighted vest or two weighted vests to your walking exercise. But add it gradually, say a pound a week or so so as not to damage knees. I eventually worked up to two twenty-pound vests while walking a mile which reduced my cholesterol greatly.
Or-God forbid-actually lifting weights
I’ve been adding 1/2tsp of powdered Amla to my daily soy milk w/blueberries, chopped walnuts, sliced almond, 1tspn ground flaxseed & banana sprinkle w/Ceylon cinnamon😋😋
I like it
"Ah, nuts." 🤣
Amla with WFPB diet just might be the key here. Had to watch video twice...full of great info and excellent delivery...
Really worth full practical guide lines.thanks a lot.Best wishes.
Lp(a) of 390 nmol/L here (Yep, you read that right). Sometimes, when y’screwed, y’screwed. Oh, you DO get to choose between being screwed by dying young or getting screwed by having to live like an ascetic monk. Whee.
Calcific aortic valve stenosis diagnosed at age 41 (normal tricuspid valve, just calcified to heck) and a CAC score of 156, about average for a man in his 70s.
Some people just get screwed. Hard.
But don’t worry! Treatment drugs are on the way! And they have been for over a decade. As the FDA s-l-o-w-l-y drags. its. feet. considering. whether. to. allow. them. to. be. available.
Someday, someday, drugs will be available that lower Lp(a) by 90% or more. And the FDA will pat itself on the back for doing such a GOOD JOB gatekeeping those drugs for so long.
I’ll be dead by then, though.
Question is will we be able to afford those new drugs!😞
Prayers for you. My level 260. Stay hopeful
Are you tried to start Plant based diet - Vegan? What about medications like PCSK9 inhibitors ?
@@abuhamzayahya6901
Maybe if I were Bill Gates I could afford PCSK9 Inhibitors. As it stands, because I have not been lucky enough to have survived a heart attack already, my insurance will not pay for them, and my doc will not prescribe them. Cardio docs are real good at gladhanding! “Ya gonna be FINE!”
More like, “Ya not gonna sue me when ya DEAD!”
@@Werebat
Sorry for that.. Speedy recovery and Get well soon 🙏🏻. Start Portfolio Diet. ~ hope it help you.
if trying to lower cholesterol, what are some good Amla to purchase?
So is Amla not not effective in reducing total cholesterol?
I love this channel!
Any risk of heavy metal contamination with Amla powder?
Was there a mention of the amount of Amla? I have high LPa and have been taking 1/2 tsp daily of Amla powder.
Does it reduce your levels ? I have high LP (a) too and wondering if I start taking amla would help
I miss the old style of videos, I'd prefer to see the information.
Worried about what happens if you follow his advice 😬
You’re right, he should hide
? Not sure what has you triggered. Personally I'm not a vegetarian, but I am into health. I check out a lot of viewpoints and am interested in what science backs it. But vegetarian/vegan isn't a threat to anything or anyone... seems like there are far better things to be concerned about right now as opposed to what other people want to eat.
I'm sure the people editing the videos would like to know more about which information you want to see that they're not currently showing. The whole point is to make information available to people.
As I have said before, the info is top notch.... but his need to twitch a body part with every syllable of each word is distracting. He must have calves of steel for the number of times he does toe raises in a single video. At least I now know why he is so lean. He burns more calories in one of these 5 minute videos than I do working out in the gym for an hour. :)
Totally agree. Dr Greger you’re a good looking guy, but we dont need to see you infront of a green screen, we want to see the data/papers/figures
My lp(a) has been tested 4 times in the last 15 years and it always falls between 8 and 10. I don’t follow any particular diet. Although I have experimented with KETO off and on for over 40 years. 8 months was longest I stuck with it. At was during that time that my lp(a) was the lowest. But I became severely hypothyroid, so that was the last time I did keto that was 2010.
Oh man my story! I am so confused. I went low carb carnivore diet and reduced my Lpa but my LDL went up. So i now take a statin. When i was doing vegan high carb my Lpa exploded to the high level! So i dont know what to do. I eat now a normal diet with lots of meat and take statins. I am actually not interested in any of content coming from this guy. I am only here to read the comments. His looks are enough for me to avoid any advice.
For what it's worth, I am 71 years old and have familial hypercholesterolaemia, and have been able to keep my cholesterol in the 140-160 range for the last few years with vegetarian and now vegan diet alone. I've tried the dried powdered amla with no difference in results. I'm not sure it's worth the price, especially after seeing this video.
Try triphala, perhaps? Triphala is an Indian traditional remedy that uses amla, but it also uses two other berries (haritaki and bibitaki). The combined formula has alot of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and it's mostly used for regulating metabolism and digestion. There's also Triphala Guggulu, which is the triphala formula plus myrrh gum and black pepper. Guggul helps lower cholesterol.
I take triphala just because it helps keep me regular. I cycle on and off it every few days.
No difference in your total cholesterol, but did you have Lp(a) measured?
as a diet it did little for me in reducing my risk factors
No offence meant but I prefer the videos without him in them as its too distracting. Just the data and then I can focus on the points
Couldn't agree more.
Why is it distracting when it's the same amount of data shown? Are you attracted towards him?
@@komalthecoolk ?? no it's called context switching, you cannot read and focus on an avatar at the same time. it makes for twitchy viewing. This has since been cleared up in recent videos. Watch his latest; he'll show up at the beginning, then thankfully stay out of sight while going over the data. That works
So whats the take away???
I'm not sure I get it either? lol
Consider Amla if you need to reduce your LP(a), but know that the only study that found statistical significance that Amla might help was funded by an Amla supplement company.
It doesn't work. And tastes absolutely hideous. I've been using mine as a face scrub/mask.😳🌱
@@laurieparis2203 Indian cuisine has a number of recepies to make it palatable. And eaten with oats and fresh fruit one can mask the taste
@@ludicrousone8706 I prefer to take it like I would a medicine, bc it's taste and me just don't get along! So I just mix it with a bit of water and down the hatch 😊. Anything you eat following it tastes divine by contrast! 😆 It's really a great topical skin treatment, though, that's where it really shines in my opinion.
Whoever is doing your background graphics, Dr. Greger, needs to use white for the charts so that the information doesn't blend into the background.
"But Anyways...?" Come on Dr. Greger! You're better than that. This is the first truly poorly concluded nutritionfacts vid I've seen. Try them anyway? They are worth a try? Come on. By condoning this study and conclusion funded by a drug company, you are also condoning all of the studies that were done by the dairy lobby groups, meat lobby groups, sugar lobby etc. etc. It's an industry funded study and that's the end I will hear of it. Maybe I misunderstood, but you condoning this study does not bode well for your credibility. [All of the hooey starts around minute 4 and 4:20 when he says the study was completely not true and the study was poorly done. Then he said there was spin and said bull@#$ and conflict of interest. 5:15. Then he says try it anyway... ]
I'm guessing it's because there is not enough data to reject the hypothesis that these berries help. They are not harmful, and have benefits such as antioxidants. More research is needed, definitely!
This video was definitely confusing as Dr. Greger is not real clear on what he is trying to say. This is what I gathered from the video:
How to Lower Lpa with Diet:
Lipoprotein(a) is a genetic factor linked to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks, significantly increasing risk despite low LDL levels.
A whole food plant-based diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, can lower Lpa levels by 16% in just four weeks, highlighting the impact of diet.
Certain foods, like nuts and Indian gooseberries (amla), have shown potential in reducing Lpa, though results vary and some claims require cautious interpretation.
Insights Based on Numbers:
16% Reduction: A whole food plant-based diet can reduce Lpa levels by 16% within four weeks, demonstrating the power of dietary changes.
20% Drop with Amla: Indian gooseberries (amla) can reduce Lpa levels by 20%, potentially lowering them to more optimal levels.
@@hihi9674 I’ve been vegan (no processed junk) for decade. Vegetarian for 40 years before that. No appreciable change in my LPa when I went vegan. So don’t think plant based diet has any impact on this.
Ive been mostly plant based for almost 2 months now...eaten sardine a few times, less than once a week. All my muscle is gone and Im fatigued. thinking about going back to heavier foods
No way could all your muscle be gone in two months, unless you've been lying around most of the time.
2:50
3:20 almonds
3:45 5:20
*Short Answer from the video and from his listed studies*
1. A Whole Food Plant based diet (vegan) does lower and control LPa in a clinical trial - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30014498/
2. Almonds appear to lower LPa by 8%. - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12221048/
3. Alma in a questionable study with smokers eating an inflammatory diet did reduce LPa by 20% in 4 weeks, so the results are ambiguous.
The net message: The only known clinical solution is a WFPBD to help protect against and reduce LPa at this time. But both trials listed above did produce a measurable drop in LPa. Just lean on the well formed trial with the Amla conflict of interest trial as some supporting evidence to bolster the solid one.
I’ve been prefiabetic for 15 years, found out by unrelated health issue I had non alcoholic fatty liver . I too can’t control the ldl. I’ve dropped grains on and off to 2-3x a week. That didn’t help the ldl. Im cutting it down some more. But unsure if oats would be a hindrance ornot(we know it’s good to control the cholesterol). I begged t get lipo a andb tested and was ignored. Finally I got it and it was over the ideal range. Icamt lise weights so vegas sleep disorder. For 25 years.
So, your other vids on the Amla are old fake news? I have been taking 2 teaspoons powder every morning for weeks now. And in this vid you mention that most of the same things mentioned in your other vids about the amla are now false?
What kind of amla were they using? Dried fruit powder? How much were they using?
How is it possible that Lipoprotein (a) is bad when there are articles on Pubmed that say Centenarians also have elevated levels of Lp(a)
that could be in the genetics for a good reason as to be protective for the body? Please explain.
Lp(a) tends to increase with age. Thus, those who made it to 100 likely started out with a normal or even low level which gradually climbed over the course of their long life.
@@Seanonyoutube No, Lp(a) is genetic, it is not advised to test more than once or twice since the levels do not change that much during a lifetime.
@@beepbeepnj2658 just google “does lp(a) rise with age” and you will get your answer.
@@Seanonyoutube No, a person does not become an expert on google for 3 minutes. The important question is what does the Lp(a) do to your body and lifespan that is predictable for a human to know. There are always people trying to create a problem so they can sell you an expensive cure. This takes more than 3 minutes to find out.
@@beepbeepnj2658 you seem to have a difficult time comprehending facts. But the facts don’t change because you have a hard time with them. Plasma Lp(a) increases with age. This is a fact. Simple as that.
5:10 is gold!
BS.
My uncle just had open heart surgery due to Lp(a). He still eats meat because he "needs his protein."
Yep, Old habits are hard to DIE.
Mind control and brainwashing is a powerful force to overcome......Meat industry is WELL aware of their ability to do this to the masses.....
the forks over knives movie begins to dispel the protein from meat thing.
Everyone talks about Forks over Knives, but I LOVE Eating You Alive; it's really worth watching too.
th-cam.com/video/hJmIJd-qS50/w-d-xo.html
Well your uncle is stupid! Where does he think vegans get their protein? From a tin? No, from a healthy non meat diet!
Wait, does gooseberry help or not?
Exactly. Not at all clear.
My experience… I tried the Linus Pauling therapy…. Vitamin C, lysine, proline. It dropped me from 3-4x safe levels to… the safety zone. My cardiologist wouldn’t give a point of view. He retested me twice to the same result. Niacin did nothing, diet did nothing. This worked with disciplined application, within 2 months. No idea why this isn’t more broadly available as an ALL NATURAL AND INEXPENSIVE option.
Can you tell me something else?
That is so encouraging. I am getting ready to start this protocol. Waiting on my deliveries today. Would you mind sharing your dosages?
can you tell me more about Linus Pauling therapy pls?
Been waiting this videobsince last week!!
Wasnt there a video on how well amla works?
Yes.
Luv the green shirt and green tie.
Lol Thank you for this video especially as it gets pretty colorful towards the end.
My 83 yr old Dad just found out today that he genetically has this. The heart Dr said for us kids to get tested for our levels
What is the diet or your dad. What did he eats his life. Please, because i am so frustrated with my Lpa. I thought we cant get old . Does he take any supplements? What kind of diet? Alcohol? Lifestyle? Thx
@@BladeRonnie all the advice I’ve seen is control your other risks factors-quit smoking, control blood pressure, get your Apo B level below 80 (with 60 being better). PCSK9 inhibitors lower LPa, but you have to have had a cardiac event to get those covered by insurance. They do sometimes recommend statins to people with high LPa, but not to lower the LPa; it’s to lower LDL (so controlling other risk factors)
I love Dr Gregor, but my experience is the exact opposite of this message. I was on a strict WFPB diet and losing weight, but my Lp(a) was sky high (208nm/L). Desperate to control my levels until the antisense oligonucleotide therapy becomes available (hopefully), I switched gears and ate a HFLC diet for several months and had my levels checked again. It came in averaging 160 nm/L after three tests. That’s over 20% reduction doing the exact opposite of this video. Those levels are still way to high and probably won’t help in the grand scheme of risk, but I don’t think that WFPB diet will help with my lp(a) curse, u fortunately.
@@cherylstrong4179 right. It helps other things but not LPa, which is genetic. It’s a test they tell you to do once. If it’s high then you know you’re in the lucky 20%
conclusion: there is not (good) enough data for or against those berries, but try them anyway, because they are not harmful? and also almonds. and also wfpb diet.
So in light of this video- should I toss my Amla powder? (And the thought that perhaps someone in the comments below might receive their mail addressed to S.Baker most definitely occurred to me.) Thanks Dr. G 🌿✅🌈🌈
There are other better studies that also say amla is likely to be good for health (he's made videos about them). Even the study he talks about here indicates there are likely a few benefits. He was just making it clear that this particular study was definitely greatly overstating its results. If nothing else, though, there's high confidence that amla is a good source of antioxidants (antioxidants are something we can measure outside of the human body, so they're much easier to be certain about compared to specific clinical benefits after something's been eaten).
As I recall, he strongly recommends amla for antioxidants, and to help with blood pressure and blood glucose control. I think he was being a tad glib in this video, intending to criticize this one study and not the others. I hope that's the case, as I've gone to some trouble to have amla every day.
Should u still eat amla?
I can't speak about a WFPB diet but in my experience a low carb diet helped to decrease my lp(a) from 104 to 70. Prior to that I tried the Vitamin C/Lysine/Proline protocol and my lp(a) actually increased. I'm currently trying a very low carb (close to Carnivore) diet to and I will retest to see how that affects my results.
Voy a intentar dieta con bajos carbohidratos
Problem is that i tried the carnivore diet but it did gave heart palpitations
How did it turn out for you? After a few weeks on keto, my cholesterol went through the roof, LDL high, triglycerides increased and lipoprotein A is over 350. I don't know what to do. Thank you.
Epic video!!!
Joke right???
I am so frustrated! I am a vegan and have been for years and my cholesterol is still 231 and my lipo a is 216! 😢
Have you checked your thyroid?
@@jeffg.3250 Yeah, all my numbers are in range except the cholesterol, it runs in the family.
I am also a vegan and I had the same frustration of not being able to lower my cholesterol levels. In August of this year, I got my cholesterol checked and got it at 235 and triglycerides at 244, then I decided to give Amla a fair try and started to take 1/2tsp of powdered Amla every morning mixed in my oatmeal or smoothie without fail. I checked two months later (in mid October) my levels again, and got very encouraging results of cholesterol at 214 and triglycerides 221. Hope my words will get you motivated to try Amla for yourself, I am getting another blood work sometime in December, hopefully the levels will keep going down
@@franciscoperez430 I will have to check it out! Thanks!!!
Some people are swearing by the Linus Pauling protocol. Give it a try if you haven't.
I don't know what my lpa level is. I got to take a blood test for it.
To summarize , a wholefood plant based diet has been effective at weight loss and lowering Lp(a).
I just had my annual physical and despite being on a WFPB diet, my LDL was 134 ( HDL 112 and Tri 63mg). My PCP recommended CholestOff (plant sterol supplement). Any comments on its effectiveness? Thanks!
If I could interject. You need cholesterol for your brain to function. I would focus on your Trig. and A1c if they are good your on the right tract. There is a lot of new evidence out there that LDL is secondary to Trig. numbers. And if your got good blood viscosity. ( not sticky)
I have made significant improvements on a WFPB diet ( high raw - lots of beans) Dr. Furman advice.
Are you eating a lot of saturated fat such as that found in palm and coconut oil? If so cut down on those oils.
In response to the first reply, the Triglyceride/HDL-C equation is mostly only useful to determine if someone has metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes for example) which is a huge risk factor for heart disease.
I believe a TG/HDL of more than 2 is undesirable. The poster’s TG/HDL is ~0.5 which is pretty excellent. So they are most likely not pre-diabetic! That’s a good sign. Keep in mind the equation is a quick and dirty way of measuring and certainly not the final word. So the bad news is that your cholesterol is high. The good news is that it’s probably not from having unmanaged diabetes!
TG and HDL don’t cause heart disease directly however as neither are atherogenic. Serum cholesterol is still the main contributing factor for heart disease as it is literally what gets oxidized in the arterial wall and taken up by macrophages, creating foam cells.
Now, sorry, but I do feel the need to correct you on suggesting that LDL delivers cholesterol to your body’s tissues.
LDLs for the most part do not deliver cholesterol to your body’s tissues - all your tissues make their own cholesterol, including your brain. In fact, LDLs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. The purpose of serum cholesterol is technically still unknown, but it’s thought to just give your ApoB lipoproteins (VLDL, IDL and LDL) their structural support as they transport triglycerides. People who have low serum cholesterol are perfectly healthy - and when low enough, their risk of heart disease is greatly diminished. Having low LDL cholesterol does NOT deprive your body’s tissues of cholesterol.
The poster’s LDL measurement is quite high. They probably have some genetic predisposition, as I do. Diet can do a lot for those who are hyper absorbers of dietary cholesterol in the gut, but for some, like myself, the effect of going low saturated fat and cholesterol is not enough.
I’m not a medical doctor but I think most would recommend a statin if you have a history of heart disease in your family. I’m not sure if the sterols have great scientific evidence backing up their use, but it probably won’t harm you (do note that plant sterol supplements can have side effects) and you can just get a blood test after a few weeks to find out if it’s effective. If not, it might be time for prescription medicine - especially if you have a family history. If you don’t smoke and don’t have a family history, well certainly, having high cholesterol is not guaranteed to kill you. Life is full of risks, so you have to calculate what risk you can live with and work with your PCP to find an approach you’re happy with. I’m sure your PCP has talked to you about your risk increasing post-menopausal.
I’m quite risk adverse and had a severe blockage, so I take a statin.
If you have enough interest in your health to follow a WFPB diet and still have high cholesterol, it’s probably not your diet!! Your cholesterol is high enough that if it were something you were eating, it’d be super obvious (ie 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut oil in your oatmeal every morning… yummmm! 😂)
I'm meat based, all- clear CIMT, CAC-zero. My LPa is 31 nmol. I'm 63 years old, no meds
Anyone know of a brand of Organic Amla powder from fruit grown in the USA?
Try Organic India (capsules) or you can get the powder from Banyan Botanicals.
Amla isn't grown in the US, it's an Indian gooseberry.
Amla is so amazing, I've been looking for trials of it vs. Covid-19.
A trial of the so called "Covid organics" from Madagascar would be interesting. They suggest an extract of a plant called Artemisia, which they also believe to be effective against Malaria. Unfortunately the research on it that I'm aware of is weak.
As far as I know partly due to lack of funding and partly due the reason that research on it is banned in some countries.
So I'm honestly uncertain and confused who is the bad guy here, Madagascar for trying to make money off snake oil or big pharma who tried to discourage the research on a cheap plant based alternative?
Maybe Dr. Greger and his team could shed light on it.
Well another significant finding seem to be that it lowers platlet aggregation, that´s bound to have a positive effect on disease outcome, since in a later phase of the disease clots can form.
All products are amazing when the studies are sponsored by the industry that sells the product.
@@Patrick-ep4sf It's being investigated by the African CDC. It looks promising in vitro, but human trials are still underway, to my knowledge.
@@Magnulus76 Cool. I want aware that something is going on here.
Confused. The study’s claim of no conflict of interest is bs, but we should use amla anyway? Based on what? A single study underwritten by amla vendors? What happened to “unbelievable”?
Really kinda thrilled Amla isn't a magic bullet for Lpa. Stuff tastes hideous. 🌱
just curious, what does it taste like?
@@dj-fe4ck what Jo Parks said, 100%, it looks like dirt, too! To elaborate on the taste...It reminds me of the inside of a banana peel mixed with dried grapefruit rind.😳 It's extremely astringent and puckery. But it makes a great exfoliating scrub depending on how fine it's ground, or a face mask. Just rub in, let dry, wash off with cool water. I've also had it frozen. It tastes just as bad, but at least it's prettier! A round light green fruit roughly the size of a ping pong ball, with a uniquely shaped tan pit/seed inside. The sides of the pit are flat, three sided. 🌱
It does. Luckily, you can get it in capsules.
By mixing it with tomato or spaghetti sauce I can hardly taste it.
India Gooseberry 👌😋
Loved the bleep
This guy is just an anti-omnivore vegan. As humans, we are capable of eating almost anything....this is REALLY powerful. Not saying we have to only eat meat, but being able to eat meat AND vegetables makes us quite the dominate species. I do agree that Americans need to eat WAAAAAAAAAY less meat. Lots of good recipes that don't include meat. Meat is VERY calorie dense which leads to expanding waistlines, but if you were starving to death (not in the USA)...and you needed fulfilling foods (not in the USA)....meat is the way to go (not in the USA). Moral of the story...this guy is just pro vegan (that's all this channel is about), and Americans need to eat less meat...but not eliminate it.
The more times I watch this video the more confused I get. Does Amla lower cholesterol or not? You have two other videos promoting Amla.
It is said that PCSK9 can reduce Lipoprotein(a) partly。
Dr. What is the best food to raise HDL.
the fruits in the pictured are triphala
Amla extract does that mean liquid or powder?
I only see it available as powder. It is very bitter so I use capsules.
Can Amla tablets be taken for the rest of your life, then, to keep cholesterol low?
I have been plant based for 4 yrs eat high raw and my lp(a) is still double the high side. I am going to try the amla berry as a last resort . fyi my weight is 98lbs, never have been over weight.
Do you take medications?
Do you still eat fats? I habe high lipo protein a too. And i could lower it a bit with fat free plant based.
Any results with amla berry ? I have high lipoprotein A at 297 and hs crp over 10 .
@@ibisclaimconsultants5841 - Just noticed the comments. No I am not on any medications - and labs are coming back great - the LP(a) is coming down. I take a lot of supplements and have come to the realization that exercise is a big factor - No I do not have an exercise routine - I walk a lot /still working
@@hawaasmr I eat fat but don't do well with avocado for some reason. my labs have been coming in great and the LP(a) is coming down. I think I really need more HIT exercise
That was a dramatic presentation. Could please only say what works and not point out fake studies , who have a conflict of interest. I am not a native speaker. It is hard to follow, and you gave me hope with the amla study only to destroy it. I am plant based since 2010. High cholesterol. Just found out about my LPa gene. My triglycerides are ok. But I am not able to get of my bloodpressure medication or ldl levels. Total cholestezol is 220 . Its frustrating 🤯
In india the vegetarians are more prone for high cholesterol, LP(a) ,watch the sugar and carbs those 2 are the bigest villain .
It's more likely due to the high consumption of dairy. Dairy has more saturated fat than meat. Saag paneer with buttered naan bread isn't exactly health food if you have a metabolic syndrome that predisposes you towards hyperlipidemia (which is the case for many south Asians).
@@Magnulus76 Indian cooking uses a lot of oil, the vegetables are fried in oil, the rotis are applied with ghee, Sugary tea 2/3 times a day with biscuits, increasing western foods, Dominos is very popular. Oil is liberally used, also carbs are consumed in high quantity. Saag Paneer and Naan is a restaurant food not cooked in indian homes regularly, the indian restaurant food and indian daily diet is very different. Indian diet isnt nutritious due to the cooking method of too much frying. Growing up in India my daily calories came from Mostly different types of bread and Sugar as i was a picky eater and also been overweight till my late teens.
And talking about dairy, I am currently trying the no dairy diet but Indian wrestlers eat a lot of dairy , Indian wrestler Guru Hanuman died at 99 in a car accident he looked like someone in his 60s when he was in his 90s th-cam.com/video/WJz01vERgv8/w-d-xo.html
I have 60mg lpa, what precautions need to be taken
When did you checked it last?
The current correct name is Phyllantus emblica, the one you mentioned in an archaic synonym
Linus Pauling studied LipoPro little a...vitamin C is the key
@@Tony4TX2 how much Vitamin c does he recommends and which one? pls can you tell me
So, does this mean your advocacy for taking amla in previous videos is now moot?
Why would it considering it's benefits not related to this?
No, amla ist still high in antioxidants
AMLA!!!!
We should check our body's response to a limited set of intervention at a time and go from that with the next. For example, if I know my triglycerides go normal taking wine out, fine. Then eating olives put them on the upper limit, so the next is to cut down on the olives before any other intervention, see my point?
That's actually not a good idea in general. There are a lot of changes you can make all at once that are highly likely to improve your health based on an abundance of clinical evidence in humans. If someone were trying to do their own trial of each individual change, it could take many years to make the same progress they could make in a few months by just acting on the existing evidence. Also, many foods that are good for health wouldn't directly impact any of the tests we do in the short term. Monitoring your own responses and adjusting from there is a good idea, but most people have a lot of changes available that they can make that are virtually certain to be good for them, so waiting years to make those changes doesn't make sense.
A lot of evidence isn't what actually you see in you working. Do whatever you feel comfortable anyway but doing several things at once will preclude you to see clearly which in actuality worked on a specific level for you
But Eladelia puts some points I couldn't disagree
I've never seen a more disappointing 2-part series of videos. But, thanks anyway, Dr. Greger.
😂😂😂 I totally feel the same way- I was so pumped last week for part two.....
Is grilled cheese (toasted cheese in UK) bad or good?
Bergamot, Serrapeptase, Nattokinase, Lumbrokinase, etc. Colchicine low dose also answers the actual cause of the progression of atherosclerosis, INFLAMMATION.
Even 30% relative reductions are insignificant when optimal levels are 28 mg/dL or below. Say I have 70 mg/dL levels and reduce that 30%, then my new level is a still dangerously high 49 mg/dL. There are therapeutics soon to be FDA approved that will drop levels by 80%. That's significant. That diet (sourcing, storage, and collateral macro- and micronutrients deficiencies) is as inconvenient as apheresis treatments.
And if they are like statins, they'll probably have significant side effects that could potentially reduce a person's quality of life.
@@Magnulus76 The new therapeutics include one by "big pharma name irrelevant" that is inject straight into tho liver. No systemic side effects like statin pez.
@@danielevans5864 Injected straight into the liver? I think I'll pass. The less poking and prodding, the better.
How did you reduce from 70mg/dl to 49mg/dl ?
You can have LPa and not deposit it in the arteries. The question is WHY, do some people deposit LPa, and others do not!!!!!
So a correct title should be "How Not to Lower Lp(a) with Diet" since there was no proven, objective way.
This guy is more full of s*** than a Christmas turkey.
In these purposefully weird times, it's best to put natural things in your body. Currently I'm on Amla, Camu Camu, Noni, Tart Cherry, Maca, Bee Pollen, Goji Berry, Nopal Cactus, Pomegranate, Collagen, Moringa, Matcha, Flax, Chia, Hemp, and these are just my POWDERS for smoothies. Can't tell me I'm not better off than people eating hamburgers made from the meat of 1000 cows, or intaking MSG daily, and ingesting the other myriad of food-grade poisons, oops, I mean chemicals, that the U.S. tells you is ok.