Flashback Friday: The Best Food for High Cholesterol

[@thomastoadally]

I have now for 5 years had the 1/2 teaspoon of amla on my oatmeal under my blueberry blackberry, and raspberries. Not bad tasting and my chia and flax freshly ground on top. I love how it has changed my health. Thank you Dr. Greger.

[@trevorregay9283]

so this does work then???? or do you think your other healthy habits make it hard to determine??? Thanx if you reply!

[@Cedrus1952]

Two teaspoons of Amla powder goes into my morning oatmeal. Turnng 70 and no longer have to take a statin. Thanks Doc!

[@isabellezablocki7447]

Wonderful to hear. I found Amla powder to be pretty bitter. Not a problem for you?

[@zachrowell6795]

Every day I put 1 full teaspoon in a cup of warm water, tastes great!! The first couple times it’s pretty gritty and kind of nasty, but you get used to it so fast! So much easier (and cheaper) than eating pounds and pounds of blueberries everyday!

[@LenkaSaratoga]

Thank you! I’ll try to do it like you say, mixed in water

[@riptidebsi]

Looking forward to part 2. Plant based and high cholesterol.

[@valeriekurtz5620]

Me, too. Very frustrating!

[@KL89452]

Although I am vegan (eating a fairly healthy WFPB diet, with the occasional weekly treat) I had high LDL, and within 7 months managed to fix it. See my comment above for all the details how I did it if you're in the same situation now that I was.

[@egan3080]

This is a flashback friday video which means it is a reposted video that currently exists! Part 2 is already out and has been for quite some time. (Links in description)

[@nonewherelistens1906]

Same here. I know it runs high in my whole family and everybody else is on statin drugs.

[@KL89452]

@@bffhbcvdhhb5396 and gave yourself clogged arteries, and massively increased your chance of heart disease, diabetes, various cancers and brain disease like dementia amongst many others.

[@chiyerano]

I have a teaspoon of it everyday. I am so glad I am able to find it at my local ethnic store.

[@likhin.m]

I am an indian guy, and we used to eat amla as kids without knowing anything about its benefits. We used to enjoy its sour and tart taste with a bit of salt. When I grew up, I came to know that it's one of the highly concentrated source of vitamin C naturally available(20 times that of orange) and thought that all the benefit I felt after eating it was due to vitamin c. And I started to consume vitamin c tablets instead of amla. But I felt something was missing. My face skin used to bcome very tight after eating amla. But after eating Vitamin C tablet, I was not getting that. Then I came to realise that, most of the benifits of amla is not due to vitamin c but due to its concentrated polyphenol content like ellagic acid. I have tried many antioxident rich fruits. like pomegranate and blueberries. But from my own experience nothing was able to beat amla for its benifits. It completely rejuenates the system. Out of all the natural products I tried, nothing was even comparable to amla for its effectiveness. Its true miracle berry, in terms of its benifits. My mom had severe hair fall, her daily diet consist of oranges and pomegranate and Vit C and almonds (for Vit E) and carrots(For betacarotene) and ofcourse curcumin in the form of curry!. Still there was hair fall .But when she started to consume an amla every day, her hair fall stopped magically within 3 days! I think there isnt enough reaserch done on it, may be because its not that common in western world. A word of caution to those who consume it, to get the true benefits of amla you have to eat it in raw form. Dried or powderd form doesnt have that much effectiveness. But if you eat a raw amla everday for a long time, strong acidic content of it can damage the enamel of your teeth. So the best option would be make a juice out of it, and consuming it after diluting. And one more thing, if you plan to consume amla in its raw form, make sure that you are not overconsuming it. One or two berries would be enough. Otherwise unknowingly u may be consuming lots of Vit C. In that case, part if it will get converted to Oxalates, and may cause kidney stones or in worst case, kidney damage due to oxalate nephropathy. I have heard some anecdotel evidence from doctors who observed signs of kidney damage in patients who consumed lots(Its common practice in india for diabetic patients to consume amla juice) of it in its juice form.

[@Robosci]

Thanks for sharing your true story. At what point of time in the day , you take the fruit.

[@likhin.m]

@@Robosci You're welcome😊. On most days I take it after noon.

[@xymonau2468]

The only way we can get it here is in powder form, and Dr Greger is talking about the powder form, not fresh, as that is what was used in the experiments.

[@likhin.m]

@@xymonau2468 I know that. But what I said is from my own experience. How I feel and how my skin looks after consuming it. Fresh form is more potent in these aspects. Or atleast thats what I felt. But that doesnt mean dried form is useless. It still have benefits as proved in numerous scintific studies as explained in this video. Most of the studies will be on dried form, as that is the easily accessable one.

[@antoncoetzee9996]

Thanks,very well explained

[@coraleigh9661]

The issue here is comparing a dehydrated powder with fresh blueberries. I think powder to powder comparison would be more accurate

[@TheOnlyOneStanding8079]

I never had gooseberrys. I want to try it . Its looks good

[@SherryEllesson]

I've been adding the 1/2 tsp of the powder (it comes with a half-tsp scoop) on oatmeal w/blueberries & almond milk for months. I look forward to seeing how this, along with a WFPB SOS-free way of eating changes my numbers!

[@KL89452]

@@bffhbcvdhhb5396 there you go again Mr 🤡 trying to encourage people to increase their risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, various cancers, osteoporosis, strokes, and brain disease like dementia amongst many others by consuming red meat. The irony of posting such foolishness under a video providing the solution to many of those inflammatory caused diseases is clearly lost on you! Bless!

[@DaveG-qd6ug]

Ayurvedic doctors typically recommend taking triphala which contains amla and two other fruits, rather than taking amla by itself. I have been doing this for years with great results. Amla alone can cause an imbalance. Helpful video but I prefer science that has been practiced for 5000yrs vs the reductive one size fits all approach of modern health care. Looking forward to part !

[@likhin.m]

As far as I know, amla is called 'Rasayana'(One which rejuvenate all tissues) in ayurveda. And it doesnt cause any imbalance if consumed alone. If you know more about it, can you pls tell me what kind of imabalance(vata, pitha or kapha) it may cause?

[@MADGUNSMONSTER]

David G Please provide the source and/or explain your assertion/ that "Amla alone can cause an imbalance".

[@DaveG-qd6ug]

​@@MADGUNSMONSTER I am sorry youtube prohibits posting links in the comments sections. Note though "Triphala readily removes excess Vata, Pitta and Kapha from the body, bringing balance and proper functioning to the system. It is commonly taken as a daily supplement to help maintain balance of the doshas." When I took amla alone I had stomach distress (primarily vata imbalance in my case). Triphala had the opposite effect, I felt much better and cholesterol dropped. I would suggest trying each separately for a month or two and see which has a better overall impact on you. Remember Ayurveda does not advocate taking a specific herb for a specific abnormal lab result like blood sugar or high cholesterol. It is much deeper and comprehensive. Studies are good but self appraisal is your best evaluation tool imo.

[@DaveG-qd6ug]

also just fyi the high acidity of amla caused my teeth to be extremely sensitive around the gums. painful but I was taking the powder, not capsules.

[@gabriel65304]

@@DaveG-qd6ug we can drink the juice of Amla with a pipe not to disturb our teeth ? Thanks 🙏

[@adiposerex5150]

I add it every morning in my smoothie. Genera brand from Amazon. My bp is 140/70

[@zachrowell6795]

My BP is 120/80 which is pretty normal and by no means extraordinary, but I’m pretty proud of my 50 bpm resting heart rate!

[@Legitimate123]

Linseeds and cutting out oils/sugar/salt was what got my blood pressure down. Mine was the same as yours and went down to 105/70 after 3 months of eating 1 Tbsp of milled linseeds and flax seeds every morning in my breakfast.

[@snu3877]

It's strange but interesting that with videos like this, you get lots of comments from people saying they use the product, but they never seem to give concrete details on how it's helped them. Example:" I took X amount each day for X amount of time, and my cholesterol lowered by X amount." I always wonder why that is. I know speaking for myself, I often try the suggestions Dr. Greger (and others) speaks about, like hibiscus tea for high blood pressure, etc., without really asking myself if I have proof these things are actually helping me.

[@grandconjunct]

I know SNU , those vague comments are so mysterious to me , I usually wait till I have 2 blood tests and can comment meaninfully as to the results , and I always give actual numbers , before leaving a comment , when people say "I am going to try this food/supplement" and they still never comment again even years later , I want to choke the commenter.

[@Not-tomorrow]

I hear you. But I do find it hard to attribute when I try several changes at once, plus access to medical care and tests is difficult. But at least having access from these videos to the medical studies we do have can give some guidance.

[@xymonau2468]

Well, his claims are based only on research done, so I suggest you question the researchers. Most research papers have contact details of the creators. The only way to possibly know if anything is helping is to measure the targeted thing - such as cholesterol level or blood pressure - before you start, then regularly as you continue.

[@barbararup2123]

Dr. Greger, do you have any information on how regular gooseberries compare?

[@kateelderson]

I have adopted almost everything Dr Greger recommended in his books and after being vegetarian for 25 years became vegan. I was beginning to wonder if there could possibly be any benefit in a freeze dried fruit. (The fresh fruit not readily available in UK). So thanks for this video Dr Greger. I also tried creatine, but had a horrible reaction and had to stop after a fortnight which I was sad about after its write-up. Wobbly and weak. I am 83. Any ideas why anyone?

[@bruceparker6142]

How do the other gooseberry varieties compare?

[@barrychambers4047]

I've been eating powdered amla for going on 3 years now. Sadly, I'm about ready to give it up because, I haven't seen any appreciable effect in lowering my cholesterol. To be honest, I do have hypercholesterolemia. Most of my lowering of cholesterol has come about from eating a good vegan diet alone. I'm wondering if the first lowing effects of cholesterol from the fruit may come in the first 3 weeks, and then decrease thereafter. There needs to be more valid studies.

[@Nivej8180]

Curious...would you consider yourself in good shape/fit?

[@xcast1]

Thats often with those superfoods: They help people with very bad baseline diets, because some deficit is releaved. But on a better diet that deficit factors are not there - and more doesn't help significantly more, effects are already saturated. Frequent invalid extrapolations suggested by Greger - they don't sum up linearly to the sky... E.g. when you have a plant based diet with selenium deficiency (as in most of the world outside US/CA), no normal plant antioxidants of whichever color can replace the much more important role of selenium / GPX / glutathione. You need first to identify the correct bottlenecks before going nuts on the latest magic herb...

[@AccordionLadyDi]

Look very promising. I have tried for years to get my LDL's down but with minimal results. Thanks Dr Greger. You are the best.

[@stephentrueman4843]

any luck?

[@tgiflying]

What is a good plant based diet for underweight people? I am very underweight and I am worried about the fact that on a WF plant based diet there seems no avenue for increasing my weight to something acceptable.

[@daviedodds3050]

Great news. I've got several Amla seeds ready to plant soon. I'm just hoping I can get them to survive a UK winter.

[@maureenk1635]

Thanks so much. I forgot about these remarkable studies.

[@MADGUNSMONSTER]

I have used Amla for about 2 years now and am happy with the taste and results. Pair with Camu Camu for a REAL vitamin C boost, which is needed in these ‘poisoned’ times. As usual, appreciate you Dr. G.

[@consis]

very helpful

[@artwillvideos]

Yeah, it’s not the best flavor enhancer. Use in small amounts!

[@alexlavertyau]

Any one know where you can buy fresh Amla in Sydney, Australia? I'm struggling to find it.

[@luckylarrikin1439]

In Melbourne I have seen frozen Amla berries at 'MKS Spices' ~ I buy powdered Alma from them. Use a search engine . . . . checkout grocery suppliers specialising in Sri Lankan & Indian foods.

[@phillippinter7518]

I wonder how the fresh calorie equivalent would compare? I'm thinking about growing them but I don't know if the drying does something you wouldn't get from fresh.

[@xymonau2468]

Fresh is best.

[@lint8391]

I bought a kg of amla powder off ebay for £20. Gave a chunk of it to my mother. I keep it in a jar and sprinkle a teaspoon of it over my breakfast most mornings. I don't mind the taste of it. And the rate we're using it, we might need to buy another kg in 2035.

[@bluntlung420]

I gotta try this stuff, but being out in the middle of nowhere makes it tough to find. Oh well guess I'm just sticking to yellow bell peppers for my vitamin c fix

[@larryvietvet543]

Amazon sells it.

[@Luminous242]

are amla capsules just as good?

[@bijanok1361]

Love your input and thank you very much for your great works Dr Greger, but just for your information Amla doesn’t work on everyone for lowering LDL cholesterol specially people with familial Hypercholesterolemia. Being vegan and eating almost zero cholesterol, I used a teaspoon of high quality Amla powder for a year with no effects and my LDL kept going up!

[@luckylarrikin1439]

it didn't appear to lover my LDL either, but I continue to add it to smoothies in the belief I will gain other benifits.

[@bijanok1361]

@@luckylarrikin1439 It’s great to boost your immune system.

[@gabriel65304]

What about Acerola powder?.. its not good as vitamin C? Thanks 🙏

[@jasonhsu4711]

Where can I find amla fruit? Unlike apples, oranges, and bananas, amla is difficult to find in stores.

[@MADGUNSMONSTER]

Try an Indian grocery store. They more than likely will not have the fruit fresh, but may have it in frozen form.

[@KL89452]

I just buy the dried amla powder, which I found in my local Indian supermarkets and stores, and add it to smoothies. You only need to add 1/2 tsp each time to have an effect if you want to lower your cholesterol.

[@denise-stevens]

I just bought some at Trader Joe’s yesterday.

[@jensissons5709]

which i will cover next.....with no links .....very frustrating

[@soniajacobs3038]

No one can create a link to something that doesn’t exist yet. Dr. Greger loves research and facts and tries to get it out to us ASAP. Each discovery leads to more questions and more research. He may already know basically what the next video will reveal but he will likely want to check to see if there are any more recent studies before release. Thank you, Dr. Greger.

[@msjanicen]

Link is in the description

[@silverbemr]

Hi there, anyone have a source of where to buy this that they trust. I tried Amazon but the reviews for even the highest rated ones have some skeptic reviews of whether it is pure or not.

[@nonewherelistens1906]

Have me on the edge of my seat, Doc.

[@Olmirz]

Where's the other half of the video! I always get lost when the video splits 😭😂

[@aroundandround]

I always wanted to fly like birds, and after I started eating amla, I can now finally fly.

[@CalebOliver]

I gotta get some amla!

[@c.d.c.s.]

Off to pubmed…I don’t do well with cliffhangers 🤣

[@FrankV-zr9kg]

I took amla powder (1 teaspoon) daily for 3 months. My LDL went from 98 to 111. I'm dissapointed. I'm sure my doctor will want me back on a statin.

[@pierre976]

It did nothing for my cholesterol. How seriously should I listen to Dr. Greger??? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@stuartbarker9373]

To convert this advertising into useful science, you need to (a) compare the antioxidant properties of Indian gooseberries vs other gooseberry varieties and (b) compare the antioxidant properties of Amla vs other dried & powdered berries. Comparing Amla to berries containing a large proportion of water will obviously give you unusable conclusions.

[@gaoyongfu]

和葡萄有何不同？

[@sams-lo6lc]

hope dr greger does his next book about teeth (how not to .... ) for teeth lol

[@ahmedahm1]

That’s a dirty finger 👆🏼

[@donwinston]

That stuff tastes terrible.

[@donwinston]

@at least I got a small coffee/seed grinder and grind black cumin. I use it in place of black pepper. It is not nearly as strong as pepper but looks the same.

[@businessempirereview1912]

Dear friend, what taste good isn't good for your health and which tastes bad is really good

[@likhin.m]

raw or powder form?if in raw berry form, add a pinch of salt, it tastes great( at least,I felt that way!)

[@donwinston]

@@likhin.m Really? The kind I had was flavorless bitterness.

[@likhin.m]

@@donwinston You had it in raw berry form? Dried or powderd form might taste like that.

[@gaoyongfu]

全是外文，遗憾。

[@boethia7367]

Them nails in the thumbnail are so nasty looking.