Cholestoff (Product Review)

I've battled genetically-received high cholesterol.  Cardiac issues run rampant on my father's side of the family, and my own mother battles high cholesterol.  So, I have the good fortune of receiving this trait from my parents.  I'm going to give you the naked run-down of my physical make-up and my success (or not) with this cholesterol-reducing product.  I'm fighting this thing naturally because the long-term side-effects of cholesterol meds are just as bad as high cholesterol itself.

PHYSICAL MAKE-UP: I'm a white male in my mid 30's.  I'm approximately 5'7" and weigh 165 pounds.  I am in very good shape.  I consider myself and athlete and competitor.  I run for distance and sprints, and I exercise using various strength training approaches.  I tell you all of this because you need to know that I'm no couch potato, and certainly no slouch.  I rarely have time to just sit still.  I don't sit and watch TV while plowing down a bag of Doritos.  I like junk food just like the next guy, but I'm pretty disciplined in my eating habits. 

THE NUMBERS: I began tracking battling my cholesterol in 2006 until the present day.  Here is the numerical break-down.

2006: Total Cholesterol 243; Triglyceride 107; HDL 70; LDL 152; Glucose 98
2007:  "           "              231;        "            68;    "      54;  "  163;        "   (not tested)
2008:  "           "              228;        "            61;    "      52;  "  164;        "    79
2/'12:  "           "              245;        "            71;    "      54;  "  177;        "    86
5/'12:  "           "              233;        "            63;    "      55;  "  165;        "    (not tested) 
8/'12:  "           "              243;        "            47;    "      56;  "  178;        "    80

THE DIET: I have packed my lunch for 95% of my adult working career.  I dramatically increased my vegetable intake in February 2012, namely red, orange, yellow, and green peppers sauteed in extra virgin olive oil; green beans, broccoli, home made oatmeal, lots of fruit, etc.  I cut out packaged snack crackers and fake granola bars in exchange for home made natural granola bars.  I drink an average of 4-5 bottles of water per day.  I completely cut out all soda consumption from Christmas 2011 until I was tested in May 2012.

THE PRODUCT: I began taking Cholestoff as directed (2 pills twice per day, 15-30 minutes prior to the meal) on the bottle starting May 2012 until I was tested again August 2012.  I used Cholestoff Complete for the first 2 months, and Cholestoff Plus for the last month (which says to take the dosage with the meal, not prior to).  I strictly dieted for 3 months to see what would happen with my cholesterol, and then I moderately dieted while consuming Cholestoff for 3 months to see what happened again.

RESULTS:  As you can imagine, I was largely disappointed with the results Cholestoff provided.  I told you about my health history so you can see that I am truly a hard case study.  The only significant change I've experienced came in May after 3 months of strict dieting.  My total cholesterol has remained largely unchanged in 6 years, with only minor fluctuations.  My triglycerides, however, have dropped dramatically in that same 6-year time: from 107 to 47.  60 points!  From May to August alone, my triglycerides reduced 16 points.  During that same period, however, my LDL's increased 13 points.

All that to say, I don't give much credit to Cholestoff for the decreased triglycerides numbers.  I followed the directions and these are the unbiased results.  You can make your own decisions.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Dr. Mark Houston wrote a great book about the cholesterol battle in, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Heart Disease".  I highly recommend it.  He debunks the common myth that high cholesterol equals greater risk, and low cholesterol equals being in the clear.  Check it out, it's actually quite an interesting read!

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