Has your doctor told you that your cholesterol level is above average? Your doctor may have recommended a low-fat diet and exercise program to help get your cholesterol level back within the ideal range. But, if you’re not getting the results you want from diet and exercise alone, you may have considered trying natural supplements to lower cholesterol.
Are there any natural supplements that work for reducing cholesterol levels?
Although there are natural supplements available for lowering cholesterol, most of them only give a modest improvement in cholesterol levels, and they won’t necessarily work for everyone.
If your cholesterol is significantly high despite diet and exercise, your doctor may recommend prescription medication to help bring your levels down. In some cases, this may be your best option.
If you’re concerned about the side effects that come with prescription medicine, you may want to talk to your doctor about trying natural cholesterol-lowering supplements first.
If the natural approach then fails to work for you, you would have the option of switching over to prescription drugs and bearing the side effects.
In this article, we’ll go over the best supplements for lowering cholesterol. You can even take them if you’re concerned about having high cholesterol in the future since they are entirely natural and mostly bear no side effects.
Supplements To Lower Cholesterol
Flaxseed
A study published in the Journal of Women’s Health in April of 2008 showed that postmenopausal Native American women who used thirty grams of flaxseed a day for three months were able to lower their cholesterol levels by up to ten percent.
Flaxseed can be purchased in seed form at your local health store and ground at home using a coffee grinder. After grinding, it can be sprinkled on cereals, added to yogurt, and stirred into soups.
Keep in mind that it should always be ground before eating. Otherwise, it will pass through the intestinal tract undigested and have minimal cholesterol-lowering effects.
Other Benefits
- Rich in Omega-3
- Rich in protein
- Lowers blood pressure
- Helps diabetes
- Controls appetite
- Healthy for skin & hair
Artichoke Leaf Extract
Artichoke leaf extract is another natural supplement for lowering cholesterol that has scientific evidence behind it.
A study published in September of 2005 showed that artichoke leaf extracts modestly reduced total cholesterol in a group of adult volunteers who took it over a twelve-week period.
Reductions in cholesterol levels ranged from four to five percent in the group receiving the extract. These extracts can be purchased online and at some health stores.
Other Benefits
- Helps diabetes
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves liver health
- Improves digestive health
- May have anticancer effects
Psyllium
You may not have heard of psyllium, but you’ve probably heard of one of the products that contains it, Metamucil. Metamucil is most commonly used as a dietary fiber supplement and as a treatment for constipation.
A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that psyllium supplements lowered cholesterol in a dose-dependent manner. The researchers concluded that adding psyllium to a cholesterol-lowering diet may give added cholesterol-lowering benefits beyond diet alone.
Psyllium can be purchased at most health food stores and can be added to baked goods and sprinkled into soup and yogurt.
Other Benefits
- Has prebiotic effects
- Relieves constipation
- Treats diarrhea
- Helps diabetes
- Aids weight loss
Plant Sterols
According to information from a 2008 issue of the Current Atherosclerosis Report, plant sterols can reduce cholesterol absorption and lower total cholesterol levels.
You can now find plant sterols as supplements in a variety of products at your grocery store, including margarine, yogurt, and natural juices. Plant sterols are even more effective when combined with a high fiber, low-fat diet.
Other Benefits
- Lowers risk of colon, rectal, and stomach cancer
- Lowers risk of heart attacks
- Helps treat obesity
- Improves heart health
How To Reduce Cholesterol In 30 Days
If you’re looking to reduce cholesterol in 30 days, we suggest that you buckle up because it’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. We can’t promise exact results as they differ from body to body, and they also depend on your efforts.
But this is how to reduce cholesterol in 30 days.
- Have a cholesterol-friendly diet and follow it carefully
- Daily 30-60 minutes aerobic workout (the more the better)
- A daily bowl of yogurt with ground flaxseed
- A daily big cup of natural juice
- Any of the other recommended supplements daily
If you do this meticulously for 30 days we guarantee you will have reduced cholesterol, it may not be incredibly fun, although you can learn to love it, but it will definitely be worth it.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are some natural ways in which you can treat your cholesterol problem.
But, while these are entirely natural and you can take them for general health with practically no worry, we always recommend you talk with your doctor before using any supplements specifically for lowering cholesterol.
Even natural supplements can sometimes interfere with the absorption of other prescription medications, or perhaps with other pre-existing conditions.
If you’re looking for another natural supplement to lower cholesterol, check out our article about mushroom supplements.