Using a Cholesterol Supplement
and Herbs to Lower Cholesterol

The marketplace contains numerous cholesterol supplements, which are often derived from herbs shown to lower cholesterol. If you are looking for a way to lower cholesterol naturally and stay away from prescriptions, there are a number of cholesterol supplements to consider. On this page, we'll look at guggulipid, red yeast rice, policosanol, citrus peels, turmeric, aloe vera, niacin and omega 3 supplements. To read about cholesterol reducing foods, click here.

Red Yeast Rice supplement
A chemical in red yeast, called mevinolin, is chemically identical to the generic statin-based drug, lovastatin, which was introduced in 1987. A prominent Chinese study showed that red yeast rice was nearly as useful in lowering cholesterol that the statis drug Zocor. Health practitioners in China recommend Red yeast rice for treating moderately high cholesterol levels of 200 to 240 mg/dl.

Guggulipid Extract supplement
Guggulipid comes from the sap of the commiphora mukul or myrrh tree native to India. Human studies in India have shown guggulipid to be effective in lowering "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides. One double-blind, 24-week Indian study involving 61 participants found the group taking the guggulipid supplement experienced a 12 percent lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Cholesto-Rite is an all-natural cholesterol supplement that contains gugulipid and red yeast rice. This product is manufactured in an FDA and GMP registered pharmaceutical facility under the supervision of an expert team of herbalists, naturopaths, homeopaths and responsible pharmacists. Cholesto-Rite is distributed by Native Remedies, and comes with a one-year guarantee and is part of a buy two, get one free program. To check out the product and see testimonials from individuals who use it, visit Native Remedies.

Omega 3 Fatty acids: Fish Oil, Krill, Oil, Flaxseed and Green-Lipped Mussel oil
Several large clinical studies have shown that Omega 3 fatty acids work to lower cholesterol. The richest sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are specific types of fish, krill, oil, flaxseeds and green-lipped mussel oil.

Fish Oil Supplements
Cholesterol-lowering Omega 3 fatty acids are present in abundance in fish such as wild-caught salmon, with lower levels in halibut, shrimp, snapper, scallops and cod. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish with Omega 3 fatty acids twice a week. For those who don't want to eat fish that often, fish oil supplements can serve as a cholesterol supplement. Fish oil supplements that contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been shown in clinical studies to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and trigglyceride levels. Consumers will want to be sure they use fish oil supplements that are certified to be mercury free and contain vitamin A or E (antioxidants that will keep the fish oil from going rancid).

Krill oil - This supplement comes from krill, a tiny shrimp like ocean crustacean that contains high levels of omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants to naturally keep the oil fresh. Large ocean mammals, such as the blue whale, eat about 8,000 pounds of krill each day. Krill oil is recommended by Dr. Mercola, author of a natural health newsletter with more than 1,000,000 subscribers. I find the information is his newsletter very informative. You may want to subscribe to get news on natural health developments.

Flaxseed - an effective cholesterol supplement
Flaxseeds are one of the most effective way to get your omega 3 fatty acids and lower cholesterol naturally. Just two tablespoons of flaxseeds provide 146 percent of the recommended daily value of omega 3 fatty acids, according to the non-profit George Mateljan Foundation and author of the "World's Healthiest Foods" website, www.whfoods.com.

One study with 40 patients with high cholesterol (more than 240) found that adding 20 grams of ground flaxseed to the diet lowered cholesterol as much as a statin drug. Research subjects who ate flaxseed for 60 days, total cholesterol was lowered 17 percent.

Flaxseed supplements are available in a two forms: ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil. Flaxseeds must be ground before eaten or they pass through the body without the digestive system absorbing any of the nutrients. Flaxseeds should be refrigerated to preserve their nutrients. Flaxseed oil comes in capsules and liquid. The liquid form should be refrigerated for freshness and be packaged in a colored bottle as light breaks the oil down and causes it to become rancid.

Besides using a cholesterol supplement, take a look at foods that lower cholesterol

Green-Lipped Mussel Oil
Green-lipped mussels, which grow in uncontaminated waters off of New Zealand, contain an extremely high concentration of omega 3 oils and can be an effective cholesterol supplement. Research finds that the omega 3 oils in green-lipped mussels are about 150 times more potent than fish oil, 250 times more potent than salmon oil and almost 400 times more potent than flax oil.

Citrus Peel Supplement
Compounds in orange and tangerine peels has been found to be an effective way for naturally lowering cholesterol. Results of an animal study printed in the May 2004 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that these compounds, polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), reduced high cholesterol in hamsters by 32 ro 40 percent. No negative effects were found from ingesting the PMFs.

Policosanol: Sugar cane cholesterol supplement
Some studies have found Policosanol, a natural substance derived from sugar cane, to significantly lower cholesterol. A double-blind study done at the National Center for Scientific Research, in Havana, Cuba found that daily intake of 20 mg of policosanol for 24 weeks lowered LDL or "bad" cholesterol by 27 percent and total cholesterol by 15 percent while HDL or "good" cholesterol increased by 17 percent. Policosanol also lowered triglyceride levels by 12 percent in this research project. No significant changes occurred in any lipid profile parameters in the placebo group.

If you are looking for an effective, natural way to lower cholesterol, you may want to consider adding a cholesterol supplement to your daily routine. One option is a Cholest-Natural, which contains citrus rind extracts, policosanol and plant sterols. This supplement is a high-quality product manufactured by a New Zealand company that conducts rigorous testing on the purity and efficiency of its products so that they exceed guidelines set by governments around the world, including Britain and the U.S. Cholest-Natural comes with a 90-day guarantee and is so effective there are dozens of unsolicited testimonials on the company's website in which customers share their cholesterol numbers before and after taking the product. See if Cholest-Natural is the right cholesterol supplement for you.

Aloe Vera Supplement
According to internationally-recognized natural health writer Mike Adams: "When used internally, aloe vera gel improves the quality of the blood and helps rebalance the blood chemistry in a way that lowers cholesterol and total triglycerides (in people with elevated levels). This is far safer than using statin drugs, which have extremely harmful negative side effects while depleting the body of nutrients such as CoQ10." A 2000 animal study found that aloe vera supplements reduced serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the animals receiving the supplements. I have been consuming an organicn liquid aloe vera product that has worked remarkable as a cholesterol supplement. My LDL "bad" cholesterol dropped 19 percent after 4 months on the product-- and the doctor has stopped talking about putting me on a prescription. To learn more about how aloe vera can help cholesterol and arthritis, click here.

One supplier of several varieties of organic aloe vera juice is evitamins.com. To see their rather large selection of aloe vera juices, click here. To get a better tasting product, you may want to get one that is mixed with berry flavor, or honey or stevia, or you can mix it with juice if you don't like the flavor.

Niacin supplement
Niacin has long been linked to improving cholesterol. The Mayo Clinic website explains it this way: "Niacin has long been used to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the 'good' cholesterol. A lot of the attention regarding cholesterol has been focused on lowering your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or 'bad' cholesterol. That's still an important goal."

"But as researchers learn more about how cholesterol is used by the body, they're realizing that boosting your HDL level is just as important as lowering your LDL cholesterol. Niacin can raise HDL - the 'good' cholesterol by 15 to 35 percent. While niacin's effect on HDL is of most interest, it's worth noting that niacin also decreases your LDL and triglyceride levels."

See a sample diet to lower cholesterol by clicking here.

Turmeric
Turmeric, also known as curcumin, is derived from the root and rhizomes of Curcuma longa, a plant that grows in India and southeast Asia. This herb has been used in traditional medicine systems for centuries but has more recently been studied for its health benefits. One Indian study involved 10 healthy human volunteers who were given 500 millegrams of turmeric over a 7-day period. During that time, researchers found that the volunteers experienced a 11.6 percent lower total cholesterol numbers, with a 33 percent decrease in "bad" cholesterol and a 29 percent increase in HDL "good" cholesterol.


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