Natural Remedies for High Cholesterol

Natural Remedies for Treating High Cholesterol

Natural Remedy	What experts say about these natural remedies for high cholesterol
Fish Oil (Omega-3 Fatty Acids)	(What's this?) This is a must-take if you suffer from high cholesterol or heart disease. It will lower your cholesterol and also stop the inflammation from happening in your blood vessels caused by cholesterol deposits. There are significant benefits from taking omega-3 fatty acids that go far beyond just heart health. This is one of the best natural remedies for high cholesterol treatment. Take it. Dosage: Take 2 to 4 grams daily or the equivalent amount of EPA and DHA. (At least 360 mg of EPA and 240 mg of DHA. Even double of this dose is very safe.) Fish old have very little side effects and is very safe to take.
Garlic	This is also a must-take herb as well along with fish oil. It acts as a powerful anti-oxidant, protecting the arteries from damage caused by the "bad" cholesterol (LDL). Dosage: Take 200 to 400 mg three times daily.
Niacin	Niacin, in high doses is proven in clinical studies to lower high cholesterol levels. It is shown to reduce the "bad" cholesterol (LDL) up to 25%, triglycerides up to 50% and increase the "good" cholesterol up to 35%. High-dose niacin is also available as a prescription medication as well. Dosage: The dosage required to significantly lower cholesterol is in the range of 1,200 to 1,500 mg daily. Dose as high as 3,000 mg daily have been used to significantly lower LDL. Warning: Use these high doses of niacin under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
Olive Oil	Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and is shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. It has antioxidant benefits, prevents the blood from clotting too easily, lowers cholesterol and helps with lowering blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet is high in consumption of olive oil and is believed to the reason why this diet is a heart-friendly diet.
Beta sitosterol (Plant Sterols)	Plant sterols have been clinical shown to lower the "bad" cholesterol (LDL) as well as the total cholesterol. Dosage: Take 800 mg to 6,000 mg daily (divide dose into two or three times daily and take before meals.)
Red Yeast Rice	This supplement is shown in clinical research studies to bring down the cholesterol and well as increase the "good" cholesterol levels (HDL). Some experts suggest that it might be as effective as taking prescription cholesterol-lowering medications. Dosage: Take at least 1,200 mg daily. 2,400 mg is commonly used.
Oats (oatmeal)	The soluble fiber found in oat bran is shown in clinical studies to reduce the risk of heart disease and brings down total cholesterol and the "bad" cholesterol (LDL). Dosage: Take 50 to 150 grams of oats. (Or the equivalent amount of soluble fiber which is around 4 to 10 grams daily.)
Barley (whole grain barley and barley-containing products)	Just like oats, barley contains large amounts of fiber. This is proven to lower cholesterol. Dosage: Take 30 grams of barley daily. (Or the equivalent of 4 to 10 grams of fiber found in barley daily.)
Anthocyanins (from berry fruits such as acai, strawberry, blueberry and cranberry)	Animal studies showed that the anthocyanins can lower cholesterol. A recent well-designed clinical study involving 120 people with high cholesterol showed that anthocyanins lowered the "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and increased the "good" cholesterol (HDL) significantly. Dosage: 160 mg of anthocyanins (derived from berry fruits) twice daily was used in the study. Acai is an example.
Soy and soy protein	Past studies show that taking soy protein lowers total cholesterol and the "bad" cholesterol (LDL) by up to 10%. Not all studies shows positive benefits and newer studies done suggest that it may not be as effective as once believed to be. Dosage: Take 20 to 50 grams daily (divided into two or three doses).
Beta-sitosterol	Clinical studies showed that this supplement lowered total and "bad" cholesterol (LDL's) significantly. Dosage: Take 400 mg to 3,000 mg twice daily before meals.
Coenzyme Q10	Taking coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 increases the HDL (good cholesterol) level but does not lower the LDL (bad cholesterol). Dosage: Take 100 mg daily.
Artichoke Leaf Extract (Cynara scolymus)	Artichoke leaf extract (ALE) lowered total cholesterol and the "bad' cholesterol (LDL) significantly after 12 weeks of treatment compared to the placebo group. Dosage: The dosage used in the clinical study was 1,280 mg of ALE daily.
Ginger	Studies done on rabbits fed 200 mg of ginger had lower cholesterol levels and smaller amounts of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in the blood vessels.
Cordyceps	Some small clinical studies show that cordyceps can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Dosage: Studies used 1 gram three times daily.
Turmeric	Animal studies show that taking turmeric helped to lower cholesterol levels.
Taurine	Animal studies showed that taurine has the ability to lower cholesterol. In animal studies and studies done on brain tissues of rats, taurine (an amino acid found in many energy drinks (like Red Bull) seems to protect the brain cells and heart muscle against damaged caused by the lack of oxygen. It also shows potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the body and may help to stop the damage caused by the cholesterol deposits in the arteries.
Maca	One study in rats showed that taking maca can lower cholesterol levels. More studies will be needed to confirm this benefit in humans.
Apple Cider Vinegar	Rats given apple cider vinegar had lower cholesterol levels.
Elderberry	Helpful Ealier reports that drinking elderberry juice could lower cholesterol. More studies are needed to verify this benefit.
Policosanol	Probably not effective Early studies done out of Cuba and Latin American countries showed that policosanol was very effective at lowering high cholesterol. However, many more recent studies done in other parts of the world by different research teams could not show any benefits of policosanol at lowering cholesterol. Dosage: In the earlier studies, subjects used 20 mg once daily.

Vitamins for High Cholesterol

Vitamins & Fruits	What experts say about these vitamins for high cholesterol
Vitamin D	Population studies seem to show that a lower level of vitamin D increases the risk of developing high cholesterol. Vitamin D has many essential functions in our body that are still being discovered. It's a vitamin worth taking. Dose: Take 400 to 1,000 IU daily.
Multivitamin	Helpful Consider taking a high-potency multivitamin supplement daily. This will ensure your body is getting most of the necessary vitamins and minerals (in case it may be deficient in your diet). There are practically no side effects or dangers from taking multivitamins.
Vitamin E & Vitamin C (Antioxidants)	Helpful To prevent the cholesterol from oxidizing resulting in damage to the blood vessels. Dosage: Take 400 IU of vitamin E and at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily.
Berry Fruits (Antioxidants)	Helpful There are many other berry fruits such as acai and pomegranate that contain powerful antioxidants. These and other fruits should form a part of your diet as well. Not into eating fruits? How's about blending a fruit drink or a smoothie? It's like getting it at Jugo Juice or Booster Juice except yours will be loaded with all your essential antioxidants (not to mention saving money as well).
Zinc	Zinc seems to lower the "bad" cholesterol and increase the "good" cholesterol. We need more clinical research before we can suggest taking a higher dose for treating high cholesterol. Dose: The dose used in the study is 50 mg daily.

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