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[N44]Natural Cholesterol Lowering Supplements

by James Brunton, Jam

If you are over 40 years old and go to the doctor for any reason, it's more than likely that you will get your cholesterol level tested whilst you are there. That's because there is a groundswell of conventional medical thinking that everyone with blood cholesterol above a certain level simply must begin taking a drug to get the level down.

More often than not, you'll be offered a statin drug to take. That might seem a reasonable thing to do since you've been told that raised blood cholesterol is the marker that shows you have a high risk of heart disease or worse.

Now, it is true to say that high cholesterol does increase the risk of problems later on, but it is not the only one. It is also true to say that many people suffering from heart disease do not have high cholesterol.

The statin drugs, such as atorvastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin are among the most widely used and profitable drugs of today. You are meant to take them for the rest of your life, once you start.

The manufacturers claim they have few serious side effects, but some scientists and doctors dispute that. They say many people suffer untoward problems but simply don't put them down to the statin they are taking. And there are some side effects that are completely unrelated to the actions of the drugs.

And, the important point I am trying to make is that, before you go down the statin route, there are other ways to get your cholesterol down. You don't need to start down that path before you look at possible alternatives. And most of them do not involve drugs at all.

Relatively simple things such as changing your diet and taking a bit more exercise does it, if you work at it. And there are some things of natural origins that can help as well. They aren't drugs, but research has shown they lower cholesterol.

One of the ways of lowering blood cholesterol without drugs, is Policosanol, a mixture of fatty alcohols.

It's made from sugar cane, yams or beeswax, and works by stopping your body making cholesterol. In other words, it works at source, rather than preventing you from absorbing cholesterol from food.

Research carried out mainly by workers in Cuba, shows that it could lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as 25%. It does this without causing much in the way of side effects.

Some of the trials have been long-term and reinforce the findings that it is safe and effective - an important consideration if you had to take it for the rest of your life.

The fact that cholesterol-lowering drugs are taken for life is a major consideration when you look at the side effects of the prescription drugs such as the statins. They put many people off once they read the list of side effects, or find out for themselves.

Something natural that has few side effects while still lowering cholesterol is bound to be preferable. Policosanol has a few possible problems associated with it, such as frequent urination and weight loss. And rarely it might cause insomnia, headache, rashes, and stomach upset. These are minor and none of them comes anywhere close to the serious side effects that are attributed to the statins.

Anyway, a new study reports it may not be so affective as first thought. But this work only used 145 people over 12 weeks. Even then, LDL cholesterol was lowered by around 10%.

You can argue that this study didn't prove very much. It had too few subject over too short a time to give proper results. And, was it independent or paid for by a drug company?

You have to wonder if conventional medicine is trying to get its retaliation in first. That is, before the word gets out that policosanol might be better than some expensive and profit making drug from the pharmaceutical giants.

Policosanol has shown its effectiveness for some time now, and it is one of the few natural products that you can get to help you lower cholesterol. Perhaps we need more research, properly funded to find out policosanol's profile once-and-for-all.

Or would the drug companies be trying to squeeze it out of the market to get more room for its own over hyped statins?

More and more people these days are confronted with cholesterol problems, being at risk of developing heart affections, atherosclerosis, and various other serious conditions linked with abnormal blood cholesterol values. While in some cases high cholesterol problems are the consequence of genetically inherited or acquired physiological dysfunctions, they are most commonly linked with sedentary lifestyle and inappropriate dietary choices. Despite the fact that cholesterol levels can be kept in check naturally, without the aid of prescription drugs, most people still rely on medications in order to correct their cholesterol problems.

Unless you have dangerously high blood cholesterol values, or your cholesterol problems are the result of other underlying conditions, the best thing to do is say no to medications. Although there is a wide variety of cholesterol-lowering drugs available on the market, and such medications are commonly prescribed in present, it is very important to be aware of the fact that such medications are neither 100 percent effective, nor entirely safe, generating pronounced side-effects on long-term use.

Among the abundance of cholesterol-lowering drugs available in present, the most commonly prescribed medications are statins. Considered to be the best means of correcting cholesterol problems in the past, the effectiveness of such medications is nowadays questionable. Recent medical studies and experiments have revealed that statins generate differentiated results, their effects varying from a person to another. While they are effective in lowering cholesterol among some categories of patients, statins fail to produce substantial benefic results among other categories of patients. Researchers have proved that the efficiency of statins is strongly influenced by factors such as age, gender and even racial provenience, factors that render these medications inappropriate for generalized use.

In addition to their inconstancy in preventing and reducing high cholesterol levels, statins are also considered to be very unsafe, producing various side effects, ranging from mild to serious. Thus, it is best to avoid using such medications when possible and try reversing the effects of high blood cholesterol naturally, by following proper food regimens and making lifestyle improvements. Considering the fact that statins have proved to be by far less effective than they were thought to be, an appropriate diet isn't only a safer alternative to medications, but it can also produce better results than such prescription drugs.

The three major things you should account for when you want to lower blood cholesterol levels without the aid of medications are:

1) Taking on a more physically active lifestyle. A good level of physical activity has a major positive impact on correcting cholesterol values, reversing the undesirable effects of high blood cholesterol and maintaining cholesterol levels in check. If you simply don't have the time to practice a certain sport or take part in more demanding physical activities, around 30 minutes of gymnastics or jogging per day are sufficient for keeping cholesterol levels in check.

2) Reducing the intake of foods that are rich in cholesterol and saturated fats. By replacing fast food and processed food products with healthy, home-cooked foods, you will be able to rapidly lower your cholesterol levels and improve your overall health.

3) Introducing more soluble fiber-rich foods in your daily diet. A diet rich in natural fibers is very effective in lowering cholesterol, as vegetal fibers help eliminate excess cholesterol from the body.

Follow these steps and you should be able to maintain healthy cholesterol levels without the aid of cholesterol-lowering medications. When it comes to lowering cholesterol, these natural alternatives are a lot safer and sometimes even more effective than statins and other specific medications.

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Both James Brunton & Groshan Fabiola are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

James Brunton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Types of Cancer, Food and Drink and Essential Oils. James wants to show you how effective alternative therapies can be. Read his and get advice and help at. James Brunton's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Groshan Fabiola has sinced written about articles on various topics from Woman Menopause, Medical Condition and Health. If you want to find great information about many subjects like. Groshan Fabiola's top article generates over 6120000 views. to your Favourites.