Natural Remedies For High Cholesterol - Herbal Remedy & Scientific Data

What are the natural remedies for high cholesterol? How do they lower high cholesterol? Is there any scientific data that verifies their benefits?

In this section, you will have the best answers and solutions to your troublesome problems. When you first get diagnosed with high cholesterol, your first line of treatment is through TLC . If you do not have success, there exist some other natural remedies, which can give you a hand.

Basically, natural remedies for high cholesterol consist of using specific herbs, which has scientifically shown to lower blood cholesterol. Our ancestors have been using them for many purposes; they have used as natural remedy for high cholesterol too. The following paragraphs will show what are they and how do they work.

Click here to get your copy of a Free E-book on all the “Natural Remedies For High Cholesterol”.

Plant Stanols

They are also called plant sterols of phytosterols. You may be familiar to them, especially when you are shopping when it comes to which margarine or butter to choose because plant sterols are added to some spreads such as margarines and butter.

Plant sterols are natural substances derived from plants.They have a structure likely to cholesterol and are proven to lower your LDL cholesterol levels by 17 % without affecting HDL levels. This is great, comparing to other lowering cholesterol treatments that reduce also the levels of HDL.

At this point I want to clarify, that people with high cholesterol are advised not to use margarines or butter. They are encouraged to follow a low fat diet. But, if you choose the margarines high in plant sterols and use in low quantities, you may have these benefits.

In a placebo-controlled, crossover feeding trial (1), the effects of phytosterols was evaluated among other natural remedies for high cholesterol. Researches have come out that dietary phytosterols, if taken in moderation, can alter the whole-body cholesterol metabolism.

1. Racette SB, Lin X, Lefevre M, Spearie CA, Most MM, Ma L, Ostlund RE Jr Dose effects of dietary phytosterols on cholesterol metabolism: a controlled feeding study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Nov 4.

Policosanol among natural remedies for high cholesterol

It consists of alcohols derived from the sugar cane (its waxy layer). It has been shown to reduce LDL levels by 31 percent and raise HDL cholesterol by 7 percent (2).

There are two ways your body gets cholesterol: the first one is by producing it and the second way is supplying cholesterol from foods. What this natural remedy for high cholesterol does is to block the cholesterol synthesis in your body.

However, recently its effect on reducing LDL has been questioned. The studies are still contradictory and recall for further research.

2. Francini-Pesenti F, Beltramolli D, Dall'acqua S, Brocadello F. Effect of sugar cane policosanol on lipid profile in primary hypercholesterolemia. Phytother Res. 2008 Mar;22(3):318-22.

Red Yeast Rice

It is a Chinese fermented rice product, called otherwise Monascus purpureus. It contains the natural compound found in lovastatin (called monacolin K). Although it may remarkable reduce blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels as it mimics lovastatin, it carries out this drug adverse side effects(3).

Therefore, its use in lowering cholesterol naturally is still questioned. However, it remains the fact of its potential effects to remarkably lower blood cholesterol, thus it can be listed among natural remedies for high cholesterol.

3. Klimek M, Wang S, Ogunkanmi A. Safety and Efficacy of Red Yeast Rice (Monascus purpureus) as an Alternative Therapy for Hyperlipidemia. P T. 2009 Jun;34(6):313-27.

Artichoke

Artichoke leaf extract has been shown to reduce total cholesterol by 18.5 percent in patients with hypercholesterolemia (4). Due to its component cynarin, which can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in liver, artichoke has shown to be effective in lowering total cholesterol (5).

However, researchers recall for further studies to fully show its effects.

4. Wider B, Pittler MH, Thompson-Coon J, Ernst E. Artichoke leaf extract for treating hypercholesterolaemia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Oct 7;(4):CD003335.

5. Bundy R, Walker AF, Middleton RW, Wallis C, Simpson HC. Artichoke leaf extract (Cynara scolymus) reduces plasma cholesterol in otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized, double blind placebo controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2008 Sep;15(9):668-75.

Guggul or guggul-lipid among natural remedies for high cholesterol

Guggul is a herbal extract derived from the resin of Commiphora mukul tree. It is widely used in Asia as powerful cholesterol-lowering agent. It contains guggulsterones as its bioactive components, which antagonize two nuclear hormone receptors of cholesterol metabolism. Thus, it reduces the cholesterol.

Recent studies have shown its lowering-cholesterol effects even in western population and it is widely being used even in U.S. and Western Europe (6, 7).

As for any other lowering-cholesterol natural remedy, remains the fact of recalling for further studies.

6. Nohr LA, Rasmussen LB, Straand J. Resin from the mukul myrrh tree, guggul, can it be used for treating hypercholesterolemia? A randomized, controlled study. Complement Ther Med. 2009 Jan;17(1):16-22. Epub 2008 Aug 15.

7. Yu BZ, Kaimal R, Bai S, El Sayed KA, Tatulian SA, Apitz RJ, Jain MK, Deng R, Berg OG. Effect of guggulsterone and cembranoids of Commiphora mukul on pancreatic phospholipase A(2): role in hypocholesterolemia. J Nat Prod. 2009 Jan;72(1):24-8.

Is Avocado Cholesterol good enough to give it a try? Find out here.