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Will Supplements Help Keep Healthy Level Of Cholesterol?
 

High blood cholesterol is a condition in which one has too much cholesterol in the blood. People who have high blood cholesterol are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the top cause of death in the United States. Over 2,100 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day.

Being a waxy and fat-like substance found in all cells of the body, cholesterol is needed by human body to make hormones, Vitamin-D, and substances that help one digest foods. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins. These packages are made of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside. Two kinds of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout the body: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Having healthy levels of both types of lipoproteins is important.

A high level of LDL cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol, can lead to a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries. HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is called good cholesterol as it carries cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver, which removes the cholesterol from the body.

While human body makes all the cholesterol it needs, cholesterol can enter the body through foods one consumes. In order to lower the risk of getting heart disease and stroke, people should change their lifestyles because diet, weight, physical activity and exposure to tobacco smoke will all affect the cholesterol level.

For some people, lifestyle changes alone might not be able to help them reach healthy cholesterol levels, so they may need medication. Patients who are at high risk of heart disease and stroke should be given statins if their bad cholesterol exceeds 190 mg/dL, despite of the possible side effects of statins.

Those in the low-risk category and whose cholesterol levels are below 190 mg/dL may opt to take supplements. Taking supplements is certainly a less aggressive and slower way of lowering their cholesterol levels. In general, dietary therapy like eating more vegetables, oats and tofu can help lower bad cholesterol levels by at least 10 percent. If one also takes supplement, the bad cholesterol levels can be lowered by another 10 to 20 percent.

Various types of cholesterol-lowering supplements available in the market. Fish oil, red yeast rice, and co-enzyme Q10 are 3 of the common ones.

Main effect of fish oil is to lower triglyceride levels. But lowering of triglyceride levels by drugs or other means has not been shown to lower the risk of cardiac events. Clinical trials have shown evidence that fish oil can benefit people who already have heart disease, though there is no strong evidence of protection for those who have not suffered from heart disease.

Red yeast rice is a substance extracted from rice that has been fermented with a type of yeast. It has ingredient that is chemically identical to lovastatin, a prescription drug to block the liver from producing bad cholesterol. Some studies have shown that it can cut total cholesterol by up to 16 percent and LDL cholesterol by up to 24 percent. Nevertheless, there is a risk that lovastatin can cause severe muscle problems leading to kidney impairment, though this complication is extremely rare.

Co-enzyme Q10 is a natural anti-oxidant that is needed for basic cell function. People produce less of it as they age and disease can also deplete its levels. There is no firm evidence that taking CoQ10 supplements can lower cholesterol levels. CoQ10 has, however, been shown to significantly lower the death rates among those with heart failure and have a lower rate of hospital admissions. It may also be used to reduce the common side effects of taking statins such as muscle pain.

If an individual already knows that his or her cholesterol level is high, taking supplements may help. If he or she does not know his cholesterol level and is worried, he or she should first seek help from the doctor. Anyway, research does support the idea of lowering cholesterol levels through exercise and diet.

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