John Bradstreet asked:


Americans’ awareness of cholesterol and its potential negative

effects on good health has greatly improved in recent years. Too much LDL (Bad) cholesterol and too little HDL (Good) cholesterol can result in a build up of cholesterol deposits in arteries leading to coronary heart disease or stroke.

When diet and exercise are not enough to help you control your cholesterol, supplementation may provide you a viable, natural approach.

The ingredients that one should be looking for in a supplement are policosanol, tocotrienols, gugalipids, soy isoflavins as well as B vitamins.

Policosanol is perhaps one of the most exciting additions to cholesterol treatment. Derived from the coating on sugar cane, policosanol is now approved for treating cholesterol in two dozen countries. Because policosanol is a blood thinning agent, those already on warfarin (Coumadin) and hemophiliacs should be cautious in its use.

Tocotrienols have been shown to be effective nutritional agents to treat high cholesterol in recent research programs.

Gugulipids have long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to prevent atherosclerosis. They appear to be effective in lowering blood levels of both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, possibly by stimulating the liver to remove LDL from the bloodstream.

Phosphatidylcholine also known as Lecithin, was shown in a 1999 study to improve metabolism of cholesterol in the digestive system.

Soy Isoflavones have been shown in studies to reduce total cholesterol over 9% and LDL by almost 13%. Good HDL cholesterol was raised over 2%.

If you are looking for a natural way to maintain good cholesterol levels, proven, natural supplements may help to protect your body from harmful effects of unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Kristy Lee asked:


Cholesterol is used to build cell membranes and hormones and is made by the liver. The body can produce all of the cholesterol that it needs, so we don’t need to ingest it. It is possible however to have too much cholesterol in the blood stream if the died includes foods that are high in saturated fat. This can block the flow of blood and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Not all cholesterol is bad however. Cholesterol attaches itself to lipoproteins to travel through the bloodstream. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is said to be the ‘bad’ cholesterol that clogs up the arteries. High density lipoprotein (LDL) however is referred to as ‘good’ cholesterol because it helps to take the LDL out of the blood stream. It’s important to keep overall levels of cholesterol low and ensure that there is a much higher ratio of HDL to LDL.

It is recommended that total amounts of cholesterol do not exceed 5.5mmols per litre. The best way to do this is to avoid foods that are high in saturated fats including full cream dairy products, fatty meats and snack foods to name a few. Alcohol should also be limited to two standard drinks a day and smoking should be avoided. It’s also important to exercise and to maintain a health weight. There are also some foods including legumes, nuts, cereals, fruit and sunflower seeds which have been shown to reduce levels of LDL.

Sometimes diet and lifestyle changes are not enough and individuals with high cholesterol may need to turn to vitamins or medication. A few vitamin supplements have been said to help reduce cholesterol including Policosanol, Omega-3s, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Policosanol is made from the waxy coating of sugar cane. When 5-10mg of Policosanol is ingested each day, it has been shown to reduce overall cholesterol by 8-18%, reduce LDL by 11-28% and increase HDL by 17-29%.

Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are found in large amounts in Flaxseed Oil. Studies have shown that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids may help lower LDL and increase LDL cholesterol levels. The suggested amount of flaxseed oil for individuals with high cholesterol is 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil 2-3 times a day with meals.

Vitamin C and Vitamin e are both antioxidants which are said to help protect the body from the effects of LDL cholesterol oxidation. Recommended dosage is 60mg of Vitamin C and 10mg of Vitamin E per day.

Whilst these nutrients are said to have benefits for cholesterol sufferers, you should never substitute qualified medical advice with information found in this article. The author does not give or purport to give any medical or healthcare advice and is not qualified to do so.

For more information about vitamins for arthritis, visit Australia’s vitamin information website and navigate to our vitamins for cholesterol page.

Alexander Holt asked:


High cholesterol is a big concern these days and puts people at high risk for heart attack and other serious cardiovascular problems. The diseases of the heart and circulatory system are the leading cause of death in the U.S. killing more than 1.3 million people a year.

High cholesterol is one of the primary risk indicators of heart disease and effects nearly 50% of Americans. It’s a silent disease – there are no symptoms until problems have already developed. The worst thing is that many people don’t know they have it until their first sign is a heart attack.

It is vital to keep your cholesterol within healthy limits. A healthy diet and regular physical activity are necessary for maintaining cardiovascular health, but supplementation may also be needed in order to manage cholesterol levels.

What exactly is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat and most of it is generated by our bodies. It is made by your liver from the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins you eat. You also get cholesterol by eating animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products. We need cholesterol, but too much of it generates problems.

The term high cholesterol is actually a bit misleading because there are two types of cholesterol – HDL and LDL. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the good cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol (HDL), decreases the risk of heart disease while the bad cholesterol (LDL), increases the risk. Most cholesterol is unfortunately LDL.

LDL cholesterol can build up on the inside of artery walls, contributing to artery blockages that can lead to heart attacks. Most efforts to battle arterial clogging focus on lowering LDL. HDL cholesterol is good because it helps prevent arteries from becoming clogged. It transports cholesterol to the liver where it is eliminated from the body. Higher HDL levels generally mean lower risk.

How can Policosanol help?

Policosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar cane or beeswax that has been shown to promote cardiovascular health by raising HDL, the good cholesterol, and keeping LDL, the bad cholesterol, in check.

Policosanol works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of cholesterol. In addition to reducing dangerous LDL, it also inhibits abnormal platelet aggregation, protects against LDL oxidation and suppresses arterial inflammatory factors.

Clinical studies have shown that Policosanol works as well as FDA-approved drugs, only free of side-effects.

People with elevated LDL cholesterol as well as people with low levels of good HDL cholesterol may benefit from taking Policosanol.