Other Promising Cholesterol Supplements (page 2 of 2)

In Unlikely Places

Licorice. An ingredient in licorice called glabridin delays LDL oxidation, a main contributing factor to plaque buildup. This may be one reason for low rates of atherosclerosis in Asian countries like Mongolia and Vietnam, where people commonly chew licorice. Chewing licorice releases enzymes that break down the glabridin, enabling the body to absorb it. In one Israeli study, after 20 medical students took 100 milligrams of licorice extract tablets daily for two weeks, the LDL in their blood was 80 percent more resistant to oxidation than that of a control group. Don't try to get your glabridin from licorice whips, however. It's found in the parts of the root thrown away after the candy is made. Instead, look for extracts, capsules, or wafers labeled DGL, or deglycyrrhizinated. This means the product has been stripped of a compound in licorice that raises blood pressure.

Plant phytosterols. You can buy cholesterol-lowering margarines that contain plant-based sterols (phytosterols). Sterols are so similar in chemical structure to cholesterol that they occupy the receptors for cholesterol in the intestine, blocking the absorption by the body of the cholesterol you eat. If you're not interested in sterol-based margarine spreads, you might consider taking phytosterol supplements, available as powders, capsules, or oils. Brands include Basikol, Kholesterol Blocker, Cholesterol Success, Cholestain, and Phytosterol Complex. Keep in mind, however, that as with sterol spreads, you should consider these medication and follow the dosage instructions carefully. In one small pilot study conducted by Mary McGowan, M.D., medical director of the Cholesterol Management Center at the New England Heart Institute, five patients (two of whom were also taking a statin drug) took 800 milligrams of Basikol twice daily with a meal. Total cholesterol fell an average of 13.2 percent, with a range of 6 to 24 percent, while LDL fell an average of 20 percent, with a range of 10.5 to 32 percent.

Policosanol. The latest cholesterol-lowering substance to hit the medical journals is a mixture of alcohols, purified either from sugar cane or beeswax. A group of Cuban researchers has published the bulk of the studies on policosanol, finding that at doses of 10 to 20 milligrams per day, policosanol lowers total cholesterol 17 to 21 percent and LDL 21 to 29 percent, while raising HDL 8 to 15 percent. In studies daily doses of only 10 milligrams a day were as effective in lowering total cholesterol or LDL as the same dose of Zocor (simvastatin) or Pravachol (pravastatin). The supplement appears safe, given evidence from people who have used it for more than three years.

Pycnogenol. This substance, found in pine bark, works as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals and thus preventing the oxidation of LDL. In one study 40 patients with chronic venous insufficiency (a condition that leads to swelling of the legs) were treated daily with either 600 milligrams of horse chestnut extract or 360 milligrams of pycnogenol for four weeks. The pycnogenol significantly decreased total cholesterol and LDL blood levels without affecting HDL levels.

From Cut Your Cholesterol

 

• Cholesterol
• • Vitamins

• The Essential Multivitamin
• No one should skip this vital supplement
• 
• Fish Oil: A Vital Supplement
• An affordable pill that everyone should take.
• 
• Cholesterol Supplement: Red Yeast Rice Extract
• Nature's statin drug has been used in China for over 1,000 years
• 
• Cholesterol Supplement: Arginine
• This supplement can boost a less than ideal diet.
• 
• Safe Supplementation: Know the Facts
• Before you supplement, read this advice.
• 
• Stress: A Heart Disease Risk Factor on a Par With Smoking and Obesity
• An underlying problem that can have severe physical consequences.
• 

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