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 | Are there any alternative therapies for high cholesterol?
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|  High cholesterol - also called hypercholesterolemia - is a condition in which the level of cholesterol in the blood is higher than normal, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. When changes in diet and exercise don’t work to bring blood cholesterol levels down to a healthy range, doctors most commonly recommend prescription medication or niacin, which is available over the counter. In addition, some people try alternative therapies to reduce cholesterol, including garlic and red yeast rice, such as
Naturade. Other supplements touted to reduce cholesterol include chromium, lecithin, and quercetin. These approaches are controversial and should only be used under the guidance of your physician. While some medical research has shown that herbs and supplements can lower cholesterol, other research has shown that they do not. Red yeast rice contains lovastatin—a substance that’s also available in the prescription drug Mevacor proven to lower blood cholesterol. While some medical research has shown that red yeast rice is effective in reducing cholesterol, it has not been compared to other cholesterol lowering drugs. Sources:
The Review of Natural Products, Facts & Comparisons, 2007.
Berthold, H.K. "Effect of a Garlic Oil Preparation on Serum Lipoproteins and Cholesterol Metabolism: a Randomized Controlled Trial," The Journal of the American Medical Association 279 (1998).
Herber, D. "Cholesterol-lowering Effects of a Proprietary Chinese Red-Yeast-Rice Dietary Supplement," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 69 (1999).
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Pharmacists Letter Inc., 2001.
Medline Plus. Medline, 2007.
This answer prepared 8/10/2001.
This information updated 1/11/2007.
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