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Our Members Asked:
Which supplements or foods can help lower cholesterol and keep my heart healthy? Are there any to avoid?
Answer:
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both women and men in the U.S. Some supplements may help keep your heart healthy, but others may potentially contribute to heart disease. In this article, we discuss supplements that may help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce coronary artery calcification, improve triglyceride deposits and cardiomyovasculopathy, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. We also describe supplements that may not help improve these outcomes, those that may worsen levels of cholesterol or triglycerides, and foods and diets that may improve cholesterol levels.
Sign in as a member for details about the cholesterol- and heart-related effects of the following foods, supplements, and diets: Alfalfa powder, amla, artichoke juice and leaf extract, beans, berberine, beta-glucan, betaine (also called trimethylglycine), black currant extract, brewer's yeast, calcium, citrus bergamot, cocoa (including extract, powder, and dark chocolate), CoQ10, curcumin, diatomaceous earth, fish oil, garlic (including aged garlic), hawthorn berry, L-carnitine, lecithin, licorice, magnesium, Mediterranean diet, multivitamins, niacin, oats and oat-based cereals, olive oil, oyster mushrooms, pantethine, peas, pine bark extract (Pycnogenol) along with gotu kola (Centellicum), policosanol, probiotics, psyllium, red yeast rice, reishi mushrooms, resveratrol, soy (and its protein, lunasin), stanol esters, sterol esters (such as the phytosterol beta-sitosterol), tricaprin (a medium-chain triglyceride or MCT) vitamins A, B, C, D, E or K, and walnuts.
We also include our assessment of results from a study that found several dietary supplements — including Arazo Nutrition red yeast rice 2,400 mg, Nature Made fish oil 2,400 mg, Nutriflair cinnamon 2,400 mg, Garlique garlic with 5,000 mcg of allicin, BioSchwartz turmeric curcumin with bioperine 4,500 mg, and Nature Made CholestOff Plus with 1,600 mg of plant sterols — to be no better than placebo at lowering cholesterol levels.
Also, see our Cholesterol-Lowering Supplements Review and our answer to the question, "Which supplements can help to lower blood pressure?"
In addition the results of its expert testing, ConsumerLab uses only high-quality, evidence based, information sources. These sources include peer-reviewed studies and information from agencies such as the FDA and USDA, and the National Academy of Medicine. On evolving topics, studies from pre-print journals may be sourced. All of our content is reviewed by medical doctors and doctoral-level experts in pharmacology, toxicology, and chemistry. We continually update and medically review our information to keep our content trustworthy, accurate, and reliable. The following sources are referenced in this article:
- Akhoundi, J Insect Sci 2013
- Arazi, J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2022
- Ashtary-Larky, Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022
- Bell, J Nutr 2024
- Bundy, Phytomedicine 2008
- Ciecierska, Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig 2019
- Englisch, Arzneimittelforschung 2000
- Finsterer, Lancet 2002
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- Fuhrman, Nutrition 2002
- Laffin, JACC 2022
- Lamiquiz-Moneo, Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2020
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- Miyauchi, Ann Nucl Cardiol 2022
- Mollace, Fitoterapia 2011
- Nauman, Integr Food Nutr Metab 2019
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- Yoo, Nutrients 2016
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Related Reviews (5)
Latest Research Updates (Clinical Updates)
Lowering Cholesterol: Beans vs. Peas
October 02, 2024
Lowering Cholesterol With Alfalfa?
September 19, 2024
Did taking alfalfa powder reduce elevated cholesterol levels? Find out what a recent study showed in the What They Do section of our Greens Supplements Review, which includes our Top Picks among "greens" supplements.
Lowering Cholesterol with Betaine?
August 29, 2024
Lower Cholesterol with Nattokinase?
August 26, 2024
Also see: Which supplements or foods can help lower cholesterol and keep my heart healthy? Are there any to avoid?
Citrus Bergamot for Cholesterol?
August 08, 2024
Black Currant & Cholesterol
October 27, 2023
Did supplementing with black currant extract reduce cholesterol levels among women in menopause? Find out what a recent study showed in our article about supplements for heart health.
Hawthorn for Heart Health?
February 14, 2023
Can hawthorn berry supplements lower cholesterol and improve heart health? Find out in our updated CL Answer about cholesterol lowering supplements.
Also find out if hawthorn berry lowers blood pressure in our article about supplements for lowering blood pressure.
Supplements for Heart Health
January 31, 2023
We added information about whether certain supplements lower the risk of calcification in the coronary artery to our CL Answer about supplements for heart health.
Tricaprin for Heart Health?
January 17, 2023
Is tricaprin (a medium chain triglyceride or MCT) beneficial in coronary artery disease and which products contain this ingredient? Find out in our updated CL Answer about supplements for heart health. (Also see our Review of MCT Oils.)
Licorice for Lowering Cholesterol?
December 23, 2022
Can supplementation with licorice help lower cholesterol? Find out in our updated CL Answer about supplements for heart health.
Psyllium For Lowering Cholesterol?
November 18, 2022
A CL Member asked if psyllium could help lower cholesterol and how it differs from oats. Find out in our updated CL Answer about supplements for lowering cholesterol.
Statin vs. Supplements for Lowering Cholesterol
November 15, 2022
A low-dose statin drug was much more effective than 5 different supplements at lowering cholesterol in a recent study. However, 3 of the supplements had previously failed ConsumerLab reviews, another was the wrong form, and the fifth may not have been used properly, likely skewing the findings. Top Picks from our Reviews, used properly, would have likely yielded better results. For details, see our article about supplements to lower cholesterol.
Beta-glucan Supplements for Lowering Cholesterol?
September 28, 2022
Beta-glucan from cereals such as oats and barley may help lower cholesterol, but be aware that other sources of beta-glucan (including some supplements) may not. Find out in our CL Answer about supplements for heart health.
Mushrooms for Lowering Cholesterol?
April 15, 2022
The beta-glucan in oats can help lower elevated levels of cholesterol, but can the beta-glucan in mushrooms do the same? Find out in our article about Supplements and Foods for Lowering Cholesterol.
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