Supplements to lower cholesterol

SCV34

My doctor is insisting that I take Lipitor. I do not want to take Lipitor or any other statin. I have my reasons.

Total cholesterol 241
bad cholesterol not normal(can't remember #)
good cholesterol normal
Triglicerides normal

ratio- normal

I don't have any health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, weight is within normal rage etc. BMI is normal.

Has anyone used a dietary supplement to lower their number?

Exercise has and always be a part of my life.

I have done alot of reading on supplements and I am not sure what to use.

wolfsbayne

When I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, I changed my eating habits to heart healthy. This, combined with exercise, lowered my total number from 211 to 160 in 3 months. My good cholesterol did not come up even though I was walking 5 miles a day, 6 days a week. I think it's just genetic. I, too, didn't want to take meds for it, so I changed my eating.

SCV34

My doctor did say that mine was most likely genetic. But, I still want to try all I can to get it down myself.

SCV34

When I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, I changed my eating habits to heart healthy. This, combined with exercise, lowered my total number from 211 to 160 in 3 months. My good cholesterol did not come up even though I was walking 5 miles a day, 6 days a week. I think it's just genetic. I, too, didn't want to take meds for it, so I changed my eating.

Did your doctor recommend 40 grams of fat per day?

What heart healthy foods do you eat?

wolfsbayne

I know how you feel. The only advice I can offer without knowing your diet is to watch the fat intake. That's what I did and I ate mostly fish, turkey and veggies. I limited my red meat to once a week. That seems to have helped me. Of course, I didn't eliminate anything completely. Just limited the stuff not good for my heart

GypsyPirate

I was able to adjust my cholesterol numbers with a breakfast change. Cheerios and oatmeal became my best friends, nearly every day this is what I would have. I also added a natural (like New Chapter or Nordic Naturals) brand Fish Oil supplement to the vitamins I take daily. Never had to get a prescription to control cholesterol even though issues with it run in my family.

wolfsbayne

When I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, I changed my eating habits to heart healthy. This, combined with exercise, lowered my total number from 211 to 160 in 3 months. My good cholesterol did not come up even though I was walking 5 miles a day, 6 days a week. I think it's just genetic. I, too, didn't want to take meds for it, so I changed my eating.

Did your doctor recommend 40 grams of fat per day?

What heart healthy foods do you eat?

He didn't recommend 40 grams, but that's the number I came up with while doing research on heart healthy eating. I limited my saturated fat to about 5g of those 40.

RAQUELINATOVAR

i took some pills from the health food store for cholesterol and i got hives. not sure if it is good for you.

SCV34

I was able to adjust my cholesterol numbers with a breakfast change. Cheerios and oatmeal became my best friends, nearly every day this is what I would have. I also added a natural (like New Chapter or Nordic Naturals) brand Fish Oil supplement to the vitamins I take daily. Never had to get a prescription to control cholesterol even though issues with it run in my family.

I take fish oil as well. Cheerios and oatmeal, I can deal with that

midnight_mariposa

In my own research and experience, I've only found two supplement-type things that can help cholesterol. One of those is fiber (or eating significant amounts of it). The other is red yeast rice which only works because it's supposed to contain a natural statin (lovostatin), though it's no longer supposed to contain it due to patent laws. Your mileage may vary.

Anyway, most of what I've found is that it's very difficult to change your cholesterol with diet, because diet isn't responsible for most of it. Your body produces cholesterol on its own, and a lot of people who have high cholesterol will have high cholesterol regardless of what they do.

While eating healthier, exercising, etc., is important and good to do regardless, why are you opposed to taking a statin?

SCV34

I know how you feel. The only advice I can offer without knowing your diet is to watch the fat intake. That's what I did and I ate mostly fish, turkey and veggies. I limited my red meat to once a week. That seems to have helped me. Of course, I didn't eliminate anything completely. Just limited the stuff not good for my heart

Thank you for the input

RxKetogenicRx

Look up "atherogenic diet" for specific macro goals...lifestyle modifications are always first before pharmacologic therapy
ATPIV guideline regarding cholesterol just changed recently to and is based on %LDL lowering rather than specific goals
Old goals were usually targeting LDL of 100mg/dL
Of course I'm sure your physician is bent on using atorvastatin simply based on prescribing habits and not understanding that HMG reductase coenzyme A inhibitors can all be dose equivalated. I am curious as to what your LDL and HDL numbers actually are as total cholesterol alone is usually not the primary target. Normal TC is 200mg/dL or less. What is your ratio? And specify if that is TC:LDL.

If you are on multiple meds pravastatin would be least likely to have interactions and would be the cheapest agent (on 4$/10$ list at most chains).
BTW fish oil increases LDL by 40% or so. VASCEPA (icosapent ethyl/EPA) recently came out and is essentially fish oil without the DHA (LDL raising component) more for treating hypertriglyceridemia.

SCV34

Look up "atherogenic diet" for specific macro goals...lifestyle modifications are always first before pharmacologic therapy
ATPIV guideline regarding cholesterol just changed recently to and is based on %LDL lowering rather than specific goals
Old goals were usually targeting LDL of 100mg/dL
Of course I'm sure your physician is bent on using atorvastatin simply based on prescribing habits and not understanding that HMG reductase coenzyme A inhibitors can all be dose equivalated. I am curious as to what your LDL and HDL numbers actually are as total cholesterol alone is usually not the primary target. Normal TC is 200mg/dL or less. What is your ratio? And specify if that is TC:LDL.

If you are on multiple meds pravastatin would be least likely to have interactions and would be the cheapest agent (on 4$/10$ list at most chains).
BTW fish oil increases LDL by 40% or so. VASCEPA (icosapent ethyl/EPA) recently came out and is essentially fish oil without the DHA (LDL raising component) more for treating hypertriglyceridemia.

The only medication I take is for arrhythmias and it is the lowest dose because my bp runs low. Thanks for the input, will read up on it later. Happy new year.

Lynn_babcock

I have a friend that swears by the red yeast rice. Her cholesterol has also been bad since her 20's.. and she's a healthy eater and has never been overweight. My MIL just started taking it too a couple weeks ago because she swears the pharmaceutical pills she was prescribed are affecting her ability to walk. She's hoping by stopping the pills and starting the red yeast rice she'll regain walking normally.

tracywintn

I am a nurse and have talked to many people who could not take (or did not want to take) statins and they have had good luck with fish oil and red yeast rice. I man hearing a lot about cinnamon lately but haven't seen any lab results supporting that.

SCV34

Taking the fish oil, but could try the red yeast rice as well. Thanks everybody for the suggestions

kingscrown

I really tighten up my diet as I too may have a genetic problem with CHO. My grandma was 100 lbs, soaking wet and had high CHO. I really ate clean, lost weight and my CHO came right down with it. So, did my good CHO. Working on getting it up. So, far really watching what I eat has my CHO normal.

PinkNinjaLaura

I take a garlic supplement (the NOW brand doesn't leave an aftertaste and is reasonably inexpensive at the health food store) and make sure I get plenty of fiber.

Years ago I did South Beach Diet and was drinking Metamucil before every meal. Not sure if it was the fiber, or the way of eating (wasn't South Beach originally developed by a cardiologist?) but my cholesterol dropped from 244 to 156.

Amadbro

Fish oil..not the cheap kind. Look for the highest amounts of EPA/DHA per capsule. I use Oximega by controlled labs. Reasonably priced with high doses of both. Another good lab is Axis Labs Citrus Omega.

marsellient

I've had good results, aside from exercise and weight loss, from taking plant sterols. Look it up!

sherenalb

What diet modifications have you made to keep your cholesterol in check?
Have you considered increasing your exercise?

-Sherena
https://www.facebook.com/shakeologyfitspiration