Supplements to lower cholesterol
SCV34
Posts: 2,048 Member
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.
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.
0
Replies
-
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.0
-
My doctor did say that mine was most likely genetic. But, I still want to try all I can to get it down myself.0
-
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?0 -
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
0 -
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.0
-
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 40.0 -
i took some pills from the health food store for cholesterol and i got hives. not sure if it is good for you.0
-
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 0 -
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?0 -
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 0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0
-
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.0
-
Taking the fish oil, but could try the red yeast rice as well. Thanks everybody for the suggestions 0
-
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.0
-
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 156.0 -
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.0
-
I've had good results, aside from exercise and weight loss, from taking plant sterols. Look it up!0
-
What diet modifications have you made to keep your cholesterol in check?
Have you considered increasing your exercise?
-Sherena
https://www.facebook.com/shakeologyfitspiration0 -
I've had really good results with chia seeds. I add them to my yogurt in the morning. My triglycerides dropped 150 points in 6 months. My MD is really pleased with the results I'm getting. She has started recommending them to her other patients who want to start with diet modifications. So far, I can still avoid the statins. Good luck.0
-
I've had good results, aside from exercise and weight loss, from taking plant sterols. Look it up!
I will and thanks!0 -
I've had really good results with chia seeds. I add them to my yogurt in the morning. My triglycerides dropped 150 points in 6 months. My MD is really pleased with the results I'm getting. She has started recommending them to her other patients who want to start with diet modifications. So far, I can still avoid the statins. Good luck.
That's great to hear and I will be reading up on the chia seeds. I want to avoid the statins. Also, I would like to prove to my dr. that I could get the number down without going on statins. She said any supplement that I would take would not work. I hope to report back on here in a few months that my number has come down with the help of dietary supplements.0 -
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.
Ratio LDL/HDL is 2.68 Normal
Triglycerides 118 Normal
HDL 59 NORMAL
Cholesterol 241 High
LDL 158 HIGH
Yes, the two numbers are high, but this was the first time to have elevated numbers0 -
I know you said you had your reasons for not wanting to take statins, and I can understand wanting to do it with diet and exercise if you can. But I don't understand why you want to avoid taking a prescription medication developed specifically to treat a particular problem and instead take unregulated supplements like red yeast rice (which would only work because it contains a statin, but may or may not actually contain it depending on the formulation, and it's still unregulated), even though the doctor that tells you you have high cholesterol also tells you supplements won't work.0
-
I know you said you had your reasons for not wanting to take statins, and I can understand wanting to do it with diet and exercise if you can. But I don't understand why you want to avoid taking a prescription medication developed specifically to treat a particular problem and instead take unregulated supplements like red yeast rice (which would only work because it contains a statin, but may or may not actually contain it depending on the formulation, and it's still unregulated), even though the doctor that tells you you have high cholesterol also tells you supplements won't work.
Given the fact that I was told less than two years ago that my heart was healthy and the cardiologist expected to see me running a marathon some day, I don't think statins are necessary right now. If a supplement, diet mods and exercise won't get the number down then I may consider it. It was a decision that I didn't take lightly. I did a lot of reading on my own and talked to family members. My youngest brother was able to reduce his without a statin, he did it with a supplement.
Statin drugs are long term and I am not ready to commit to that. Any advice I get on MFP is not taken lightly either, I do alot of research on my own.0 -
Thanks for the explanation. I, too, think it's a bit premature for the doctor to want to put you on a statin the very first time you have blood work show high cholesterol, so I can most certainly understand not wanting to rush into that. What I didn't understand was the position of not taking statins, but instead taking something else that had the same purpose but was much less controlled and can have other less desirable effects.
Anyway, I understand your position now. Best of luck to you! 0 -
I have a friend that has had great results with the red yeast rice. I have been put on the statins and have had horrible side effects to the point that I could not exercise from the fatigue and joint pain. No matter what my Dr switched it to (a different statin) I still had bad side effects. My Dr got upset when I suggested I go off the statin and try the red yeast rice. I don't see the harm in trying it.
Good luck with what you decide!0 -
I will most likely need to be on medications at some point due to my genetics and family history but I'm kicking that can down the road a ways with diet and exercise. So far I've been able to get all of my numbers into the "normal" range with diet and exercise.
- I supplement with plant sterols (I use Cholestoff Plus)
- I supplement with fish oil...pretty high dosage
- I eat salmon about twice per week and fish in general on a regular basis
- I keep my saturated animal fats to a minimum...I try to keep them at 20g or less daily on a 2500 calorie diet
- My fiber intake is generally 35 - 40 grams daily
- I eat food high in soluble fiber regularly...i.e. oatmeal and fruits that are high in pectin (apples, nectarines in the summer, etc)
- I eat 4-6 servings of vegetables daily (I drink some of these as well...I regularly consume low sodium V8 which is a great source of heart healthy lycopene...I eat a lot of tomato products as well for that express purpose. Basically I make sure I have a serving or two of vegetables or fruit with every single meal and snacks as well. I am most certainly not a vegetarian but my diet is highly veg and fruit centric.
- I eat a lot of heart healthy fats. I generally have a serving of almonds on most days and usually eat 1/2 an avocado on most days. I cook primarily with olive oil and avocado oil.
- I avoid commercial baked goods; many will say "no trans-fats" but they use partially hydrogenated oils at a level low enough to say "no trans-fats" legally...but they still have trans-fats and if you eat those goodies the way most people do then your'e going to get a good whollop of trans-fat in your multiple servings.
- I try to eat as whole as possible and keep my highly processed intake to a minimum. It is not always practical to eat 100% whole foods, but I try to choose minimally processed options when I have to go that route...except hot dogs...I love hot dogs and have to have at least one good dog monthly.
- I generally don't eat out often...maybe once or twice per month and I don't do fast food save for here and there when on a road trip or something...I'd say I eat fast food maybe 3 times per year or so.
- I exercise regularly. I lift 3x weekly and cycle a lot. Even on my rest day I make sure I go for at least a 30-60 minute walk. I would estimate that I get around 6-8 hours of exercise weekly.0 -
I have a friend that has had great results with the red yeast rice. I have been put on the statins and have had horrible side effects to the point that I could not exercise from the fatigue and joint pain. No matter what my Dr switched it to (a different statin) I still had bad side effects. My Dr got upset when I suggested I go off the statin and try the red yeast rice. I don't see the harm in trying it.
Good luck with what you decide!
Red yeast rice only works to lower cholesterol when it contains lovostatin/monacolin (two names for the same thing). The yeast that gives the rice its color is what makes the statins and similar strains of the yeast are used to produce prescription lovostatin. In the US this makes red yeast rice containing lovostatin a prescription drug, so all the supplements on the shelf are not supposed to contain any of the statin, though some sometimes do in varying amounts. If the supplements don't contain the statin, it won't lower your cholesterol. If it does contain the statin, there's no telling how much of it it actually contains because it's unregulated and isn't supposed to be present in the first place.
Long story short, red yeast rice that works only works because it contains a statin. So taking red yeast rice to avoid taking statins doesn't avoid anything unless the red yeast rice doesn't contain any of the statin, thus making it ineffective for lowering cholesterol.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions