Many natural cholesterol supplements not only reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels but can also increase HDL(good) cholesterol. And the best bit about these cholesterol supplements is that they have few or no side effects, making them a better bet than well known prescription drugs in many cases.

 

Policosanol
One of the most well known of cholesterol supplements is Policosanol. It is an extract of sugar cane wax, consisting of numerous long-chained, fatty alcohols. The main alcohol in policosanol is octacosanol, which has previously been shown to lower LDL levels and is sold separately at pharmacies.

• Has been the subject of many clinical trials, even more than most pharmaceutical drugs.
• It is one of the most effective ways of naturally lowering cholesterol.
• It has been shown conclusively to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Also raises HDL (good) cholesterol.
• It has also been shown to outperform some of the popular prescription drugs.
• Has been proven to have no side effects.

Red Yeast Rice Extract
Red yeast rice extract is considered by some to be “natures statin” and has been used by the Chinese for many centuries as a food preservative and colorant (it is responsible for the red color of Peking duck), and for medicinal purposes.In facy, it is so similar to statin drugs, that one brand was pulled from stores by the FDA as it contained a natural compound the same as a synthetically produced one sold as the prescription drug Mevacor. It works by blocking an enzyme necessary in the formation of cholesterol and by speeding the removal of LDL from the blood.

• Shown to lower total blood cholesterol by an average of 10-30%,
• lowers LDL cholesterol by 10-20%
• lowers triglycerides by 15-25%
• increases HDL by 7-15%

Gugulipid Extract
Gugulipid, also known as guggul, is an extract derived from the resin of the mukul myrrh tree, which grows in India. It has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of medical conditions including obesity, osteoarthritis, acne and viral infections.

• It has been the subject of numerous successful clinical studies.
• It has been shown to be effective as a natural cholesterol lowering supplement
• Can lower total cholesterol between 10 to 27 percent.
• Lowers LDL Cholesterol
• Raises HDL cholesterol in the majority of cases
• May interfere with some medications, such as Inderal (propranolol) and Cardizem (diltiazem)

Green Tea Extract
The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea for more that 4,000 years. The secret of green tea appears to be a compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant and has been shown to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels in fact , researchers have found it to be twice as powerful as resveratrol, the anti-oxidant in red wine. What makeg green tea more beneficial than black and oolong teas is the way it is processed.  Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized, black and oolong tea leaves are  fermented, which converts the EGCG into other compounds that are not as beneficial to health. So why use green tea extract, rather than just plain green tea? Some research suggests that the body absorbs more of the active ingredients from the extract, rather than from the tea itself. 

• Extensive history of use going back thousands of years
• Lowers total cholesterol
• Increases HDL cholesterol
• Numerous other health benefits 

Beta Sitosterol

Beta Sitoserol is a natural plant sterol which is present in all vegetables that we eat, although not in large enough quantities in the average diet. It has been extensively tested throughout the world for over 50 years and has had proven success in lowering LDL and total cholesterol levels. Like the soluble fibre in oats, Beta Sitoserol appears to work by binding dietary cholesterol in the gut, so that is excreted rather than being re-absorbed back into the bloodstream.

• It has been extensivly tested all over the world
• It is present in all vegetables that we eat, so there are no dangers or side effects
• It can be inexpensively extracted from sugar cane pulp, soybeans and pine oil.
• Some studies have found measurable results after only five days
• Shown to lower total cholesterol 10%-15%
• Shown to lower LDL Cholesterol 13%-19%