Cholesterol-lowering supplements - includes related article

Nutrition Action Healthletter, Nov, 1997 by David Schardt

If you have high cholesterol, says James Cleeman, head of the National Cholesterol Education Program, "you really need to be in the hands of a knowledgeable physician for the overall assessment of your coronary risk--for the proper interpretation of not just your total cholesterol, but also your LDL, HDL, and triglycerides--and for the appropriate treatment.

"For example, if you have both a high LDL and a low HDL, we're going to recommend lowering the LDL and simultaneously raising the HDL. This isn't something you can really know by yourself or learn from some booth at a shopping mall.

"If someone wants to try a well-studied dietary supplement like soluble fiber or garlic to lower cholesterol," Cleeman adds, "it should only be done in addition to following a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

"This type of diet not only reduces cholesterol, but can lower blood pressure, help control weight, improve insulin resistance, inhibit clotting, and provide foods rich in antioxidants--which also reduce the risk of heart disease."