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, chia seeds, 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?"