Best Supplements To Minimize The Threat Of High Cholesterol Levels

An excessive amount of a fatty substance, known as cholesterol, in the blood can spike up your cholesterol levels. Oftentimes, this condition hugely reflects how you lead your life, which may have been very unhealthy. You may have been consuming too many saturated fats, enjoy a sedentary life, smoke and drink a lot, and with a weight that can destroy a weighing scale.

Suffering from high cholesterol levels exposes you to the risk of suffering from fatal heart disorders and stroke. If you are in this situation right now, then you would want to know what supplements can help reduce your cholesterol levels.

Niacin

Medical practitioners recommend taking niacin to help fight against high cholesterol. A B vitamin, niacin, has been prescribed by doctors to patients who are struggling with their high cholesterol problems. Physicians say this supplement can help lower your cholesterol levels.

Aside from its high-cholesterol-fighting-ability, it is also known as the organic compound nicotinic acid, which is an essential nutrient for humans. Prescription niacin can increase the levels of good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein or HDL, which then facilitates the removal of bad cholesterol from your system. As an added bonus, niacin also helps keep your skin, nervous system, and digestive system healthy.

Plant Sterols

Possessing a chemical structure that is similar to cholesterol, plant sterols are phytosterols that occur in plants. Because of this similarity, plant sterols can work on reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the stomach, allowing excess cholesterol to be ejected in the form of poo. As a result, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein or in the bloodstream are lowered.

Studies have shown that the addition of plant strolls in the diet could help reduce LDL cholesterol levels by almost 10%. Among the foods that have been studied are specific brands of margarine known to contain plant sterols. Researchers say that a regular intake of a single or two spoonful of sterol-containing margarine can dramatically reduce LDL cholesterol.

Psyllium

Psyllium, also known as ispaghula, is a collective name used to refer to various members of the plant genus Plantago. It is mainly used as dietary fiber and has been known to alleviate symptoms of mild diarrhea and constipation, as well as lower blood sugar levels. You can either take it in its pill form or mix it with food or drinks.

Recent studies show that taking psyllium regularly can dramatically minimize cholesterol levels. It does this by facilitating the removal of bile acids from your body. It can also lower LDL cholesterol and considerably increase HDL cholesterol.