By Zaiden W Xavier


When dealing with high cholesterol, vitamin supplements are often a solution thought about. But before opting to go this route, one must understand that different kinds of supplements will have many different results depending on what you choose. Because of this, a health provider must be consulted in the beginning to determine what your cholesterol level is, and what supplements to purchase. It is also very important to take note that supplements will not reverse the ill effects of unhealthy habits such as cigarette smoking and a high fat diet. These supplements should only be used as what is was intended for, to help but not treat any underlying conditions. Therefore, you should only use these combined with healthy habits such as a low fat diet and an active lifestyle.

One nutrient that fights cholesterol is niacin or vitamin B3. It is found in milk, vegetables, eggs and fish. But the concentration of niacin in these foods are not adequate to lower cholesterol. The body's daily need to fight cholesterol would be around 2,000-3,000 mg and can be supplied with medication. However, consuming niacin must be done carefully, since too much can cause hot flashes, nausea, gout, indigestion, and gastric problems. For this reason, you should only consume niacin with a doctor's prescription.

Another essential ingredient to keep cholesterol in check is soluble fiber. Foods like apples, barley, oat bran, beans, lentils and citrus fruits are rich in fiber content that also eases digestion. By binding with cholesterol, fiber helps the body expel cholesterol when it leaves the body, taking with it the bad cholesterol, and minimizing the cholesterol absorption through the intestines.

Garlic extract is yet another vital ingredient to manage cholesterol levels in the body. If taken excessively however, fiber and garlic extract can lead to bloating, gas, nausea, body odor, heartburn and vomiting. It will also absorb omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil and health supplements. Noted for their HDL elevating qualities, omega-3 fatty acids are useful in maintaining high HDL cholesterol levels in the body (this is the 'good cholesterol'). If using blood thinning drugs though, check with a health practitioner first when incorporating garlic and omega-3 fatty acids in the diet plan.

If you are interested in all-natural food supplements to curb your cholesterol levels, flax seeds are a very good selection. This type of whole grains have been observed to lower amounts of LDL cholesterol (i.e., 'bad cholesterol') and keep it from being absorbed in the intestines. Flax seed is a flexible ingredient of which you can consume with cereal, yogurt or baked with bread or muffins. Be watchful of eating high amounts of flax seed if you are on blood thinning drugs.

These are just examples of supplements you can take to lower your cholesterol risk. Your health care provider can provide you a more complete list of supplements you can take.




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