Cholesterol Medications VS Natural Treatments

Taking cholesterol medications to lower cholesterol can have adverse side effects but you should not add natural or herbal treatments to your regime with out first consulting your doctor. Some herbs may have adverse reactions when combined with cholesterol medicines so caution should be taken. If you do want to try adding vitamins or herbs, go with your doctors advise – you may be able to eventually wean yourself from medicine all together.

In addition to cholesterol medications, you can employ lifestyle changes to help lower your cholesterol. Avoiding fatty foods is a good start. Eating mostly fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with lots of oat bran will do wonders for your overall health and help your body fight off illness and disease in additions to helping lower cholesterol levels. Exercise will also help in many ways and you don’t have to run a marathon either – a brisk half hour walk 4 days a week can work wonders for your health and mood.

Below are some natural alternatives that you might consider talking to your doctor about taking with your cholesterol medications:

Garlic
You probably don't think of garlic as a medicine, but it has powerful healing properties and has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. It is both an antibacterial and antifungal herb and can help reduce blood lipids much like cholesterol medicines.

Niacin
Niacin (Vitamin B3) has been shown to lower blood cholesterol in studies. It also plays an important role in metabolism, circulation and nervous system function. It can be found in leafy greens, nuts, seeds, whole grains, organ meats, brewers yeast, lean meat, fish, eggs and milk. You probably can’t get enough from what you eat to effect cholesterol levels so a supplement may be what you need to add to your cholesterol medications. The only side effect is that some people get flushed in the face but this goes away after about an hour and fades out over time.

Lecithin
Lecithin is reputed to remove cholesterol from the blood and can also aid the liver and may help improve memory. It is found in liver meats and eggs but is also plentiful in dandelion greens. It has few side effects when taken as prescribed, but individuals taking over 40 g a day may experience nausea, bloating or diarrhea.

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