A Natural Source to Reduce Cholesterol is a Safer Option

A natural source to reduce cholesterol can be an effective alternative to prescription medications such as Lipitor, Zetia, Zocor and other cholesterol lowering drugs, known as statins.

The problem with these drugs is although they can help, there is the potential for very serious side effects such as liver problems and severe, sometimes life-threatening muscle breakdown.

As a result, many people want to know how to reduce cholesterol without statin medications. Fortunately there are some natural ways to treat the problem. Changing dietary habits is the first step, but since only 20% of your total cholesterol comes from your diet, you need to take care of high cholesterol internally as well.

Natural cholesterol reduction is gaining in popularity, especially in light of all the negative press prescription medications are receiving these days. And many of these nutrients can actually be more effective than cholesterol lowering medications.

For a list of specific nutrients that may help lower your cholesterol and provide a host of other health benefits visit our cholesterol supplements page.

What are the main advantages to the natural route?

There are countless reasons to manage hypercholesterolemia without statin drugs. Here are just a few to consider:

1. Statin medications, and prescription drugs in general, come with a laundry list of potential side effects. In the case of statins, these can actually be life-threatening. Natural solutions do not cause these problems if taken in recommended dosages.

2. Natural solutions offer a host of additional health benefits; prescription drugs do not offer any. For example, something as simple as garlic can significantly reduce your LDL levels. Yet it is also a powerful antioxidant, antibiotic and infection fighter. Fish oil is even more powerful and can reduce triglyceride levels and boost your brain health.

3. Drugs often exacerbate the problem they are geared to fix…natural treatments do not. For example, while statins are making sure your liver doesn’t produce too much cholesterol, they are inhibiting the production of all-important CoQ10 at the same time. Guess what happens when your heart doesn’t have enough CoQ10? That’s right…it doesn’t function effectively. So you may just be making your heart’s health worse by taking a drug to lower your LDL.

It’s interesting to note that most people do not need to be on statin drugs. Doctors prescribe them like candy these days, but that doesn’t mean that they are safe or effective, or necessary for your particular case. Plus, cholesterol is not the only issue to be concerned about…but doctors will have you believe that it is.

When it comes to your heart health, be smart. Find out what your options are when it comes to treating your high cholesterol. You may in fact need to be on Lipitor or a similar medication…but there is a high likelihood that statins are not the answer for you. Don’t just take a medication because everyone else does. See what other solutions exist for you out there.