There are many ways to combat high cholesterol. Supplements like soluble fiber, plant sterols and omega-3 fatty acids can combine with diet and lifestyle to help you get your levels under control.

If you’re looking to bring down your cholesterol levels, natural supplements to lower cholesterol from Sur might be able to help you on your journey.

 

How Cholesterol Works

There are two kinds of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein. LDL is often referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol. In high amounts, this cholesterol can contribute to plaque buildup in arteries, increasing risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

HDL is responsible for gathering excess cholesterol and returning it to the liver to be broken down. Because HDL is important for clearing out excess cholesterol, it’s unhealthy to lower all cholesterol amounts in the body. Achieving healthy levels of cholesterol means reducing LDL and maintaining higher levels of HDL. 

Supplement Options

There are a number of supplements that claim to help adjust cholesterol levels in various ways. Here are a few of the most common and how they work:

Soluble Fiber

Increasing your intake of soluble fiber is one of the best ways to lower cholesterol without medication. Soluble fiber binds to LDL in the digestive tract, keeping it from getting into the bloodstream and taking it out of the body.

It’s found in many foods, including whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. It’s also common as a supplement, such as psyllium husk and Nutrim powder.

These supplements can help a person get the amount of fiber they need and often provide additional benefits. Nutrim, for example, contains beta-glucans, which directly interact with LDL.

Plant Sterols

Plant sterols are part of a group of compounds called phytosterols. These are found naturally in plants

Similar to fiber, plant sterols are naturally occurring and keep your body from absorbing cholesterol and instead remove it from your body. They also mimic cholesterol in some ways, which means that your body will absorb some of them instead of the cholesterol in your system. However, it’s difficult to get a significant amount of plant sterols simply through diet, so it’s also a good idea to take it as a supplement.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Unlike cholesterol, omega-3s are not produced by the body and must be obtained through food or supplements. Because they are necessary for cellular function, these fatty acids have important beneficial effects on the body, including positively affecting cholesterol levels. They are also particularly good at affecting triglyceride levels.

Related to cholesterol, triglycerides are a kind of fat found in the blood that comes from food. As triglycerides and cholesterol are both lipids, they can have similar detrimental effects when levels are too high.

Omega-3s can lower triglyceride levels and help you naturally lower your cholesterol. They occur in different kinds of foods, most famously fish, but also in certain nuts and seeds.

There is mixed data around how effective omega-3 supplements like fish oil are at affecting cholesterol levels, so do some research about what intersection between diet and supplement would work best for you.

 

Lifestyle First

While supplements can work wonders for cholesterol levels, they’re exactly what they’re named: supplemental. They only work when combined with a lifestyle aimed at achieving the same thing.

Some of the key aspects of a lifestyle dedicated to healthy cholesterol levels include:

• Exercise: Being overweight contributes to higher levels of LDL, and physical activity reduces the amount of saturated fat in the body.

• Diet: As mentioned, fiber is an important part of a diet targeting cholesterol, but it’s also important to avoid saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and refined sugars.

• Sleep: Regularly getting a good night’s sleep can help increase HDL.

• Smoking: Nicotine is bad for you in both directions, as it raises levels of LDL and lowers levels of HDL. It also increases risk of heart disease, which compounds the dangers of high cholesterol.

 

Moving Forward

Cholesterol can be relatively simple to fix, but it requires a multi-faceted approach. Adding exercise, good sleep habits, and the right things to your diet will get you started. 

After that, supplements can support healthy cholesterol levels by raising HDL and lowering LDL. With multiple plans of action, you can get your body working the way it should and reduce health risks!