How to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels by Taking Herbal Supplements

Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important for reducing the risk of heart disease. Many people are able to manage cholesterol levels through diet, exercise and weight management, but others may need additional help. Certain herbal supplements are effective in lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol and raising good (HDL) cholesterol for a lower total cholesterol level.

Instructions

• 1

  Take garlic supplements to lower cholesterol and reduce plaque in arteries. Garlic helps to lower bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol in the bloodstream. It works by flushing bad cholesterol out of the bloodstream so plaque does not build up on artery walls. The recommended dose is 800 mg per day.

• 2

  Try glucomannan for lowering bad cholesterol levels. Glucomannan is a soluble fiber that comes from the root of the Asian konjac plant. Fourteen studies published in the October 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found glucomannan effective in lowering bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. The recommended dose is 3.9 g per day.

• 3

  Use evening primrose oil to lower bad cholesterol. Evening primrose oil contains gamma-linolenic acid, a fatty acid that produces prostaglandins, which fight inflammation to lower bad cholesterol. The recommended dose is 6 to 8 g per day for adults.

• 4

  Cinnamon powder and supplements lower cholesterol levels.

  Consider taking cinnamon supplements to lower cholesterol. A study published in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Care: Journal of the American Diabetes Association found that people with high cholesterol who took 1 to 6 g of cinnamon powder for 40 days lowered their total cholesterol level 26 percent. Cinnamon works by lowering bad cholesterol and triglycerides, fat in the blood, resulting in lower total cholesterol. The recommended dose in capsule form is 250 mg twice a day. People with diabetes should consult their doctor before using cinnamon because it affects blood glucose levels.

• 5

  Green tea is effective in lowering cholesterol.

  Use green tea supplements to lower total cholesterol. Green tea contains antioxidants that lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. One study published in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found men who drank green tea had lower total cholesterol levels than men who didn't. The recommended dose is 2 capsules per day of green tea supplements.