If youve got high cholesterol, your physician may prescribe statins to bring down your numbers. But as with a lot of medications, some of the side effects leave us wondering which is worse the disease or the cure.
Some side effects of statins are muscle pain, ranging from mild to severe; a condition known as rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney failure and liver damage.
We can battle high cholesterol in a few other ways: by eating a healthy diet and exercising. There are, however, some natural supplements that have shown to be effective in lowering bad cholesterol. Here are some you might want to try after checking with your physician. All are available in tablets and/or capsules.
Ferulic Acid A powerful antioxidant that can reduce the level of cholesterol and triglycerides.Also found in brown rice, whole wheat and oats.
Policanol A nutrient found in raw sugar cane and beeswax. Its said that this significantly lowers levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) increases levels of HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and does not raise your blood sugar levels.
Lecithin - High in nutrients, it helps to raise HDL levels and inhibits the absorption of cholesterol from foods.
Pumpkin Seed Oil - Contains essential fatty acid nutrients that may help to reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. The oil has also been shown to enhance the cholesterol-lowering ability of policosanol and other nutrients.
