Supplements offer the least appealing way to get soluble fiber. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium, which is found in Metamucil and other bulk-forming laxatives, provide about 4 grams of soluble fiber.

When it comes to investing money, experts recommend creating a portfolio of diverse investments instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. The same holds true for eating your way to lower cholesterol. Adding several foods to lower cholesterol in different ways should work better than focusing on one or two.

A largely vegetarian "dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods" substantially lowers LDL, triglycerides, and blood pressure. The key dietary components are plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of highly refined ones, and protein mostly from plants.

Add margarine enriched with plant sterols; oats, barley, psyllium, okra, and eggplant, all rich in soluble fiber; soy protein; and whole almonds.

Of course, shifting to a cholesterol-lowering diet takes more attention than popping a daily statin. It means expanding the variety of foods you usually put in your shopping cart and getting used to new textures and flavors. But it's a "natural" way to lower cholesterol, and it avoids the risk of muscle problems and other side effects that plague some people who take statins.

Just as important, a diet that is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts is good for the body in ways beyond lowering cholesterol. It keeps blood pressure in check. It helps arteries stay flexible and responsive. It's good for bones and digestive health, for vision and mental health.

For more information, read "How to lower your cholesterol without drugs. image: Giovanni Boscherino Dreamstime. Stopping treatment usually allows lipid levels to rise again and increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problems.

Even while taking medications, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial to obtain the most benefit from these therapies. Most people who stop treatment do so because of perceived side effects. However, there are a wide variety of medications available today, which should make it possible for most people to find an option that works for them.

Talk with your health care provider if a specific medication is not working for you; he or she can recommend alternatives that are compatible with your lifestyle and preferences. Your healthcare provider is the best source of information for questions and concerns related to your medical problem.

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Patient education: High cholesterol The Basics Patient education: High triglycerides The Basics Patient education: Can foods or supplements lower cholesterol?

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Patient education: High cholesterol and lipids Beyond the Basics Patient education: Heart attack recovery Beyond the Basics Patient education: Type 2 diabetes: Overview Beyond the Basics Patient education: Exercise Beyond the Basics Patient education: Diet and health Beyond the Basics.

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View Topic Loading Font Size Small Normal Large. Patient education: High cholesterol and lipid treatment options Beyond the Basics. Formulary drug information for this topic. No drug references linked in this topic.

Find in topic Formulary Print Share. Official reprint from UpToDate ® www. com © UpToDate, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Authors: Robert S Rosenson, MD Christopher P Cannon, MD Section Editor: Mason W Freeman, MD Deputy Editor: Sara Swenson, MD.

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. Literature review current through: Jan This topic last updated: Oct 11, Other special groups People with high triglyceride levels — Triglycerides, like cholesterol, are a type of lipid.

Due to these risks, the FDA no longer recommends its use with statins or cautious use. Nutritional supplements Red yeast rice — Red yeast rice is a fermented rice product that can lower serum cholesterol. The Basics Beyond the Basics — Beyond the Basics patient education pieces are longer, more sophisticated, and more detailed.

Patient education: High cholesterol and lipids Beyond the Basics Patient education: Heart attack recovery Beyond the Basics Patient education: Type 2 diabetes: Overview Beyond the Basics Patient education: Exercise Beyond the Basics Patient education: Diet and health Beyond the Basics Professional level information — Professional level articles are designed to keep doctors and other health professionals up-to-date on the latest medical findings.

Effect of raw garlic vs commercial garlic supplements on plasma lipid concentrations in adults with moderate hypercholesterolemia: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Intern Med ; Fedder DO, Koro CE, L'Italien GJ. New National Cholesterol Education Program III guidelines for primary prevention lipid-lowering drug therapy: projected impact on the size, sex, and age distribution of the treatment-eligible population.

Circulation ; Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Merz CN, et al. Implications of recent clinical trials for the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Nissen SE, Nicholls SJ. Results of the GLAGOV trial. Cleve Clin J Med ; e1. Wendling P. FDA pulls approval of niacin, fibrate in combo with statins.

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gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries and narrow or even block them. This puts you at risk for coronary artery disease and other heart diseases.

Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. One type, LDL , is sometimes called the "bad" cholesterol. A high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. Another type, HDL , is sometimes called the "good" cholesterol.

It carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Then your liver removes the cholesterol from your body. There are steps that you can take to lower your LDL bad cholesterol and raise your HDL good cholesterol.

By keeping your cholesterol levels in range , you can lower your risk of heart diseases. For some people, making lifestyle changes alone does not their lower cholesterol enough. They may also need to take medicines. There are several types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available.

They work in different ways and can have different side effects. Talk to your health care provider about which medicine is right for you. Even if you take medicines to lower your cholesterol, you still need to continue with lifestyle changes.

Last Reviewed: March 20, Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. home Cholesterol Home.

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This puts you at risk for coronary artery disease and other heart diseases. Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. One type, LDL , is sometimes called the "bad" cholesterol.

A high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. Another type, HDL , is sometimes called the "good" cholesterol. It carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Then your liver removes the cholesterol from your body. The treatments for high cholesterol are heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines.

The lifestyle changes include healthy eating, weight management, and regular physical activity. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes include a diet to lower your cholesterol.

The DASH eating plan is one example. Another is the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet, which recommends that you. Choose healthier fats. You should limit both total fat and saturated fat. Depending upon how many calories you eat per day, here are the maximum amounts of fats that you should eat:.

Saturated fat is a bad fat because it raises your LDL bad cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet. It is found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods. Trans fat is another bad fat; it can raise your LDL and lower you HDL good cholesterol.

Trans fat is mostly in foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats, such as stick margarine, crackers, and french fries. Instead of these bad fats, try healthier fats, such as lean meat, nuts, and unsaturated oils like canola, olive, and safflower oils.

Limit foods with cholesterol. If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, you should have less than mg a day of cholesterol. Cholesterol is in foods of animal origin, such as liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, shrimp, and whole milk dairy products.

Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation.

Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol. An easy first step to lowering your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast.

It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber.

The average American gets about half that amount. Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber.

They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That's one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight.

With so many choices — from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond — and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food. Eggplant and okra. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.