Top 4 Supplements To Lower Cholesterol (and Which Ones To Avoid!)
Channel: Maria Lucey-Dietitian & Nutrition Educator
Date: 10/03/2024

In this video, I reveal the top 3 supplements for lowering cholesterol. And the ones to ignore and save your money for something else!

📚Get your FREE recipe e-book here. https://maria-lucey-rd.ck.page/d817c4c81d 

Read the full Guide on Cholesterol Lowering Supplements Below:
https://www.marialuceydietitian.com/dietician-nutrition/supplements-to-lower-cholesterol/

🛍️ All my YouTube Gear: https://www.amazon.com/shop/marialuceyrd_dietitian

KEEP IN TOUCH:
🌍  My website - https://www.marialuceydietitian.com/
📸  Instagram -  @marialuceyrd_dietitian  
🔵 Facebook -  @marialuceyrd  
📧 Email info@marialuceyrd.com

DISCLAIMERS & DISCLOSURES 🤍
This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always speak to a healthcare provider about your unique health needs. Please use this video (as with all of my videos) as educational, not as unique recommendations. This description contains affiliate links. 

⏰TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
00:17 Heart Health and Cholesterol Lowering Series
00:33 Food First or Supplements?
00:56 Fibre Supplements
01:17 Different types of fibre
01:32 soluble and insoluble fibre
02:01 Viscous fibre
02:18 Psyllium husk 
02:58 How to take fibre supplements
03:29 Plant stanols and sterols
05:11 omega 3 fish oil supplements
06:27 What to look for in an omega 3 supplement
06:38 general multivitamin
07:17 red yeast rice supplements
08:50 summary
09:01 The power of a plant-based diet

Full Article Available on the Website:
As a dietitian, many would think that I would be very against supplements. However, I firmly believe we really need them in many cases. In fact, there is a lot of strong evidence to support the benefits of some supplements. However, it is important to point out that the supplement industry makes a lot of money and is very poorly regulated. So always consult your doctor or your personal Registered Dietitian before taking any supplement.
Fibre Supplements

So, let’s start by looking at fibre supplements. If you read my previous article, "The No.1 food to lower your cholesterol," you will know that fibre is an amazing secret weapon when it comes to cholesterol-lowering—fibre from food, that is! Not all the benefits of diets high in fibre can be achieved through supplementation—if only it were that easy.

There is now a huge market for fibre supplements, and in theory, you would think these would also be great for lowering cholesterol...

However, there are over 100 different types of fibre, and they all offer benefits in their own unique way. Just like if you had 100 different people in a room, everyone would have their own unique skill.

Broadly speaking, two main types of fibre are incorporated into fibre supplements: soluble and non-soluble. Soluble fibre can be further divided into two types: nonviscous and viscous.

We want to focus on viscous soluble fibre, which becomes a thick gel when it comes in contact with liquids in your gut. Due to this characteristic, it can bind to cholesterol in the small intestine, preventing its absorption into the bloodstream and sweeping it through your digestive tract to eliminate it in your stool.

Insoluble fibre and nonviscous soluble fibre do not possess the ability to bind to cholesterol like this.

So when we are looking at fibre, it’s the high viscosity, gel-forming fibres, which include (beta-glucans, psyllium and guar gum, that have been shown to lower cholesterol levels. So, you will want to read the label of any fibre supplement to see which type of fibre it includes.

My recommendation is that if you are looking for a fibre supplement to lower your cholesterol, start with psyllium. A lot of research supports its use to reduce LDL cholesterol.

Psyllium For Cholesterol Lowering

Psyllium: comes from the husks of seeds from the psyllium plant. It is found in a variety of whole-grain foods as well as fibre supplements such as Konsyl, Metamucil, and other store-brand versions.

Psyllium has been the most extensively studied soluble fibre, either administered alone as a supplement or in various grains. Studies have shown that doses between 6 and 15 grams per day can lower LDL levels between 6% and 24%.

Psyllium is also non-gas forming, so it's suitable for those with IBS.

Other soluble fibre supplements are on the market; however, no studies support their use in lowering cholesterol levels. 

How To Take Fibre Supplements:

Follow the directions on the packaging. Fibre supplements should be taken with a whole glass of water for them to work most efficiently. You don’t want to end up like a blocked kitchen sink. They can result in some GI side effects (like cramping and bloating), so it’s often best to divide the dose throughout the day. Generally, you should not take fibre supplements around the same time as you take certain vitamins and other medications as the fibre may lower its effectiveness.