Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol Alongside Your Doctor's Plan
When a blood test shows high LDL cholesterol, many doctors suggest a few months of diet and lifestyle changes before deciding on medication. Others prescribe a statin right away. Either way, the natural steps below can help your numbers, and they work alongside your doctor's plan, not in place of it.
If you already take a statin, keep taking it as prescribed. Never stop or change a medication without talking to your doctor first.
1. Eat less saturated fat
Cut back on fatty cuts of meat, butter, cream, cheese and baked goods, and avoid trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils). Use olive or canola oil instead, and eat more nuts, seeds, avocado and fish.
2. Add soluble fiber
Soluble fiber forms a gel in your gut that holds on to bile acids, which your liver makes from cholesterol. To replace them, your liver pulls more LDL cholesterol out of your blood. Here is how the best-studied options compare:
| Fiber | Amount per day | Recognized claim |
|---|---|---|
| Barley beta-glucan | 3 grams | FDA, Health Canada and EFSA |
| Psyllium husk | 7 grams of soluble fiber | FDA |
Barley beta-glucan works at less than half the amount of psyllium, and it doesn't thicken in the glass, so it is easy to stir into coffee, a smoothie or yogurt. In a meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials, barley beta-glucan lowered LDL by about 0.27 mmol/L (about 10 mg/dL) on average over 4 to 12 weeks.
3. Eat more plants
Beans, lentils, barley, vegetables, fruit and whole grains in place of refined starches and sweets all help.
4. Move more and don't smoke
Regular activity, not smoking and less alcohol all help your cholesterol and your heart.
5. Retest and review with your doctor
Give changes 12 weeks, then get a new lipid panel. Bring the results to your doctor and decide on next steps together.
An easy way to get 3 grams of barley beta-glucan
Cerabeta is barley beta-glucan from Canadian non-GMO barley, made with a patented process that uses air, with no chemicals or enzymes. Three tablespoons a day give you 3 grams. Start with one tablespoon a day and build up over two to three weeks. Take it 1 to 2 hours apart from any medication, since soluble fiber can slow how some medications are absorbed.
Keep reading: How to lower LDL cholesterol naturally.
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before changing your diet, medications or supplements.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20924392/
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.81
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-labelling/health-claims/assessments/assessment-health-claim-about-barley-products-blood-cholesterol-lowering.html
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2471
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/reduce-cholesterol/art-20045935