Nearly 40% of Britons carry high cholesterol in their blood, making it one of the most prevalent health conditions among adults in the UK. Having high levels of LDL cholesterol (often called the “bad cholesterol”) in your blood drastically increases your chances of having a stroke or heart attack, which is why it’s essential to keep cholesterol levels balanced.
Many believe that high cholesterol stems from lack of exercise and/or being overweight, but what people don’t know is that often, high cholesterol is inherited genetically and some people are simply predisposed at developing the condition.
Those who are diagnosed with high cholesterol levels are typically suggested to alter their diet and increase their exercise intake, but sometimes this isn’t enough, which is why many healthcare professionals recommend also adding a good quality cholesterol supplement to help lower LDL cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol.
Why should I take a cholesterol supplement?
There are numerous foods that can help to keep cholesterol levels healthy, however, in order to truly benefit from them, you would need to consume inordinate amounts of them. This is not possible for most people, which is why many physicians and pharmacists recommend high quality cholesterol supplements. Cholesterol supplements conveniently help to provide the recommended nutrients and vitamins to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), while also raising good cholesterol (HDL).
What should I look for in my supplement?
Look for a supplement with these ingredients
There are many excellent ingredients that help to reduce bad cholesterol, but some are better than others. We recommend looking for a supplement that has some (or all) of the following ingredients in their formula:
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Plant sterols: Plant sterols help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels because they help to limit the amount of cholesterol that enters the body and reduce how much cholesterol the body produces.
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Red rice yeast: Red yeast rice is a type of rice that has been fermented with yeast. Studies have found that red yeast rice can help to reduce cholesterol because it contains monacolin K. Monacolin K is highly effective at lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
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Bergamot: Research has discovered that bergamot (sometimes called Citrus Bergamia) can reduce LDL and triglycerides, while increasing HDL cholesterol. One study revealed that consuming 500mg of bergamot can reduce bad cholesterol by 23% and increase good cholesterol by 25.9%.
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Garlic: Studies have shown that taking 300mg of garlic can help to reduce LDL by 16.3% and overall cholesterol by 12.4%. Research also shows that it can help to promote heart health and reduce blood pressure. In order to provide all the benefits of garlic without the taste, premium supplement companies opt to use odourless garlic extract instead. Odourless garlic extract delivers potent doses of the ingredient, but in smaller quantities as it is more concentrated than vegetable form, and it doesn’t cause unpleasant side effects, like bad breath.
Choose a supplement with multiple ingredients that support heart health
There are numerous ingredients that contribute to a healthy heart, but most supplement brands tend to include only 1 ingredient in their formula instead of adding several. By choosing a supplement with multiple heart-healthy ingredients, you will likely see better results as they all function slightly differently to support good cholesterol.
Money-back guarantee.
Look for a product that offers a money-back guarantee on all purchases. Offering a money-back guarantee is a sign that a company is confident in the quality of the products they are providing.
What should I avoid?
Products with only 1 ingredient
There are many brands that will choose only one ingredient to put in their cholesterol formulas. However, there are numerous great ingredients that have been proven to help lower cholesterol levels. In order to see the best results from your supplement, you should look for a product that contains several cholesterol-lowering ingredients.
Low potency products
When choosing a quality cholesterol supplement, it’s important to choose a potent formula. Make sure that the supplement you choose contains adequate dosages for the ingredients in their product. Many brands pack their formulas with a great lineup of ingredients, but they don’t put the recommended dosage. Thus, if your supplement is not potent enough, you will likely not see the results you are hoping to see.
Beware of online reviews (especially on Amazon)
Before purchasing any product, one of the first things we do when researching it is check its online reviews. Unfortunately, these are not always a trustworthy way to measure the quality and effectiveness of a product. Companies often pay for reviews on popular online retailers, like Amazon, to try and trick their way to a five star rating. While you should definitely consult these reviews before purchasing, do your own research as well.
How we evaluated the top 5
Many cholesterol supplements have the ability to reduce bad cholesterol levels naturally, which has led them to become one of the most in demand health supplements on the market. While it’s great to have many options to consider, it can also be difficult to narrow down which cholesterol supplements will deliver the best results. So, we made it easy for you.
We researched the top rated cholesterol supplements on the internet to find the best ones available on the market and evaluated them based on product quality, customer service, and pricing.
Here are our top 5 cholesterol supplement picks for 2022.
