Sometimes, a change in lifestyle isn’t enough to keep you walking on a healthy path, especially if that decision comes as a desperate solution to some urgent medical issues.

If you’re struggling with your increased level of cholesterol, you are advised to adopt a new, healthier way of life and also add some health supplements to your diet – they say that prevention is better than cure, so here’s a helpful list of the most effective cholesterol reducing supplements available on the market:

B3 vitamin

Vitamin B3 is an essential nutrient, also known by the name of niacin or nicotinic acid. The recommended daily dose of niacin for a full grown adult is of approximately 15 mg for the body to function at an optimal level.

Although many niacin supplements are available on the market, many people feel discouraged to buy them, because of the quite unpleasant side effects that niacin has – it causes vasodilatation and skin tingling. These side effects only last 30 up to 60 minutes, but the powerful effects that niacin has in reducing cholesterol levels are quite convincing.

There have been several studies conducted on the benefits of niacin in lowering triglycerides and boosting HDL (good) cholesterol; it looks like the results are quite astounding especially because the vitamin has been proven to decrease the risk of heart disease, type-1 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cataracts, and more.

Delta tocotrienol

Delta tocotrienol is part of the vitamin E family, among other tocotrienols. It is commonly found in oils such as vegetable or palm oils, nuts seeds and dehydrated fruits. It plays the role of a powerful antioxidant and it is also extremely effective in lowering the level of LDL cholesterol.

Policosanol

Policosanol is a natural ingredient, extracted from the wax produced by plants, such as yams or sugar cane. Policosanol is produced and marketed by the Cuban government, which financed the series of scientific investigations made in order to prove the substance’s property of reducing the high level of the dangerous LDL cholesterol in the body. It has gained massive popularity because of its additional anti-inflammatory properties and it’s certainly a supplement worth our attention.

Garlic

Believe it or not, garlic has a lot of beneficial results on our health, some of them being less known than others. Garlic contains a special substance called allicin which can kill bacteria; it also has blood thinning properties and if consumed daily, it can help lower LDL cholesterol.

Available under the form of a supplement, capsule or tablet, garlic has been trying to prove it does have great benefits on people’s health for years now. Combined with a healthy diet plan packed with beans, lean protein, whole grains, and unsaturated fats, garlic can work miracles.

Omega -3 fatty acids

Omega -3 fatty acids are found in marine oils, and they’re widely consumed due to their presence in one of the most popular foods on the planet – fish. Oily species of fish such as tuna, salmon, herring, anchovies and sardines are very rich in Omega 3, but the problem is that not everyone loves to eat fish, especially if they live in an area where it is not traditionally consumed.

The recommended Omega 3 quantity for those who struggle with high cholesterol levels is no less than 2 grams daily; the benefits are quite revolutionary.

Psyllium

Fiber is an excellent cholesterol-buster and it’s also a vital part of people’s diets. It helps decrease triglycerides, especially in people with diabetes type-2. When you can’t get sufficient amounts of fiber from food, Psyllium comes to the rescue. It is believed that Psyllium stimulates the switch into bile acid thus increasing bile acid excretion. There have been conducted several studies on the matter, and it looks like 10.2 g of Psyllium/ day can reduce cholesterol levels by up to 4%.

Lowering cholesterol levels is not that easy especially if you’re not used to eating healthy foods. An inappropriate diet based on processed aliments will only make your cholesterol skyrocket.

Supplements are recommended as they might improve your general health; however, it’s equally important to give up some of your bad habits and adopt a better eating plan based on raw foods such as fruits and vegetables.