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Well, trying to lower cholestorol and finding true info on it is less than easily there... Doc says, well last test was a little high, lets watch it...

Well what does that mean? I can cut my daily intake, but what else am I really supposed to do? I exercise 5-6 days a week, have cut way way down on fats... but what else should I be doing?

There are supplements at the health food store, such as red yeast rice and niacin, that supposedly lower your cholesterol. Supposedly they don't lower your cholesterol as much as the statins, but then statins can have nasty side effects. Good luck!

I've got the same question. I just got my annual test results back and they recommended a low cholesterol diet. I just laughed...I have been on one for the last several years, as hubby has to be on one. I also exercise, so what's a person to do? I know hubby's has been determined to be a genetic blood disease, he is on 3 different types of cholesterol meds and his is still higher than it should be.

He has a pill he's dying to prescribe that will lower it, unfortunately it is prolly a statin drug which has a nasty side effect of reducing muscle mass.

Hey, isn't the heart a big muscle Doc? What's up with that?

Press here and read a bit to find out.

My doc suggests having a drink every night -- any kind, not just red wine. He thinks it makes cholesterol less apt to stick to the arteries -- his personal opinion, not researched.

Some people eat a lot of fatty fish or take fish oil supplements (capsules).

Some people eat foods high in anti-oxidants (I think that's it) -- blueberries are the only one I remember.

Some people eat oatmeal every day.

Once you've done the low cholesterol/low-fat diet, exercise, no smoking thing, there doesn't seem to be much else to do beyond taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.

I've had double bypass surgery, with a cholesterol level of 230 at the time & NO other risk factors. I don't wish that on anyone. IMHO, if lifestyle changes don't do the trick, it's time to try medication. My opinion is based on my experience, though, which certainly is not the norm. IOW, it's probably worth very little unless you have high cholesterol which doesn't respond to lifestyle changes.

Supplements

Treating High Cholesterol by Replacing Hormones Lost to Aging

Cholesterol Reduction

Homocysteine

Also, see if you can find a copy of "Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach". This was published in the '80s, and is a reason why some of us seniors will be collecting Social Security for many,many,many years.

The HT treatment for cholesterol has the added advantage that it helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This is important for men as well as women. There is an increasing incidence of men in their 40s and 50s having stress fractures sue to weakened bone.

Using curcumin has the added benefit that it seems to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's : people in rural India consume a lot of it (as curry) and have the lowest incidence in the world. Plus, if your take enough you can get an IT job.

If you are planning to take statin drugs, be aware that they will shut down the body's production of COQ10, which is needed by muscles (especially your heart). I read that some time ago, a major drug company patented a combination of a statin drug and COQ10 supplementation (because of the recognized risk of statin drugs alone killing the heart).