Cholesterol: The best fruit supplement to take to lower cholesterol levels

Along with a healthy diet and exercise, many people can help lower their cholesterol levels with the use of supplements. It has been reported that one fruit supplement can help lower cholesterol in a person.

Having high cholesterol levels can mainly be because of an unhealthy diet among other lifestyle choices. While many may choose to only change their diet and engage in more physical activity, taking supplements can also help in the process of lowering cholesterol levels. Express reports that one particular supplement has been proven to help lower cholesterol in a person, and it is derived from hawthorn berries.

Hawthorn berries have often been used to aid in digestive problems as well as high blood pressure among many conditions. There are studies that have proven the benefits of hawthorn berries in lowering cholesterol levels in a person. One such study was made on mice, where they were given two doses of hawthorn berry extract. The results found that after taking the extract, the mice were shown to have lower total cholesterol as well as LDL, which is the bad cholesterol. They were also found to have lower live triglyceride levels from 28 to 47 percent.

However, it bears noting that human tests have yet to be taken in order to definitively prove its efficacy in lowering a person’s cholesterol.

But hawthorn berry is not the only supplement people can take to lower their cholesterol levels. Other fruit and vegetable supplements that can be taken, according to MayoClinic are artichoke extract, barley, green tea, oat bran, and blond psyllium to reduce overall cholesterol which includes both LDL and triglycerides. Other supplements can mostly do pinpoint lowering of cholesterol such as fish oil which can lower triglycerides, ground flaxseed that can reduce LDL cholesterol, niacin that can improve HDL levels while lowering LDL cholesterol, and soy protein which can reduce LDL cholesterol.

Keep in mind that when taking these supplements to lower cholesterol levels, these will come with some side-effects. Soy protein, for example, may cause constipation, bloating, and diarrhea, while artichoke extract may induce gas or an allergic reaction. It is advised to take these with caution in case of a possible allergic reaction.