Cholesterol Supplements

[EdMan2]

I'm asking this mainly for my dad. He has a cholesterol problem, in fact I think it runs in my family, and I was wondering what supplements you guys could recommend I get for him. I'm thinking policosanol and niacin, but would like to hear about others. Also, if any of you know, could you tell me about any possible harmful interactions with prescription meds he might be on, I'd really appreciate the help.

[USfighterFC]

my dad takes zocor for his cholesterol and when i had a problem when i was younger i use to take garlic extract.

[Papi93]

This is from Bryan2 (supplement guru):

Regarding cholesterol health (The list will be in order of effectiveness)

At the top of the list is niacin

The best form is sustained release
Next come the regular form (but be aware these two can and will cause the skin to become a flushed red for a few minutes after you take it) nothing wrong it’s just a slight side effect

There is however a version that eliminates this referred to as flush free niacin

A general dose for cholesterol health is around 1000-1500mgs daily but if using the flush free version a dose of 2000-3000 mgs is preferred as this version is slightly weaker acting.

EFAs
Are up towards the top of the list as well as they work very efficiently at cholesterol maintenance. These are referred to the Omegas 3,6,9 they are found in flax and fish oils which are most commonly used for bodybuilding purposes.

Red yeast riceDoseage:1200mg-2400mg Ed
Red yeast rice is basically fermented rice that shares the same active ingredients as the main stream prescription cholesterol lowering statins that are on the market. It is known to have a decent effect on cholesterol maintenance. However it is only beneficial to use for short periods of time such as up to 3-4 weeks before the cycle and continued throughout PCT. It should also be noted that this particular product is known to lower concentrations of COQ10 in the heart and liver so either a pre made supplement including this or additional supplementation of COQ10 at 300mg per day will be needed.


Sesathin

Sesathin is an excellent product that has many aspects that are beneficial to the bodybuilding community; one of these happens to be beneficial specifically for cholesterol maintenance and repair.

A short read up can be found at wwwdotavantlabsdotcom/main.php(dot to be replaced with a . to access)


Allicin:
An extract found in Garlic which is shown to lower blood pressure and lipid levels. It also has established reports of its ability to fight cancer. Purer forms of the extract are shown to be the best.

Policosanol:
Doseage: 10 -20 mg/day
Policosanol is made up of a blend of fatty alcohols known to be beneficial towards cholesterol maintenance. This specific supplement sometimes takes up to 3 months before full benefits start to show themselves and stacks remarkably well with EFAs producing a synergetic effect.


FenugreekFenugreek is known to help tremendously during PCT for HPTA recovery but also shows some slight benefits towards lipid health.

[EdMan2]

Thanks guys, this helped a lot.

[sputnik]

I had extremely high levels of cholesterol, due to heridetary reasons...using SesaThin and flax seed totally fixed the problem...I have now been at normal levels for 2 years

[Kärnfysikern]

Tell him to buttload all the b vitamins(niacin isnt the only b vitamin effective in lowering cholesterol) and fibers. He should consume lots of flax and psyllium seeds and oats.
Also tell him to supplement with vitamin e and c. Mainly because it prevents ldl oxidation.

[Kale]

Just be carefull if he is on medication like Lipitor that he doesnt do Red Yeast Rice as the contradict one another.

[Bryan2]

Just be carefull if he is on medication like Lipitor that he doesnt do Red Yeast Rice as the contradict one another.

Good info I should have meantioned that in my sticky

[EdMan2]

Thanks for the input everyone. I also did some research and asked him what his doctor had prescribed, and he's on a pill that actually has two compounds in it, one of them being the active ingredient in zocor. To be safe I looked up info about simvastatin (the ingredient in zocor) and there was a warning saying the following:

"The risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis is increased by concomitatnt use of simvastatin with the following:...Other lipid-lowering drugs (other fibrates or >= 1g/day of niacin): Caution should be used when prescribing other fibrates of lipid-lowering doses (>= 1g/day) of niacin with simvastatin, as these agents can cause myopathy when given alone. The benefit of further alterations in lipid levels by the combined use of simvastatin with other fibrates or niacin should be carefully weighed against the potentian risks of these combinations."

So I guess this means no niacin. Does this mean that flax/fish oil, policosanol, vitamin C and E should be okay?

[sputnik]

as I said above, having been in the same boat as u, flax is more than fine....it saved me from having to use anti-cholesterol drugs as my doctor told me I would have to use. And combined with SesaThin, cholesterol is no longer a problem for me AT ALL. I also have my mum on both now...just waiting for her bloodwork to see how much they have influenced her levels, and then hopefully she'll stop using her choleserol drugs...I will then get her sisters on the same.

[Kale]

Thanks for the input everyone. I also did some research and asked him what his doctor had prescribed, and he's on a pill that actually has two compounds in it, one of them being the active ingredient in zocor. To be safe I looked up info about simvastatin (the ingredient in zocor) and there was a warning saying the following:

"The risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis is increased by concomitatnt use of simvastatin with the following:...Other lipid-lowering drugs (other fibrates or >= 1g/day of niacin): Caution should be used when prescribing other fibrates of lipid-lowering doses (>= 1g/day) of niacin with simvastatin, as these agents can cause myopathy when given alone. The benefit of further alterations in lipid levels by the combined use of simvastatin with other fibrates or niacin should be carefully weighed against the potentian risks of these combinations."

So I guess this means no niacin. Does this mean that flax/fish oil, policosanol, vitamin C and E should be okay?

Mate if you use any of the statin drugs prescribed by a doctor then you wont need to use the supplements.

[EdMan2]

Mate if you use any of the statin drugs prescribed by a doctor then you wont need to use the supplements.

It's actually not for me but for my dad. I asked him about that very thing and he said he's been on it for about a year and that his cholesterol still fluctuates into bad regions so I thought I could lend him some help. From what I know, his diet is pretty strict so that's why I'm looking into supplements.

[sputnik]

well you've got plenty of info here, and some non-drug and cheap solutions...so think about it and put into action

[EdMan2]

Here's what I'm going to get for him:

Policosanol 20mg/day
Flax Seed Oil 1-2 tbsp/day
Fish Oil 3-6g/day
Vitamin E 800iu/day
Vitamin C 2000mg/day (possibly more)
Multi Vitamin
Garlic Extract

and I'll probably order some sesathin online soon, but I need to make things simple and easy to follow so he sticks to it. What do you guys think? Oh and I'm also going to advise that he eats some old fashioned oatmeal and possibly a fiber supplement everyday.

[Kale]

Here's what I'm going to get for him:

Policosanol 20mg/day
Flax Seed Oil 1-2 tbsp/day
Fish Oil 3-6g/day
Vitamin E 800iu/day
Vitamin C 2000mg/day (possibly more)
Multi Vitamin
Garlic Extract

and I'll probably order some sesathin online soon, but I need to make things simple and easy to follow so he sticks to it. What do you guys think? Oh and I'm also going to advise that he eats some old fashioned oatmeal and possibly a fiber supplement everyday.

Looks good, if you are going to get him to do that much Vitamin C then get Sodium Ascorbate in powder form. One metric teaspoon is 5 grams of Vitamin C so its really easy to take and easy on the stomach as well

[EdMan2]

Looks good, if you are going to get him to do that much Vitamin C then get Sodium Ascorbate in powder form. One metric teaspoon is 5 grams of Vitamin C so its really easy to take and easy on the stomach as well

Yea that's what I do right now so I'll probably get some for him next time I have to get more, saves a lot of money.

[Kärnfysikern]

check this site bro

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/contdis/bp.html

[sputnik]

Here's what I'm going to get for him:

Policosanol 20mg/day
Flax Seed Oil 1-2 tbsp/day
Fish Oil 3-6g/day
Vitamin E 800iu/day
Vitamin C 2000mg/day (possibly more)
Multi Vitamin
Garlic Extract

and I'll probably order some sesathin online soon, but I need to make things simple and easy to follow so he sticks to it. What do you guys think? Oh and I'm also going to advise that he eats some old fashioned oatmeal and possibly a fiber supplement everyday.

They all look good...however you may have trouble getting him to take so many things...most older ppl hate taking tablets....I know my mother dislikes taking a multi and a joint paint one....i would personally keep it simple and just use a cpl.....ALSO.....i recommend Flax Seed, as opposed to Flax Oil....the latter does not contain all the benefits of the former, especially fiber

[EdMan2]

wow that's an awesome site johan, thanks! Sputnik, yea I've considered it being a problem getting him to take all these things so I'm still trying to work out a balance. I'll look into your suggestion on flax seeds instead of oil.

[sputnik]

cool amigo...seriously though, u only need a cpl of those supps for cholesterol...the others such as a multi are nice...but they're not strictly for fighting cholesterol....mate if i could beat cholesterol with flax seed and SesaThin....then i think u can save ur dad some money. Out.