What Lowers Cholesterol

Phytosterols — are they really safe?

Phytosterols were long seen as cholesterol’s enemy — they compete with cholesterol for absorption in the gut and so reduce how much enters the blood. But recent research reveals the other, far more dangerous side of the coin.

The problem is that phytosterols do not just block cholesterol absorption — they themselves enter the blood and accumulate in the artery walls. The enzyme ACAT, which safely “neutralises” cholesterol inside macrophages by turning it into esters, cannot recognize phytosterols. So phytosterols build up in free form, destroy macrophages faster, and accelerate the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.

This is not just theory. There is a genetic disease — sitosterolemia — in which the body’s phytosterol-clearance system (the ABCG5/ABCG8 transporters) fails. Sufferers face fatal cardiovascular complications in their youth, even with normal cholesterol levels. The large PROCAM study (20,000 participants) showed that people with the highest blood phytosterol concentrations had a 1.8-fold higher risk of heart attack. A 2022 genetic study published in Nature Communications confirmed a causal link between phytosterols and coronary heart disease.

This is exactly why the UK’s NICE does not recommend phytosterols for heart-disease prevention, and the German Cardiac Society warns of their possible atherogenic effect.

Instead of phytosterol-“enriched” products or, worse, phytosterol supplements, choose natural alternatives — for example, quality wild fatty fish. It reduces inflammation and does not deposit dangerous substances in the arteries.

Avoiding hydrogenated fats lowers cholesterol

A great deal of research has conclusively linked hydrogenated fats to heart disease, inflammation, higher bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.

Where are these “killer” fats found? The main sources are fast food, snacks (crisps, coated nuts and other convenience foods), fried food and baked goods (buns, doughnuts). They are also found at around 5–10% in the meat of grass-fed cattle and in dairy products (butter, cheese, sour cream, curd, yoghurt and so on).

As the table shows, we get the most hydrogenated fats from baked goods, and in second place from dairy products.

You have probably noticed that pure, cold mechanically first-pressed oil contains no hydrogenated fats — nor do pork lard, eggs or fatty poultry (goose, duck and the like).

Cut out the unhealthy products (from the table) and that will lower your cholesterol.

Tasty everyday foods that lower cholesterol

To keep good cholesterol (and physical health), you have to take responsibility for what you eat at every meal, every day. Fish (herring, mackerel and others where possible), nuts, seeds, seafood and pure (unheated, unfried, unprocessed) plant oils are needed in abundance on the daily table. These are the foods that lower the bad cholesterol and improve your circulation.

Quitting smoking lowers cholesterol

Cigarette smoking lowers the good cholesterol, which is especially important because it helps clear the bad cholesterol from the arteries. If you smoke, you are rapidly adding to a higher bad-cholesterol level and heading straight for the heart-disease clinic.

Did you know there is an easy way to quit smoking?

Abstaining from alcohol lowers cholesterol

Although alcohol itself contains no cholesterol, drinking it has a negative effect and raises the cholesterol level. Alcohol is broken down in the liver and reassembled as cholesterol, which is especially harmful to your health. We were misled into believing that “a little alcohol is good,” but research warns that there is no safe amount of alcohol at all.

Give up sweets and you will lower cholesterol

Sugar is perhaps the single greatest harm to your health, wrecking the circulatory system. Most people eat too much sweetness, because they so love the products rich in it — fruit, honey, sweet soft drinks, juices, sweets, biscuits, cakes, buns, curd snacks. The less sweetness (fructose, glucose, sucrose, lactose and other sugars) we consume, the more it lowers cholesterol and improves health, energy levels and quality of life.

It is worth noting that scientists have shown sugar is no less addictive than certain drugs, so quitting is not so easy.

Every time before you reach for a chocolate, a bun or a lemonade, remember — this is a way of knowingly harming yourself. Choose to love yourself and cut sugar to a minimum, or to zero.

Take supplements that help lower cholesterol without side effects

One of the most effective supplements is medicinal mushrooms. Scientists have shown that the active compounds in certain mushrooms can be far more effective than the cholesterol drugs found in pharmacies. This is because some medicinal mushrooms naturally restore cholesterol balance rather than simply blocking its production. Best of all, you can be safe taking these natural supplements, since they do not carry the 10–20 negative side effects. So which are the best cholesterol supplements?

Which medicinal mushrooms lower cholesterol without side effects?

There are medicinal mushrooms that not only lower the bad cholesterol but also raise the good, restoring the cholesterol norm. These dry polysaccharide extracts go into the best cholesterol supplements.

Frequently Asked Questions