Natural Statins
Just like all other synthetic drugs, statins have numerous side effects and drug interactions. It has been suggested that many natural substances found in plants or oils can have the same LDL cholesterol lowering effect and sometimes, an HDL-increasing effect, both of which are good and healthy for the cardiovascular system. Several clinical and animal studies have been conducted on those substances to verify those claims. Below is a brief summary about each of those "natural statins".
Policosanol: a natural extract derived from sugar cane. Policosanol has been proposed to down-regulate HMG-CoA reductase enzyme and up-regulate LDL processing, effects similar to statin drugs. More than 20 placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials studied policosanol's effect on hypercholesterolemia and almost all have shown a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol. More than half of those studies also reported an increase in HDL, which promotes cardiovascular health. Most of these studies were carried out in Cuba. More recent studies in Germany and other countries failed to demonstrate any cholesterol lowering effect of policosanol. Side-effects of policosanol are very mild and occur in less than 1% of individuals taking it. The most common side effects are polyuria, polyphagia, insomnia and headache. Policosanol has an antiplatelet effect and should not be used with other antiplatelet drugs.
Red yeast rice: red fermented rice produced from the Monascus purpureus mold contains lovastatin - a naturally occurring statin. Total and LDL cholesterol lowering effects have been clinical demonstrated. Red yeast rice is sold as an over-the-counter supplement to control blood cholesterol. Fish oil: it is believed that one of the many health benefits of over-the-counter fish oil is the regulation of cholesterol levels in blood. This effect has been demonstrated in some studies and is still a topic of interest in clinical research. Artichoke extract: a randomized clinic trial showed that artichoke extract caused a significant decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein after supplementation.
Chromium: deficiency of chromium has been implicated in hypercholesterolemia and coronary artery disease. Two clinical trials have shown a significant reduction of blood cholesterol levels after chromium supplementation.
Garlic: several clinical studies have shown that garlic reduces total and LDL cholesterol levels in blood with little effect on HDL cholesterol. Many other studies, however, failed to demonstrate these effects.
Gugul: Gum gugul is an Ayurvedic medicine made from the resin of a plant called Commiphora mukul. It is purported to have many health benefits including lowering cholesterol, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant effects. One clinical trial demonstrated a reduction in cholesterol levels with gugul supplementation, whereas another study found an increase in cholesterol.
Red clover: a plant derived compound containing several isoflavones. Even though it has been proposed that red clover has cholesterol lowering effects, reliable clinical trials failed to demonstrate this effect.
