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Q. I read in your column that a man who had taken lecithin for 30 years had never had high cholesterol. This worked for me!
I was taking statins but my joints hurt so I could hardly walk. I started taking lecithin and now my cholesterol is normal. Thank you.
A. A French pharmacist discovered lecithin in the mid-19th century. It is a key component of egg yolks. Although it is often said to lower cholesterol, the European Food Safety Authority concluded in 2010 that there was inadequate proof to recommend lecithin or its active ingredient phosphatidylcholine for this purpose. Nonetheless, it appears that it works well for you.
Another reader, Juliet, was also discouraged from taking a supplement to lower cholesterol on the grounds of ineffectiveness. Her rejoinder, like yours, was, “it works for me!”
“My LDL ran between 120-130. My triglycerides were low because of taking fish oil and my HDL is on the high end of normal because I eat a healthy diet. I have struggled my whole life with marginally high LDL. I have taken psyllium tablets and that was somewhat helpful.
“My new doctor suggested no flush Niacin 500 mg twice a day. My LDL now runs between 85-92. I was so amazed with such a significant change that I asked my doctor if he was sure that it was my blood. I have had 3 lipid panels in the last 1 1/2 year since I started the niacin and my total cholesterol is below 150 and my LDL remains very good.
“I saw another doctor who suggested that I discontinue the niacin because of a lack of effectiveness. I pointed out that it is very effective for me and I wasn’t about to stop it. Before I started the niacin, one of my doctors suggested that I try a statin drug but I did not want to risk the side effects. I believe that the niacin has been as helpful as a statin drug would be without the risks of side effects.”
Niacin can sometimes have side effects, most commonly flushing and itching. Sometimes these can be minimized by taking a low-dose aspirin in the preceding half hour. One reader reported that taking papaya enzyme pills with niacin can dramatically reduce the flushing. Like statins, niacin can also affect the liver. Anyone taking it daily to control cholesterol should ask the doctor to monitor liver enzymes periodically.
Those who would like more information on the benefits and risks of statins or niacin and other natural approaches to lowering cholesterol may be interested in our 8-page Guide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health.
Maggie
Hi, thank you for this. We have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and our cholesterol is over 400 (imperial).
Lipostabel (I think as it was called way back when) was the first lipid lowering drug and it worked swimmingly for my family – yes, even for US!!! and I think that the statin companies simply quashed it out – they are extremely powerful. They pretend that they have no side effects. Everyone I know who is on them have muscle breakdown.
My family gets rhabdomyolises outright from it. My son of 34 has already had a quintupley bypass surgery. I am going back onto this drug (that’s if I can find it here in South Africa. Apparently there is a Lipostabil Forte??? does someone know? thanks so much
Anne G.
My husband is English. After having doctors tell him that he needs to take statins to lower his cholestrol, and after suffering dire consequences after taking statins, he was told by an old doctor that English people traditionally have high cholestrol and not to worry about it. My husband stopped the statins and after about one year, he is just fine. He still has doctors tell him that he needs to get on statins!!
fbl
My hubby’s cholesterol kept rising even though he was on the recommended low cholesterol diet. When it got to about 350 or so I told our family Dr. that I was going back to the way our ancestors ate.
I got rid of the veggie oils, other than the virgin olive oil, and the fake butter. We started using the real thing. Well, I’d been using real butter all along since my cholesterol number was so low. We have used organic coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil and organic bacon drippings. I use avocado or nut oils to make our mayonnaise (yes, it is easy to make!) and his cholesterol numbers gradually went down. Over 100 points!
He has NO cardio vascular problems, doesn’t take cholesterol or other meds, well other than naturethyroid, and he is doing great. Neither of us have blood sugar problemls either!
Sally
Australia
Statins are deadly. Just google it. There are plenty of plant foods that lower cholesterol and exercise, and sunshine lowers it too.
I had one Dr saying that I absolutely needed statins and another one say absolutely not! Go figure! Has it something to do with payment from pharmaceutical companies?
Helen M
I found the remark about choline very interesting. I started using a form called citicholine to help with memory over a year ago. I have always had cholesterol in the high 300s, hdl near 50. With lipitor it was less, but my intuition had me stop lipitor and immediately my insulin usage dropped like a rock. I avoid cholesterol testing because I will not take medication for it. My doctor insisted on testing it recently and my hld was 99! My total cholesterol was in the mid 200s. Now I think it may be the citicholine. It is kind of pricey, I was thinking of going just to straight choline; now I will look into PScholine. Thanks!
abigail
When I worked in a health food store, we took Vitamin C with our niacin to ease flushing. The amount of C would vary with each person.
JP
I did not get what is that you added to your iced tea. I am interested as my trigycerides and cholesterol are high. Thanks
LGK
Even with using statins and fish oils, my triglycerides remained high. I tried putting a teaspoon (small amount so it was drinkable) in my iced tea twice a day. It was the only thing that dropped my triglycerides & my cholesterol dropped a lot more. I’m going to talk to my doctor about lowering my Lipitor dosage.
Carol
Hamburg, Pa.
LKG said they put 1 tsp in iced tea every day to lower triglycerides. What was that? A tsp of what did you put into your tea? Please share, as my triglycerides are very high, also.
RJS
My understanding is that every cell in your body uses cholesterol. 150 seems way too low. Inflammation is the is the culprit in heart disease, not cholesterol. Your body actually manufactures it when you don’t get enough. That puts more work on your liver.
fbl
Isn’t a total cholesterol of 150 a bit low? I thought the ideal was between 180-250.
Nothing gets my number up. It stays at 110. Yes, I have suffered the whole gamut of problems-stroke and heart attack. Horribly dry skin and cracked calluses on my feet too. At least the last problem has been solved by eating coconut oil. I started that about 14 years or so ago and the other bonus from the coconut oil is weight loss.