Q. My primary care doctor wants to put me on statins to lower my cholesterol, and that scares me to death. Several family members and friends who have been put on statins have become incapacitated at some point.
My cholesterol runs between 200 and 220, and my doctor wants it below 200. A friend told me that you have suggested ways to lower cholesterol without drugs. In a recent column you discussed the side effects of statins, but gave no hint of a natural remedy. Is what my friend told me true? What do you suggest?
A. We have dozens of recommendations, from using a cholesterol-lowering bread spread such as Benecol or Promise activ, to taking fish oil or consuming nuts, grapefruit, grape juice, chocolate or cinnamon.
We discuss the details on these remedies, along with psyllium and red yeast rice, in our Guide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health, which also describes pros and cons of statins and other cholesterol medicines. Some people with high cholesterol and heart disease really benefit from taking a statin. Since your cholesterol is only mildly elevated, you may be able to get it down with natural approaches.
