Although doctors are determined to get cholesterol down in order to lower the risk of a heart attack, some people don’t like the idea of taking a statin-type cholesterol-lowering medicine. They may have tried it and experienced side effects, or they may have heard from others that the side effects can be unpleasant.
As a consequence, people are often on the lookout for different ways of getting cholesterol under control. We are always pleased to hear about an approach that works as well as vinegar did for this reader.
Q. I have always had high cholesterol, but my doctor hasn’t insisted on a statin. He knew I would be reluctant to take one.
I read about unfiltered vinegar, got a bottle and have been drinking two tablespoons in a mug of warm water every morning for months.
When I had my annual physical and lab work, the doctor asked what I had been doing to lower my cholesterol. When I told him, he laughed out loud.
From January 2014 to January 2015, my total cholesterol went from 291 to 216 and my LDL cholesterol from 164 to 122.
A. We could not find any clinical trials testing your cholesterol-lowering technique, but results from rat research on the cholesterol-lowering power of vinegar is promising (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Jun. 22, 2011).
Others may wish to try your approach or some of the other nondrug ways to lower cholesterol described in our Guide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health.
