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Talk to your doctor about alternative cholesterol therapies before taking any preparations.

There are many non medication preparations available which claim to reduce cholesterol but it’s important to chat with your doctor first as these may interact with your current medication or they may affect other medical conditions you have.

While your doctor may believe some of these preparations work there may be safety issues in their manufacture and it will be up to your doctor to recommend a good-quality product.

• Plant sterols (phytosterols) are natural fats found in plants which can reduce an enzyme in the liver’s natural cholesterol production process.
  
  They are found naturally in some margarine, corn, rice, vegetable oils, nuts and are being added to medications and many foods. These are called fortified products or fortified foods. In Australia low fat milk, yoghurt, orange juice and margarine are among the foods fortified with plant sterols.
  
  Researchers say that fortified foods have the ability to reduce cholesterol    levels by up to 15 per cent in just six to 12 weeks. It is suggested that people should eat between two to three serves (2-3g) of plant sterol-enriched food each day with the American Heart Association warning that only people with high LDL (bad) cholesterol should consume fortified foods.
  
  Look for products containing the plant sterols beta-sitosterol or sitostanol as studies have shown these to be particularly effective in lowering cholesterol when combined with statin medications.

• Fish oil is known as a good heart healthy food and omega-3 fatty acids found in cold water fish such as mackerel, herrings, sardines, anchovies, trout and tuna are the best to reduce triglycerides. If you can’t eat enough fresh cold water fish each week, use a fish oil supplement. Speak to your doctor about how much is best for you.

• Soy has had many claims made about its ability to lower cholesterol over the years but recent research by the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee showed soy protein has ‘minimal’ impact on reducing cholesterol.

• Flaxseed oil is known to reduce cholesterol. It’s recommended that around 40 or 50 grams of per day will have a good impact on high cholesterol.
  
  But a word of warning. Talk to your doctor first about taking flaxseed oil as there have been some concerns because flaxseed slows the absorption of some nutrients and oral medications if taken at the same time. Take flaxseed at  different times to medications and other supplements to overcome this.

• Pomegranate concentrate has been the subject of many studies with mixed results on its effectiveness on cholesterol. One group of US researchers recently showed that taking pomegranate concentrate had a good effect on high cholesterol in diabetes patients but you will need to speak with your doctor to find out if it is suitable for you.

• Fermented red rice or red yeast rice comes from fermenting yeast with rice, and produces a natural source of lovastatin, which is a recognised prescription drug for treating high cholesterol.
  
  While researchers and many practitioners believe it works well, the biggest question surrounding it comes from how it is manufactured and how pure and consistent dosages are.