Cholesterol Balance

Nutrients connected to Cholesterol Balance

A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.

• Vitamin B3 (niacin)Preliminary or mixed

  Large medicine-level doses of nicotinic acid can modestly raise HDL and lower triglycerides, but this is a blood-test change; it is not an effect of normal intake, and it often causes flushing. Ask a clinician first.

• Krill oilPreliminary or mixed

  Pooled trials found lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and higher HDL with krill oil; results did not differ significantly from fish oil.

• Green tea extract and EGCGPreliminary or mixed

  Trials, mostly of extracts, showed modest drops in total and LDL cholesterol with no change in HDL or triglycerides.

• Fibre supplements (psyllium, methylcellulose, calcium polycarbophil and others)Clinically supported

  Psyllium modestly lowered LDL cholesterol in a meta-analysis of 28 trials. This is a lab marker and is specific to psyllium.

• Artichoke leafPreliminary or mixed

  A 2018 meta-analysis of 9 trials reported lower total and LDL cholesterol, but the older Cochrane review called the evidence not yet convincing. These are blood-test markers, not heart-attack outcomes.

• GarlicPreliminary or mixed

  NCCIH says garlic supplements may lower total and LDL cholesterol to a small extent in people with high cholesterol. This is a small effect and is not proof of fewer heart problems.

• AmlaPreliminary or mixed

  One 12-week placebo-controlled trial found lower cholesterol and triglycerides on a specific amla extract in people with dyslipidemia. It is a single trial and needs larger confirmation.

• BarberryPreliminary or mixed

  Pooled trials found lower total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides; the authors say larger studies are needed.

• Sea buckthornPreliminary or mixed

  A pooled analysis of 15 trials found lower blood fats, but only in people who already had abnormal lipids, and results differed a lot between trials.

• TaurinePreliminary or mixed

  Meta-analyses report lower total cholesterol and triglycerides; the 2020 analysis found no effect on LDL or HDL, while the 2026 one reported a small LDL drop. Evidence is mixed.

• Algal (algae) oilPreliminary or mixed

  In a review of 11 trials in healthy people, algal DHA lowered triglycerides but raised both HDL and LDL cholesterol, so the net effect is mixed.

• Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA, EPA and DHA)Preliminary or mixed

  Triglycerides fall, but DHA raised LDL cholesterol in a meta-analysis while EPA did not significantly. These are lab markers, not proof of fewer heart events.

• Omega-6 fatty acidsPreliminary or mixed

  Replacing saturated fat with omega-6 modestly lowers total cholesterol in trials; effects on LDL, HDL and triglycerides were small or absent in the Cochrane review.

• Omega-9 fatty acids (oleic acid)Clinically supported

  The NHS says swapping some saturated fat for unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated fat can help lower cholesterol. This is about fats in food, not omega-9 capsules.

• Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium and next-generation probioticsPreliminary or mixed

  Total cholesterol fell about 8.7% with pasteurised A. muciniphila versus placebo in a 2019 pilot of 32 completers. This was not re-confirmed in sources we read.

• HibiscusPreliminary or mixed

  Two reviews report slightly lower LDL cholesterol; the difference is small and based on blood-test markers.

• FenugreekPreliminary or mixed

  One meta-analysis found lower total cholesterol and triglycerides but no significant LDL change; trials were small.

• Bitter MelonPreliminary or mixed

  Total cholesterol fell in the 2024 review of diabetes trials; LDL, HDL and triglycerides did not change significantly.

• Olive leafPreliminary or mixed

  A pooled review found lower triglycerides and, in people with high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, but rated the evidence low quality.

• Lemon verbenaPreliminary or mixed

  The meta-analysis found slightly lower total cholesterol and slightly higher HDL, but no clear effect on other lipids.

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