lecithin to help high cholesterol? - High Cholesterol Message Board

mary25 · 07-25-2007, 01:16 PM

Hi, My husband has high cholesterol but does not want to take prescrip. drugs such as lipitor. He has been told that taking Lecithin will reduce his cholesterol. Is this true? Any other natural remedies along with diet. He is not overweight, we eat the same diet and my cholesterol is fine.

Guy1_USA · 07-25-2007, 06:23 PM

About the only "natural" remedy to lower cholesterol is niacin. But taking the needed 2000 mg or more of niacin could hardly be called natural.

I take 3000 mg of niacin a day in the prescription form of extended release, Niaspan.

The only side effect of niacin is flushing (hot flashes). That is why an extended release formula is reccomended. This bothers some greatly, and others like myself, it doesn't bother at all. You don't know until you try it.

I've never heard of Lecithin lowering cholesterol... or at least no scientific studies. You might hear the same about garlic... but about the only thing garlic lowers is your circle of friends...

Lenin · 07-26-2007, 07:37 AM

mary, I have taken lecithin for DECADES because I read long ago that it was lipotropic and removed fatty deposits from the liver. Since back then I drank a lot I thought, I'd give it a shot.

I am not sure if there are any BENEFITS but there's no downside other than some added calories. Have you hubby buy some granules and have a Tbsp a day...it's delicious, alternatively a couple/four horse capsules a day can be taken. Let us know if his cholesterol numbers are affected.

jacal5 · 07-27-2007, 07:04 AM

Isn't lecithin a soy waste product that's genetically modified and contains a high amount of pesticides? Unfortunately, our supermarket shelves are loaded with products such as baked goods, breads, chocolate, salad dressings, etc. that contain soy lecithin, soybean oil, etc. Anyone who eats these foods regularly are probably getting more than enough unhealthy lecithin without supplementation

In Asia, only a small amount of fermented soy, like miso, is eaten as a supplement to protein, like fish. In the U.S. our food supply has been tainted with "Americanized soy." The chocolate cake you brought home from the supermarket is really soybeans in the form of chocolate cake your Mom used to bake from scratch. i read labels and don't purchase any products containing soy.

There are other supplements besides lecithin to lower cholesterol, like plant sterols without soy that he can try. I lowered by total cholesterol by 50 points and raised my HDL 15 points by changing my diet and supplementing with sterols and Policosanol.

micky501 · 07-29-2007, 02:28 PM

Isn't lecithin supposed to help with hunger or appetite as well? I was on Niaspan 1500 last year and other than the hot flashes, I developed stomach problems and gained weight. The Dr. had to stop it.