Is a Diet and Exercise Pill for Lowering Cholesterol Too Hard to Swallow?

You’ve probably heard about the study that says that the popular cholesterol-lowering drug, Vytorin, might not slow the progression of heart disease.

You probably also know the drug’s annoying ads that go “Cholesterol. It can come from … barbecued ribs and from your Grandma Barbie.… Cholesterol comes from two sources: food and family….”

Soon, however, you may stop seeing those ads, because Vytorin seems to be no better at preventing the buildup of arterial plaque than first-generation statin medications like Lipitor and Zocor or its less expensive generic, simvastatin. The results are making many nervous statin-takers wonder if their medication is actually reducing their odds of developing coronary artery disease.

Good question. I’ve always contended that we’re a pill-popping society and it really hit home on a recent trip to New Zealand to visit my husband’s family.

Since Kiwis eat a diet similar to Americans—rich in high-fat meats, cheese, and added sugars and fats—they suffer from similar health concerns. When my mother-in-law told me that she had high cholesterol, it came as no surprise. But when she said that her doctor told her to lose weight and eat better, I realized that is where we (Americans) differ from the rest of the world.

Kiwis are DIYers, so they roll up their sleeves and do the hard work. Most Americans are, well, a bit lazier when it comes to lifestyle changes. We’d rather pop a pill and continue to eat our steak and eggs while watching TV. I was so happy to hear that her doctor had told her that losing weight is important for her heart’s sake. Losing 10 pounds can drop harmful LDL (bad cholesterol) by as much as 8%.

I suggested to her that we go on shopping trip so I could show her some of the most effective foods to lower cholesterol. Here’s some of the advice I gave her on nature’s cholesterol-cutters. You can get them at any supermarket in the United States too.

•Nine Servings of Fruits and Veggies: Like Vytorin, fruits and vegetables work on lowering cholesterol two ways. Vytorin does so by regulating cholesterol production in the liver and by blocking absorption of cholesterol in the gut. Nature’s remedy does it by helping you lose your love handles and ab flab and by slashing your saturated fat intake. Virtually all produce is good for the heart because it contains fiber, potassium, and magnesium. Nine daily servings are needed to really protect your heart. The other great thing about produce is that no one ever got fat eating too much.

•Oats: Oatmeal is my preferred breakfast for both heart health and weight management. It’s easy to eat a bowl of oatmeal and get up to 2 grams of soluble fiber, which gets you well on your way toward the 5 to 10 grams recommended in cholesterol-lowering diets. It has been shown that oats can lower LDL by about 5%, which translates to a 5% to 15% reduction in heart-disease risk.

•Plant Sterols: These are always on my recommended list for those who need to lower bad cholesterol. They’re naturally found in vegetable oils, nuts, and avocados, and are also sometimes added to foods and beverages, including certain brands of margarine and orange juice (check the label). In the digestive tract, sterols and cholesterol compete for absorption; therefore less cholesterol overall is absorbed into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that adding plant sterols to the diet safely and effectively lowers LDL. Aim for 2 grams of sterols a day to help lower LDL by 5% to 15%.