Are herbal medications and particular vitamins a good alternative to taking prescription medications?
Please talk to your physician or nurse practitioner about this before taking any other medications–including over-the-counter ones. Niacin and flax seed oil are the only ones I can think of that have been scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol levels. Other herb, such as red rice extract, are also effective but already contains a HMG-Co reductase inhibitor in it—so if you are taking this and already taking a statin drug, this could place you at risk for an overdose. Most other nutraceuticals have varying in the cholesterol-lowering results obtained from taking them. Although some may provide marginal benefit in lowering your cholesterol levels, they might interact with other medications you are taking.
