Six dietary supplements marketed as offering “heart-health” benefits were ineffective at lowering cholesterol compared to statins, according to a new study presented during the American Heart Association”™s Scientific Sessions 2022 and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The study, which was funded by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, found the dietary supplements promoted for improving heart health were not effective at lowering “bad” cholesterol more than placebo after 28 days of use. In comparison, a statin ”“ a common, low-dose cholesterol-lowering medication ”“ had a substantial impact on bad cholesterol during the 28-day study period.
The study also concluded the dietary supplements did not reduce inflammatory markers, which suggests they may be unlikely to lower heart disease risk at least during the first month of use.
The six dietary supplements studied were Nature Made fish oil 2,400 mg, Nutriflair brand cinnamon 2,400 mg, Garlique brand garlic with 5,000 mcg of allicin, BioSchwartz brand turmeric curcumin with bioperine 4,500 mg, Nature Made CholestOff Plus with 1,600 mg of plant sterols and Arazo Nutrition brand of red yeast rice 2,400 mg.
“According to a 2020 market research analysis, Americans spend an estimated $50 billion on dietary supplements annually, and many are marketed for ”˜heart protection”™ or ”˜cholesterol management”™. Yet there is minimal-to-no research demonstrating these benefits,” said study author Dr. Luke J. Laffin, co-director of the Center for Blood Pressure Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. “Some people also believe supplements are as effective or more effective than cholesterol-lowering statin medications.”
