A natural, nonstatin approach to lowering cholesterol

Last month the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association issued new cholesterol guidelines. Among other advice is a recommendation against taking natural supplements to lower cholesterol because there is not enough evidence in their favor. 

I’m not a doctor, but I think my experience qualifies me to disagree. Two natural supplements — bergamot and red yeast rice — worked for me. 

My routine blood test in 2025 showed high numbers for total (243) and “bad” LDL (144) cholesterol and triglycerides (168), major risk factors for heart disease. My doctor prescribed a statin, but when I thought it contributed to knee pain, I switched to a 600 mg supplement of bergamot. Less than a year later, a blood test has shown nearly 10% decreases in total and LDL cholesterol and a 37% decrease in triglycerides. 

Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown mostly in southern Italy. You may know it from Earl Grey tea, to which it imparts a zesty flavor. Bergamot extract is sold over the counter in capsules of 500 or 600 mg. Its flavonoids bind and inhibit the enzyme responsible for cholesterol synthesis. 

My doctor gave me the go-ahead to try bergamot, which is generally acknowledged as safe and well tolerated. One capsule is a common starting point, so that’s what I took. I’m switching to two capsules to try to get my total cholesterol below the target of 200 and LDL below the target of 100. 

Multiple studies have shown that bergamot significantly reduces total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. But cardiologists favor statins as a first-line therapy. They say that the bergamot trials have not had enough participants, and supplement dosages are unregulated. Critics argue that the CCC/AHA guidelines rely too heavily on statins. 

If you try bergamot, it’s recommended that you look for products that are manufactured in certified facilities, independently tested, and standardized to between 40% and 50% bergamot polyphenolic fraction.

At least bergamot isn’t one of the five supplements that the 2026 ACC/AHA guidelines say are no better than a placebo. Red yeast rice is one of them, but it lowered my cholesterol from 239 to 216 a few years ago. 

RYR contains a substance called monacolin K that is chemically identical to the statin lovastatin. At some point I switched to a less expensive brand of RYR that had less impressive results, so I stopped taking RYR, and my cholesterol numbers rose. I’ve since learned that some RYR products may contain more monacolin K than is safe, and it’s impossible to tell how much monacolin K unregulated supplements contain. Besides, I preferred bergamot once I read comparisons. RYR isn’t as effective as bergamot at lowering triglycerides and boosting good HDL, and it can cause the same muscle aches as statins. There is also some evidence that bergamot can lower blood sugar levels, something else I need to work on.

If you search for natural alternatives to statins, you’ll find a number of additional products. Any supplement should be cleared with your doctor before taking it to make sure it is safe and doesn’t interact with your medications.

There are prescription medications other than statins that lower cholesterol. They are for patients who can’t tolerate statins or don’t get good results from statins.

Since I’ve had positive results and no side effects from bergamot, there’s no reason for me not to stick with it, at least until my next blood test in another year. If you’ve taken something other than a statin to lower cholesterol, I’d be interested to hear about your experience.