A new study may be offering a way for men to lower their cholesterol without taking prescription drugs. Researchers from Iowa State Universitys Nutrition and Wellness Research Center (NWRC) have found that the nutritional supplement, flaxseed oil, may be able to lower cholesterol levels in males.
While there were no significant changes in womens cholesterol levels, researchers found that men who consumed at least 150 milligrams of flaxseed lignans on a daily basis decreased their cholesterol levels by 10 percent during a three-month period.
The scientists are hopeful that this new discovery will help control the cholesterol of individuals who cannot take prescription medication or are wary of the side effects that they could bring.
“Because there are people who cant take something like Lipitor, this could at least give you some of that cholesterol-lowering benefit,” said lead researcher, Suzanne Hendrich. The other thing is, there are certainly some people who would prefer to not use a drug, but rather use foods to try to maintain their health. So this potentially would be something to consider.”