Nature Made CholestOff Original Caplets, 120 Count for Heart Health

This past August (2015) I went in for my first cholesterol test in several years (5 or 6 years). Last time I tested my overall cholesterol was 203 but my HDL was incredibly high, in the 140's, and LDL and VLDL really low so my doctor thought that was great and nothing to worry about. I generally eat well but I admit I have (now had) my moments of weakness, and I exercise regularly including running and weight lifting. I was shocked when my cholesterol came back at 264, HDL only 39! Man, that was eye opening! Honestly I did assume how much I ran and worked out I could get away eating a lot of pizza and other junk when it was around well I immediately began altering my diet (cutting down portion sizes, skipping junk when it is presented, and incorporating more oatmeal into what was already a lot of fruit and vegetables that I consumed) and then learned about plant sterols and stanols. So I've been taking these religiously for the last 3 months or so. Over the last three months I lost about 10 lbs, went from mid 180's to mid 170's, altered my diet substantially but in a way that is sustainable, and started taking cholestoff.I just got retested and my overall cholesterol came down to 174, my HDL went up nominally to 42, but up is better than down. My LDL and VLDL went down substantially but is still too high, specifically the LDL, VLDL is really low. So I figure all things considered this product had a hand in lowering my cholesterol and I hope when I get retested in another 6 months it will be even better. I'll update with my next test.

I love this stuff. I was able to take my 88 year old mother off of her cholesterol meds, with her doctor's blessing, and lowered my own LDL cholesterol and my triglycerides with this product. I had been on the verge of having to go on cholesterol meds myself, so this not only improved my health, but also helped me to avoid the added cost of a copay, and the possibility of a wide range of side-effects. We achieved these results without making any significant changes to our diet, which, I have to admit, while not too bad to start with, could use some improvement.After that, I bought a two month supply for a friend with cholesterol problems and a hereditary heart problem. She also lowered her LDL from 225 to 175 and had similar results with her triglyceride numbers, but, because her heart issue entails calcification of her tissues, ultimately had to off of this supplement to avoid adding more calcium to her diet. It may not be a double blind study, but these results enough to make me a believer.One note. I did have one person I gave this to whose LDL levels went up. But she took the pills, thinking that they would allow her to eat more items on her no-no list, and so actually changed her diet for the worse, big time. I have heard people doing this with fat blockers, where they just gorge on everything bad, thinking that they are taking a panacea. So, I would caution everyone not to use this as an excuse to binge on all your favorite fatty foods. This can really help you, even without changing your diet, but it certainly is not a license to gorge.

Nothing in life is free and Statins come with all kinds of potential negative side effects.All of our immediate family has been taking CholestOff for many years. Both of my parents were rather stubborn about it and wanted to follow their doctor's direction and take statins. My father experienced side effects from the statin and only about a 22 point drop in his LDL. I purchased a bottle for him and convinced him after too much negotiating to discontinue the statin and start the CholestOff. The timing was such that we knew exactly what his cholesterol numbers were after several months on the statin. he took it for 3-months, had another cholesterol check, and viola, 68 point drop. He and his doctor were amazed. A few months later he had experienced an additional 12 point drop to a total of 80.My husband and I both experienced drops of 60 to 80 and my mother's drop was nearly 80 and she does not take in according to the recommendations, she takes it with her multi-vitamin in the morning with no food.

So I waited until I was on this for awhile and got my latest labs done to write a review. This does work. My LDL bad cholesterol went down 30 points but unfortunately its still one point into high. I didn’t change my diet or exercise. But I am now. Ive been on this mostly twice a day for about 3 months. I will continue to use it. So glad there is a statin alternative bc I was on statins a few years ago and lost most of my hair. I also wanted to mentioned I have been drinking sugar free metamucil at dinner. It suggests it lowers cholesterol also. I dont get enough fiber so I will continue that also.