Supplements for cholesterol lowering? Not so fast.

If you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you’ve likely searched for ways to lower it naturally. In that search, you’ll come across two primary options: lowering it through diet or supplements.

But which is more effective?

While both can contribute to a healthy lifestyle and help reduce cholesterol, a food-first approach often provides greater benefits.

The Power of Whole Foods

Whole foods—like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains—contain a variety of nutrients that promote overall health, including fiber, plant sterols, and antioxidants. Together, these components help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and support overall cardiometabolic health.

Unlike supplements that isolate specific nutrients, whole foods provide a complex mix of beneficial compounds that work together to improve cholesterol levels and overall well-being.

• Fiber – Soluble fiber, found in oats, beans, and nuts, binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract, helping to remove it from the body.

• Plant Sterols & Stanols – Naturally occurring in foods like nuts and seeds, these compounds block cholesterol absorption.

• Antioxidants & Healthy Fats – Foods rich in polyphenols (such as berries and dark leafy greens) and healthy fats (like those in walnuts and almonds) help reduce inflammation and support cardiometabolic health.

The Limitations of Supplements

Many supplements claim to lower cholesterol, but their effectiveness varies—and they often don’t work as well as whole foods. One key limitation is that isolated nutrients aren’t always as effective. While plant sterol or fiber supplements exist, they don’t provide the same synergy as whole foods, where multiple nutrients work together to maximize benefits.

Another concern is the lack of regulation. Unlike food and drugs, supplements aren’t strictly monitored for quality and potency, meaning what’s on the label may not always match what’s inside. Sometimes, it can be wildly off. Additionally, some cholesterol-lowering supplements come with potential side effects. For example, red yeast rice—often marketed as a natural alternative to statins—can cause muscle pain and digestive issues, similar to prescription cholesterol medications. Probably because the compound in red yeast rice that helps lower cholesterol is biochemically identical to lovastatin, a prescription statin drug. So it only makes sense to try lovastatin instead - because at the very least you can be confident that the amount of the active (and inactive) ingredient(s) is consistent bottle to bottle and pill to pill.

Finally - eating in a way that supports lowering cholesterol means you are naturally displacing foods that are helping drive it up. There’s an automatic multiplier effect in play. Meanwhile, taking supplements does not require you to change what you eat, potentially perpetuating the reason why cholesterol is high in the first place.

The Verdict: Food First

Supplements might seem like an easy solution, but when it comes to cholesterol management, whole foods reign supreme. Choosing nutrient-rich foods—like those found in Step One Foods—ensures a natural, effective approach to better cholesterol levels, while reaping all the additional benefits of eating better.

Want to take control of your health? Start with real food. Your body will thank you.

Why Choose Step One Foods?

Step One Foods is a prime example of how whole foods can be formulated to deliver measurable cholesterol-lowering benefits. Made with natural ingredients like oats, nuts, and seeds, these foods are clinically proven to lower LDL cholesterol—without the guesswork or risks associated with supplements.