Study shows that dietary supplements are ineffective for heart health

A recent study shows that at least six supplements that people commonly take for heart health do not actually lower their “bad” cholesterol or even improve cardiovascular health when compared to the medicines prescribed for a statin, a cholesterol-lowering medication.

The participants of the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, on Sunday, as well as presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022, were given six common dietary supplements including, fish oil, red yeast rice, garlic, cinnamon, plant sterols and turmeric. As some people supposedly believe that these supplements will lower their “bad” cholesterol.

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“Patients believe studies have been done and that they are as effective as statins and can save them because they’re natural, but natural doesn’t mean safe and it doesn’t mean they’re effective,” said Dr Steven Nissen, a co-author of the study as well as a cardiologist and researcher at the Cleveland Clinic. He also went on to call these supplements the “snake oil” of the 21st century.

The term “bad” cholesterol in the medical community refers to low-density lipoproteins or LDL, the build-up of which causes fatty deposits in the arteries. This build-up can block the flow of oxygen as well as blood causing a heart attack or stroke. The study is based on 190 adults between the age of 40 to 75 with no history of cardiovascular disease.

The comparison of the supplements and medicines was a randomized and single-blind clinical trial which involved different groups receiving a low-dose statin called rosuvastatin, a placebo, and common supplements including fish oil, cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, plant sterols or red yeast rice.

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At the end of the 28-day study, the average LDL of a person on a statin was reduced by at least 40%, additionally, the participant’s total cholesterol dropped by at least 24 per cent and the blood triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood) fell by 19 per cent.

Whereas the researchers observed that the volunteers who took supplements did not see any significant decrease in LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol or blood triglycerides. In fact, their results were similar to those who took a placebo.

While all the groups witnessed similar adverse events the number of problems among those who took the plant sterols or red yeast rice was higher, said the study. The research was funded by an unrestricted grant from AstraZeneca, the company that makes rosuvastatin but had no input in the methodology of the research or otherwise, the study claims.

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On the other hand, a trade association for the dietary supplement industry, Council for Responsible Nutrition, in a statement, said that these “supplements are not intended to replace medications or other medical treatments.” It added that dietary supplements are not “quick fixes” and their effect may not show over the course of “a study that only spans four weeks.”

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