Bergamot has been suggested by some people to be a natural alternative to statins.
In this clinical trial which we described earlier *here* bergamot was able to reduce total cholesterol by almost 30% after just 30 days.
What was interesting was in that study a subgroup of patients who could not take statins because of the side effects tried bergamot.
This study was published in the journal Fitoterapia.
Statins work by blocking a key enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase which will block cholesterol synthesis. One of the problems is that this also blocks production of coenyzme q10 which we described earlier.
There are many side effects which are described on WebMD.
The most common statin side effects include:
– Headache
– Difficulty sleeping
– Flushing of the skin
– Muscle aches, tenderness, or weakness (myalgia)
– Drowsiness
– Dizziness
– Nausea or vomiting
– Abdominal cramping or pain
– Bloating or gas
– Diarrhea
– Constipation
– Rash
Click here to see more research about lowering cholesterol naturally.
You can also see a clinical trial with another plant ingredient that raises HDL.
Here are the study details:
– Clinical Trial: Randomized double blind placebo controlled
– 32 human subjects took 1500 mg of bergamot for 2 months.
– Patients who could not tolerate statins because of side effects were enrolled in the study.
– After 2 months of stopping statins patients too 1500 mg of bergamt daily.
– *This was more than the 500 or 1000 mg that is reported to lower cholesterol
Here are the main results testing bergamot as an alternative to statins:
– Total Cholesterol: Reduced by 25%
– LDL cholesterol: reduced by 28%
– No side effects were reported
Takeaway message: Bergamot appears to be a safe alternative to statins. The study is small so more research is needed however, the lack of side effects from Bergamot is important as these were patients who already experienced side effects from statins. Furthmore, this study used doses that were higher than 500 or 1000 mg of bergamot to lower cholesterol. In this type of situation it would be best to start with the lower dose of bergamot to lower cholesterol before using higher doses of bergamot to lower cholesterol.
Reference: Mollace et al. Hypolipemic and hypoglycaemic activity of bergamot polyphenols: from animal models to human studies. Fitoterapia. 2011; Volume 82 (Issue 3): Pages 309-16.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Cholesterol, Clinical Trials, Plant Extracts, Plant Medicine