Drug manufacturers are spending millions of dollars each year in the effort to find more ways to reduce cholesterol and more is invested in research to aid people with high cholesterol to eliminate the risk for heart disease and strokes taking more lifves each year due to unmanageable cholesterol levels, hyperlipidemia and dangerous lipid conditions. During the last decade there has been a significant increase in money pent on research by more than 350%.

There has also been a rapid incline in the use of statin drugs such as Lipitor and Zocor to lower cholesterol by almost 250% in comparison between 1996 and 2006. Statin drugs lower cholesterol by either inhibiting the production of cholesterol by your liver, or limiting the absorption of the dietary cholesterol (the cholesterol that comes from the food that you eat). All that is aimed at lowering the LDL cholesterol, also known as the bad cholesterol, while raising the HDL cholesterol, also known as the good cleansing cholesterol that removes excess cholesterol from the arteries, thus helps prevent artherosclerosis. The ratio between the bad LDL cholesterol and the HDL cholesterol is a good indicator of your cholesterol condition and also plays a vital part in the battle to lower cholesterol.

As effective as they are to reduce cholesterol levels, these top selling drugs (like Lipitor and Zocor which account for more than 90% of all lowering cholesterol drugs) carry with them dangerous side effects that should be taken into consideration prior to their use. These side effects range from the mild ones like: nausea, headaches and vomiting to the more serious side effects that can lead to fatal consequences such as: kidney failure, muscle damage and pain and even severe liver problems.

The natural solution to lowering cholesterol is the most effective yet safest alternative to statin drugs, not to mention being significantly cheaper. By going on a diet low in cholesterol, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants combined with regular exercise and meditation, you a lot guarantee the dramatic lowering of cholesterol without the side effects.