Not all high cholesterol levels can be lowered with diet and exercise. Sometimes medications or nutritional supplements are needed. Our bodies need cholesterol, but if your blood levels show too much LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and too little HDL (“good” cholesterol), you increase your risk for stroke and heart attack.According to the American Heart Association, more than 100 million Americans have cholesterol that is higher than the recommended level, and one in five Americans has cholesterol levels considered “high.” Food only accounts for about 15 percent of the cholesterol our bodies produce, so diet alone may not help if your levels are too high. Nutritional supplements or medication may be needed.If you’d rather not take prescription medications, try nutritional supplements. Nutritional supplements with garlic, nutritional supplements with Niacin (vitamin B3), nutritional supplements with plant sterols, nutritional supplements with plant stanols, nutritional supplements with psyllium, nutritional supplements with beta glucan, nutritional supplements with red yeast rice extracts, nutritional supplements with policosanol, and nutritional supplements with fenugreek all have their proponents for lowering cholesterol.These various naturally occurring substances work to combat high cholesterol in various ways. Some of these nutritional supplements, for example plant sterols and psyllium, interfere with the absorption of cholesterol. Soluble fibers such as beta glucan (found in oats and barley) and fenugreek have been demonstrated to lower HDL levels. Guggul extract is an Indian home remedy and is used in prescription medications in India to lower cholesterol and triglycerides. Red yeast rice extracts are traditional Chinese medicine treatments for the heart and contain statins, which are found in prescription anti-cholesterol medication.