A cardiologist's plain English breakdown of what causes high cholesterol, the various treatments available, and the foods and supplements that can help.
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Statins - medications like atorvastatin (Lipitor), rosuvstatin (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor) - all work the same way, by blocking an enzyme your liver uses to make cholesterol. The result is a meaningful drop in LDL, often 40 percent or more, which is why statins are so effective at lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke in people who need them. The mechanism matters. Statins work on the production side, turning down how much cholesterol your body makes. That is the key to everything that follows.
I am a cardiologist who spends her career trying to help people rely on fewer medications, and even I will tell you plainly: if you have established heart disease, diabetes, or a genetically very high LDL, statins are among the best-studied, most protective drugs we have. This is not a drug to be casually dismissed. However, a lot of people are put on a statin simply because their LDL is high. That may be reasonable, but it still leaves the other half of the equation unworked.
Your cholesterol level is the result of three things happening at once: how much your liver produces, how much you absorb from your gut, and how much you eliminate. Statins do the first job extremely well. They do nothing for the other two. That is the boundary of how the drug works rather than a flaw in it. And it is why so many people take their statin faithfully and still do not reach their goal. Half the machinery driving their cholesterol was never addressed.
The food ingredients proven to lower cholesterol, soluble fiber and plant sterols, work by blocking absorption and increasing elimination. Those are the exact pathways your statin leaves untouched. Because the mechanisms are different, the effects are additive. The drug turns down production while food turns down absorption, and you reach your goal from both directions. This is the idea behind Step One Foods. It delivers those nutrients in real food at the doses shown to work, so you are not guessing at which foods to eat or how much. For many people, working both sides is what finally gets them to target LDL levels, often without needing a higher statin dose.
The most useful question at your next appointment is this: is there anything I can do alongside taking my statin to reach my cholesterol goal? For most people the answer is yes, and it is an addition to your medication rather than a substitute for it. Keep taking your statin exactly as prescribed. Then add two servings of Step One Foods a day, give it 30 days, and recheck your numbers with your provider. There is almost no risk in trying. It is real food, built to work alongside your medication, and it comes with a money-back guarantee. If your numbers do not budge, you get your money back.
Kopecky SL, Alias S, Klodas E, Jones PJH. The Journal of Nutrition, 2022. Double-blind randomized crossover trial at Mayo Clinic and the University of Manitoba, 54 adults with hyperlipidemia, two servings daily.
Keep taking your statin as prescribed. Add two servings of Step One Foods a day for 30 days, then recheck and review your cholesterol profile with your provider.
“Saw the Cardiologist last week, and my cholesterol levels were much improved. He changed the dose down to 10mg daily.”
Soluble fiber and plant sterols at the doses used in the trial, designed to run alongside your medication rather than instead of it.
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When I started Step One foods a few months ago, I was taking 40 mg. of Atorvastatin daily. Saw the Cardiologist last week, and my cholesterol levels were much improved. He changed the dose down to 10mg. daily. That is a win, win, for me, less statins, equals much less muscle ache/pain.
I was on statins for years and had terrible muscle problems and fatigue. Doctors wouldn’t listen to me and blamed it on other things. Finally I had to get a new doctor and she listened and took me off. My cholesterol started to climb a little and I was getting concerned. I found Step One and decided to try it. To be very honest, I was skeptical. I just got my numbers after a little over 5 weeks. Total went from 250 to 200 and ldl from 186 to 141! Triglycerides are normal! I’m a believer and can’t wait to see my next set of numbers. Thank you so much! I’m telling family and friends about it!
In March I was shocked to find out my cholesterol had jumped up to 266! My dr wanted put me on statins, but I wanted to try something more natural. So my doc gave me 3 months to see improvement. Enter Step One. I am happy to report my cholesterol is down to 188! My doctor's response.... WHAT DID YOU DO???! I'm continuing the program to hopefully get lower still. I think i will!