Longevity and Menopause?
Answering your questions about supplements for cholesterol, body size and PCOS, and delaying menopause
Time for a Q&A to answer your questions about:
· Do cholesterol lowering supplements really work?
· Do thin women with PCOS have the same symptoms and risks?
· Can I delay menopause and will doing so help me live longer?
Enjoy! And remember to e-mail your questions to ask@thesavvypatient.com or leave them in the chat.
Q: My cholesterol has been high since having babies in 2022 and 2023. So, my doctor recommended red yeast rice, fish oil, and flaxseed oil. I am wondering what the data says about these supplements.
—Natural Skeptic
A: Given the number of supplements on the market backed by dubious health claims it is easy to forget that many of the medications we take were developed based on compounds found in nature.
Red yeast rice is a great example of this. It comes from East Asia and is made by fermenting white rice with a yeast-like mold. It has been used medicinally for many years. In the body, it blocks the action of an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, the same enzyme cholesterol medications like atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) act upon.
In clinical trials red yeast rice has been shown to lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, by up to 22%. Lipitor and Crestor can lower LDL by more than 50%. So, while data does show an effect, red yeast rice is less effective than prescription statins.
Fish oil doesn’t lower LDL but it can lower triglycerides. In fact, there are several prescription strength forms of fish oil. However, you need to take quite a bit for it to be effective. Taking 4,000 milligrams of fish oil will lower triglycerides by about 20%.
On the other hand, flaxseed oil is not effective at lowering any form of cholesterol. And whole flaxseeds lower LDL only slightly.
And remember, one of the problems with supplements is that they aren’t subjected to the same regulatory controls as medications. As a result, it can be difficult to know if the supplement in your medicine cabinet contains what it says it does. As a result, if you really need to lower your cholesterol you are probably better off with a prescription medication.
The Savvy Short: Red yeast rice and fish oil can lower different types of cholesterol. Flaxseed oil has not been shown to lower cholesterol. However, because of the variability in quality in supplements, prescription cholesterol medications are likely a better bet.
Q: My daughter was just diagnosed with PCOS. She’s 19 years old. We were all really surprised by this because she has always been thin. Her doctor said not all women with PCOS struggle with weight. What does the data say about women and girls with PCOS who are thin? Do they have different symptoms or health problems?
—Anonymous
