The study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine notes that red yeast rice may be a safe and effective alternative to statins, which are used in conventional medicine to treat high cholesterol.

Although statins like Zocor^®, Mevacor^® and Lipitor^® have proven effective in dealing with high cholesterol, they also cause a side effect of muscle pain in as many as 10 percent of users.

The participants in the study were individuals with a poor tolerance to statins, and they were given either a placebo or a dose of red yeast rice equivalent to their statin dosage, which revealed a notable drop in cholesterol levels among those who were given the actual supplement.

Whether taking statins or red yeast rice to reduce cholesterol, Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wredden recommend healthy eating habits and regular exercise as part of any cholesterol-reduction regiment.

There are other nutritional supplements people can take as well. The Mayo Clinic recommends artichoke extract, garlic extract or fish oil to help reduce cholesterol levels.

According to Reuters, researchers at the University of Colorado at Denver in Aurora have found that following a low-carb, high-fat diet may increase LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.

The research team followed a group of 32 obese adults for the study. The participants were randomly assigned to follow a low-carbohydrate diet, including 20 grams of carbohydrate or less daily, or a high-carb diet with 55 percent of calories coming from carbohydrates for six weeks.

While both groups had similar weight loss results with about 13 pounds shed, the team found that the group who followed the low-carb plan had an average increase of 12 milligrams per deciliter increase in their LDL levels. Participants in the high-carb diet group, on the other hand, decreased their LDL cholesterol levels.

High LDL levels are linked to clogged arteries and are a risk factor for heart disease. Healthcare practitioners recommend lifestyle changes including a healthy, low-fat diet, weight management and increased physical activity to keep LDL cholesterol levels in check.

Nutritional supplements containing policosanol and krill oil as well as cinnamon, pomegranate and artichoke may also help naturally lower cholesterol.

According to Reuters, researchers reviewed data from 13 large, randomized controlled trials of statins between 1994 and 2009, involving more than 91,000 patients. They found a clear link between statin use and diabetes, but say that the risk of developing diabetes was small.

They found that individuals on these medications are 9 percent more likely to develop diabetes compared to people not taking the drugs.

"Whilst a new risk of statins has been identified, the risk seems small and far outweighed by the benefits of this life-saving class of drugs," said Christopher Cannon of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Statins are routinely prescribed to treat high cholesterol and have been credited with helping to avoid millions of heart attacks and strokes. In addition, they generally have few negative side effects.

Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are often considered key to keeping cholesterol in check. Among the herbs and nutritional supplements believed to help lower cholesterol are fish oil, flaxseed, garlic, blond psyllium, guggulipid extract, green tea extract and beta sitosterol.

According to Reuters, researchers studied the effects of dietary-fat changes among 900 Australian adults age 49 and older who were followed for 10 years. They found that individuals who cut down on the amount of saturated fats, like butter, in their diets were also able to lower their cholesterol levels, even if they were taking a cholesterol-lowering medication.

In addition, choosing healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids over more unhealthy fats was linked to an increase in HDL, or "good," cholesterol levels.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults limit their saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of their daily calories and strive to eat two fish meals per week, preferably omega-3-rich fatty fish.

Researchers involved with the study say that reducing dietary fat and increasing the amount of omega-3s can help individuals enjoy better overall heart health. They also say that their findings prove that changing the diet can be as beneficial to health as taking conventional medications.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that doctors should tailor high cholesterol treatments based on individuals’ risk factors including age, family history, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking status and C-reactive protein (CRP).

"We’ve been worrying too much about people’s cholesterol level and not enough about their overall risk of heart disease," said researcher Dr. Rodney Hayward. "The bottom line message is that knowing your overall heart attack risk is more important than knowing your cholesterol level."

Researchers studied data from statin trials that included Americans aged 30-75 with no history of heart attack. They found that the benefit of five years of tailored treatment was more efficient and prevented substantially more heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths than the currently recommended approach of prescribing cholesterol-lowering medications.

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends harmful LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 130 for most people. High risk patients should be pushed even lower – to less than 70.

Experts say lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet and increasing exercise can lower cholesterol without medication.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Anand Rohatgi says even young adults and teens can show evidence of hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. He recommends screenings every five years, beginning at age 20.

If screenings reveal low levels of HDL, or good cholesterol, or high levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, screening frequency should be increased to every one or two years. In addition, doctors may recommend counseling on lifestyle changes to keep cholesterol in check.

"Simple measures that can reduce cholesterol levels include decreasing the amount of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of total calories consumed each day," Dr. Rohatgi says. "Also, increasing the amount of soluble fiber by just 5 to 10 grams daily and limiting cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams per day are helpful."

Among the herbs and nutritional supplements believed to help lower cholesterol are fish oil, flaxseed, garlic, blond psyllium, guggulipid extract, green tea extract and beta sitosterol.

"Our work demonstrated that oxycholesterol boosts total cholesterol levels and promotes atherosclerosis more than non-oxidized cholesterol," said Dr. Zhen-Yu Chen, the lead author of the study. He acknowledged that the other kinds of cholesterol can also be dangerous.

The researchers fed hamsters a diet that contained one of the three kinds of cholesterol for their study. The hamsters that were given oxycholesterol saw a 22 percent greater increase of serum cholesterol over the increase in hamsters given non-oxidized cholesterol.

In addition to increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, the researchers say oxycholesterol reduces arterial elasticity, which is a key attribute of healthy arteries and a factor in preventing blood clots.

Oxycholesterol abounds in fried and processed foods, so the scientists recommend staying away from this kind of diet and opting instead for fresh fruits and vegetables. They have a great deal of antioxidants that can be beneficial to cardiovascular health. Supplements containing green tea extract can also provide a big antioxidant boost.

The study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that high levels of selenium were associated with increased cholesterol.

Researchers followed 1,042 participants aged 19 through 64 in England. They were interviewed on their lifestyles and eating habits and had blood samples taken. They found that the subjects with the highest levels of selenium in the blood had an average of 8 percent higher cholesterol than those with smaller levels of the mineral in their blood.

In addition, 48 percent of the study participants with the highest selenium levels admitted to regularly taking selenium supplements.

Selenium is found naturally in foods like vegetables, meats and seafood. The popularity of selenium supplements has increased in recent years due to the mineral’s antioxidant and cancer-fighting benefits.

"This use has spread despite a lack of definitive evidence on selenium supplements efficacy for cancer and other chronic disease prevention," said lead researcher Dr Saverio Stranges. "The cholesterol increases we have identified may have important implications for public health. In fact, such a difference could translate into a large number of premature deaths from coronary heart disease," he added.

That’s the finding in a new study appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study reveals people who took one tablespoon of whole flaxseed every day were able to reduce both their total cholesterol and their LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels. Flaxseed oil, in comparison, did not produce the same results.

Women, particularly post-menopausal women, had the greatest reduction in their cholesterol, compared to men and people who previously had higher cholesterol levels, according to Reuters.

Flaxseed contains omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant-rich lignans and both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Taking one to two tablespoons of flaxseed every day is recommended by many health practitioners. Experts say whole and ground flaxseed are preferrable to flaxseed oil so you get all of its healthy components.

It is available in packaged foods like crackers, waffles and cereals and can be easily added at home to muffins, cakes and even casseroles.

Most supermarkets, pharmacies, other specialty food and vitamin stores and online retailers sell flaxseed.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at data for more than 7,000 adults four times between 1999 and 2006. They looked at the prevalence of screening, current use of cholesterol-lowering medication, and high LDL cholesterol levels in each time period.

Overall prevalence for high LDL-C levels decreased from 31.5 percent in 1999-2000 to 21.2 percent in 2005-2006.

However, there were no significant changes observed in the weighted age-standardized screening rates from 1999-2000 to 2005-2006. Among participants with high LDL cholesterol levels, 35.5 percent were unscreened, 24.9 percent were undiagnosed, and 39.6 percent were untreated or inadequately treated in 2005-2006.

According to the Mayo Clinic, high cholesterol can cause fatty deposits in the blood vessels, which can lead to clogged arteries. This can lead to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

High cholesterol is largely preventable and can be avoided by eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.