If you're worried about your cholesterol level and have started exercising and eating healthier foods, you might wonder if a dietary supplement could help. With your doctor's OK, here are some cholesterol-improving supplements to consider.

Cholesterol-improving supplement	What it might do	Side effects and drug interactions
Berberine	May reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol and triglycerides	May cause diarrhea, constipation, gas, nausea or vomiting; may cause harm to babies during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Fish oil	May reduce triglycerides	May cause a fishy aftertaste, bad breath, gas, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea; may interact with some blood-thinning medications
Flaxseed, ground	May reduce LDL cholesterol	May cause gas, bloating or diarrhea; may interact with some blood-thinning medications
Garlic	May slightly reduce cholesterol but studies have been conflicting	May cause bad breath, body odor, nausea, vomiting and gas; may interact with some blood-thinning medications
Green tea or green tea extract	May lower LDL cholesterol	May cause nausea, vomiting, gas or diarrhea; may interact with blood-thinning medications
Niacin	May lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides; may improve high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol	May cause itching and flushing, which are more common at the higher doses usually needed to have an effect on cholesterol
Plant stanols and sterols	May reduce LDL cholesterol, particularly in people with a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia)	May cause diarrhea