A comprehensive analysis of the core functional ingredients in health supplements that help lower blood lipids.

What are the active ingredients in health foods that help lower blood lipids?

According to the official website of the State Food and Drug Administration, as of June 11, 2015, 477 domestically produced health foods and 13 imported health foods had been registered and approved for use in helping lower blood lipids. Common substances and active ingredients in approved health foods that help lower blood lipids include fish oil, ginkgo extract, soybean extract, grape seed extract, alfalfa extract, bee products (propolis, bee pollen, royal jelly, etc.), pollen (pine pollen, bee pollen), garlic extract (allicin), chitosan, sunflower, corn, safflower, evening primrose, sea buckthorn seed, lecithin, hawthorn, aloe vera, tanshinone, taurine, tea polyphenols, buckwheat flour, spirulina, cassia seed, EPA, DHA, red yeast rice preparations, phytosterols, γ-oryzanol, vitamins, and trace elements.

1. Oils and Fats

(1) Linoleic Acid: Linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid are both unsaturated fatty acids that the human body cannot synthesize and must obtain from the diet; therefore, they are also called essential fatty acids. Linoleic acid can combine with cholesterol to form esters, which are then degraded into bile acids and excreted from the body, thus lowering blood plasma cholesterol. They are found in high concentrations in sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and evening primrose oil, but in lower concentrations in animal fats.

(2) Other Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Polyunsaturated fatty acids are also essential fatty acids for the human body, including alpha-linolenic acid, DHA, and EPA. DHA and EPA are converted from alpha-linolenic acid. Alpha-linolenic acid is found in high concentrations in flax (linolenic acid), perilla, and sea buckthorn, and is also present in some algae. DHA and EPA are found in some marine organisms, and are currently mainly extracted from marine fish. Middle-aged and elderly people, and those with hypertension or arteriosclerosis, need to supplement with vitamin E to maintain vascular stability. (3) Lecithin: Lecithin and its hydrolysis product choline have an affinity for and emulsifying effect on fats, promoting fat metabolism and excretion, thus preventing abnormal fat accumulation in the body. It should be noted that lecithin has a diuretic effect; therefore, when taking soy lecithin supplements during dry seasons, adequate hydration is necessary.

2. Others

Bee products, spirulina, and many plant and animal extracts have lipid-lowering effects, which are related to their functional factors. Studies have shown that many functional factors can lower blood lipids.

(1) Dietary Fiber: Medical research shows that foods rich in dietary fiber, such as oats, corn, and vegetables, help maintain a natural balance of cholesterol in the blood. Pectin in dietary fiber can bind to cholesterol, and lignin can bind to bile acids, causing them to be excreted directly in feces, reducing the body's absorption of cholesterol.

(2) Vitamins

(4) Antioxidants: Various antioxidants can inhibit lipid peroxidation, thereby lowering blood lipids.

Because the types of health supplements that help lower blood lipids are quite complex, consumers should choose according to their own actual situation and understand which type of health supplement they need. They should not make blind choices based on hearsay, which could lead to poor results and wasted effort.

Suitable and Unsuitable Populations

1. Suitable Population: Individuals with a family history of high cholesterol; overweight; middle-aged and elderly individuals; those with a history of overeating; postmenopausal women; long-term smokers and heavy drinkers; those who sit for long periods; those with irregular lifestyles, easily agitated emotions, or under stress; and those suffering from liver or kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc.

2. Unsuitable Population: Health supplements that assist in lowering cholesterol will specify "unsuitable population" as children and adolescents on their instructions, based on the growth and development needs of children and adolescents.

Furthermore, some ingredients in health supplements with cholesterol-lowering effects are not suitable for children. For example, those with a DHA to EPA ratio of 2.5:1 or higher are suitable for improving memory in adolescents. Those with equal DHA and EPA content or a higher EPA content are only suitable for lowering cholesterol in middle-aged and elderly individuals; adolescents should not consume them, as excessive EPA intake may affect sexual development and potentially promote precocious puberty.