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Can multivitamins help to lower my cholesterol?

Multivitamins that contain plant sterols can in fact lower cholesterol levels. Swiss researchers found that consuming these compounds – which mimic cholesterol and can block its absorption in the digestive tract – can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as 15 per cent in three weeks. Unfortunately, to achieve those results you might have to swallow up to five multivitamin tablets a day (depending on the brand) – not a great idea, considering that a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that men who pop more than seven multivitamins a week have an increased risk of prostate cancer.

A better bet: Try to eat more wheat germ. It has a high content of phytosterols relative to total fat, so 1.5 to 3g of wheat germ sprinkled on your oatmeal each day can help to reduce your LDL cholesterol by 8 to 15 per cent, says Dr Prediman K. Shah, the director of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.