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Most of those are taken for anti-inflammatory effects and not cholesterol effects though?

Statins cause pancreatic islet necrosis, so you can't take them without an established pathology like Metformin. So even though supplements don't have a significant effect, a supplement-based lifestyle approach is better in the long run.

Empirical administration is a serious mistake in the long run.

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Certainly, a lifestyle change would be effective compared to just adding a supplement. 6 months of meaningful lifestyle change do better than drug therapy.

The thing is lifestyle change takes effort and commitment. Supplements do not. So for most people the latter is a more accessible choice.

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Personally I believe that plant sterols and phenols, fish oils do work. But I do not trust these companies that make supplements. You have no idea what quality is or even if you are actually getting anything at all. You want plant phenols and sterols and omegas? Go eat the veggies and grass feed lean beef and wild caught salmon. Oh and avocado is absolutely fantastic for you.

And who funds these studies. We need more independent studies to know if anything really works and why.

What about Metamucil it’s a supplement that claims to lower cholesterol

That's different...it is fiber, so it blocks the absorption of a significant amount of what you ingest

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Exactly! I was just looking up red rice yeast and it looks like they removed components that were originally present when they were concluded to lower cholesterol. You can’t win with anything!! I will say Maca root and Shatavari had studies for lowering cholesterol. I just had mine tested after taking them so I guess we’ll see!

I think quality omegas and coq10 work.

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I don't mean that supplements are not important. I'm trying to say that supplements are better than drugs in the long run if there is no established pathology.