While fish oil, red yeast rice extract, and garlic are a few of the supplements cardiologists get asked about most often by their patients, you will likely hear about plenty of other over-the-counter products that claim to naturally reduce cholesterol. There’s berberine (a chemical plant extract), green tea extract, artichoke extract, soy protein, psyllium (a form of fiber), and many more. At best, says Dr. Eckel, some of these supplements may be “minimally effective” at controlling cholesterol. At worst, they cause unwanted side effects (berberine, for example, is notorious for causing gastric distress—yikes!) and prevent you from getting effective treatment.