Bergamot for High Cholesterol
A 2023 study found that 700mg of bergamot extract daily significantly improved total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) compared to placebo over 12 weeks. Another study found that 500mg of bergamot extract significantly reduced visceral fat compared to placebo over 12 weeks. There are no significant studies assessing heart attack risk, stroke risk or mortality with bergamot. Bergamot is thought to activate AMP kinase and inhibit HMG‐CoA reductase (similar to statin medications). Bergamot may cause digestive or other side effects.
Fogacci F, Giovannini M, Imbalzano E, Grandi E, Rizzoli E, D'Addato S, Cicero AFG. Metabolic and vascular effect of a new standardized bergamot phytocomplex: a three-arm, placebocontrolled, double-blind clinical trial. Arch Med Sci. 2023 May 4;19(5):1228-1235. doi: 10.5114/aoms/163368. PMID: 37732063; PMCID: PMC10507770.
Rondanelli M, Peroni G, Riva A, Petrangolini G, Allegrini P, Fazia T, Bernardinelli L, Naso M, Faliva MA, Tartara A, Gasparri C, Infantino V, Perna S. Bergamot phytosome improved visceral fat and plasma lipid profiles in overweight and obese class I subject with mild hypercholesterolemia: A randomized placebo controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2021 Apr;35(4):2045-2056. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6950. Epub 2020 Nov 13. PMID: 33188552; PMCID: PMC8246838.