According to the American Heart Association, low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol, can build up inside the inner walls of arteries that feed your heart and your brain. LDL cholesterol works with other substances in your body to form plaques of hard deposits that make your arteries narrow and rigid. This condition is known as atherosclerosis and may lead to a heart attack or stroke. Specific antioxidant vitamins may help lower LDL cholesterol levels in your body.
Vitamin B3
Your body requires niacin, or vitamin B3, to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and other substances. The Merck Manual of Medical Information suggests that a kind of niacin known as nicotinic acid may help lower high LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your blood. The Mayo Clinic's website suggests that niacin also may raise your high-density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your bloodstream. According to the Mayo Clinic, increasing HDL cholesterol may be just as important as lowering LDL cholesterol for healthy cholesterol levels.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant vitamin that may help protect cells in your body against the effects of substances known as free radicals. Your body produces free radicals by metabolizing food. Environmental exposure to toxins such as tobacco smoke may contribute to free radical formation in your body. Vitamin C is important for your skin, bones and connective tissues. According to the Vitamin Herb University website, vitamin C may lower LDL cholesterol by preventing LDL oxidation and increasing good cholesterol. Vitamin Herb University notes that vitamin C's effect on cholesterol may reduce the risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin that may lower LDL cholesterol in your body. A study published in the "Journal of Nutrition" indicates that vitamin E may lower LDL cholesterol by inhibiting LDL oxidation. LDL oxidation is a process that damages cells in your body. According to the "Journal of Nutrition," the effect of vitamin E on cholesterol may suppress atherogenesis, which contributes to atherosclerosis, because LDL cholesterol oxidation is a primary mechanism for atherogenesis. High LDL cholesterol levels occur when macrophages take up high amounts of LDL particles and use them to form "foam cells" in your body's fatty tissues. The "Journal of Nutrition" study found that increasing vitamin E content in LDL particles increased LDL resistance to oxidation and reduced LDL uptake by macrophages. The study concluded that vitamin E in LDL particles performs a "chain-breaking" function that may help suppress LDL build-up in your body.
