If you have high cholesterol or want to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level, your best course of action is to eat a diet that helps control your cholesterol. For some, this may include using supplements like lysine to fine-tune the way your body handles fatty foods that can increase your blood cholesterol.
Lysine Basics
Lysine is an amino acid, a kind of protein essential to tissue health and many body processes. It's also an essential amino acid, one of the amino acids your body can't make for itself. Lysine is particularly important to your body's conversion of fats and fatty acids into energy.
Cholesterol Basics
Cholesterol is a waxy substance important to building and maintaining your body's tissues. Low-density lipoprotein, one type of cholesterol, is harmful to your circulatory health because it can clump and restrict blood flow. High-density lipoprotein, the other type, is beneficial. It cleans your blood of harmful substances, including LDL. Your body makes cholesterol in response to the presence of fat in your diet -- LDL for saturated fat, HDL for unsaturated fat.
Lysine and Cholesterol
Lysine helps your body convert fats into energy, rather than converting it into cholesterol. Because it reduces the amount of fat available to convert, it can lower your cholesterol levels. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a typical adult dosage is 12 mg of lysine per kilogram of body weight daily.
Bottom Line
The mechanics of how your body uses lysine are consistent with reducing cholesterol levels. However, lysine is rarely prescribed as a cholesterol-reducing measure. As with many dietary supplements, this medical usage is not yet supported by clinical study. If you are considering using lysine to influence your cholesterol levels, consult your doctor first.
