Cholesterol is needed by your body, however, too much cholesterol can signal that you are at risk of heart disease
Cholesterol is needed by your body to make the walls of all your cells, to make hormones, to help make Vitamin D, and to help digest fat; however too much cholesterol can signal that you are at risk of heart disease.
Some types of cholesterol are better than others
Some types of cholesterol are better than others; the good cholesterol is called High Density Lipids (HDL), and the bad cholesterol is known as Low Density Lipids (LDL). A blood test shows how much of each of these are present, and will also show other fats in the blood.
Changes in your diet can help
Changes in your diet can help decrease the bad cholesterol and increase the good type.
High quality fat in your diet improves cholesterol
Contrary to popular belief including high quality fat in your diet can actually improve cholesterol level. It is very important to avoid damaging fats found in overheated and fast foods.
Avoid sugars
Even more important, avoid sugars and refined foods as these are most likely to cause imbalances leading to high cholesterol. There are many other important foods and nutrients that help lower the bad cholesterol.
Click here to read more about changes you can make to your diet to help cholesterol levels.
Naturopaths will always guide you about these dietary aspects; in addition we often include herbal remedies to help you reach a healthy cholesterol level.
Many herbs have been used traditionally to lower cholesterol [6], not all these have been the subject of research studies, but the scientific evidence is growing and there is greater understanding about how herbs work [6, 7].
Milk thistle or Silybum marianum
The herb commonly known as Milk thistle (or by its botannical name Silybum marianum), has long had a great reputation for stimulating healing in the liver. It has recently been shown that it helps give healthier cholesterol levels [1, 2]. In a study a few years ago, fifty people who had Type 2 diabetes, and unhealthily high cholesterol, were given Silybum marianum. After four months not only were their bad cholesterol levels and blood fats lower, but their blood sugar levels also improved [2].
Artichoke or Cynara scolymus
Artichoke, or botannical name Cynara scolymus, can be used as a food but is best taken as a more concentrated herbal medicine. It can inhibit your body from making too much cholesterol [3]. When seventy five people with high cholesterol took a herbal preparation of Artichoke for 12 weeks their overall cholesterol dropped to a healthier level [4]. Artichoke has also been shown to be helpful with indigestion, probably as it helps break down fat [5].
Berberine found in many herbs
Berberine is a substance found in many herbs that are used traditionally to support the liver and lower cholesterol; research findings show berberine lowers cholesterol and blood fats in a different way to statin drugs [8].
Guggul or Commiphora mukul
The herb Guggul (or botannical name Commiphora mukul) has been used traditionally for over 2000 years [6]. When people took this herb for 9 months their cholesterol levels improved as much as the reported cholesterol and blood fat lowering effect of modern drugs [9].
Withania somnifera
Another herb Withania somnifera is being studied by scientists with regard to its beneficial effects on cholesterol; they demonstrate it can decrease the bad cholesterol, blood fats and total cholesterol, and increase the good cholesterol [10, 11].
Herbs tend to be safer and have fewer side effects
When taken correctly herbs tend to have fewer side effects and are safer than many pharmaceutical medications used to lower cholesterol, this makes the herbal option more appealing to many people [5, 10].
White Horehound
White Horehound (botanical name Marrubium vulgare) has a number of traditional uses; it can help respiratory problems, digestive problems, help lower blood sugar levels, and will also decrease cholesterol and blood fats [12, 13, 14, 15].
Gymnema herb
The Gymnema herb (botanical name Gymnema sylvestre) has had a long history of use in Audevic medicine to lower bood sugar levels and reduce obesity. Research has been undertaken in recent years which demonstrates it helps lower both blood sugar levels and cholesterol [16]. A compound called dihydroxy gymnemic triacetatefound in Gymnema has been found to lower blood sugar levels, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and improve HDL-cholesterol; in addition it has been shown to help liver function [17].
Hawthorn
Hawthorn (botanical name Crataegus monogyna) traditionally used in all heart and circulation complaints will also improve cholesterol [18, 19].
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba works in a very different way to statin medications to decrease cholesterol [20].
Ensure you receive advice before using any herbal medicines.
Contact Bay Health Clinic today to find out more about herbal medicine that can be tailored to your personal needs and to book your Naturopathic consultation; call 07 571 3226 or email us: ask@bayhealth.nz
Jaine Kirtley MRN RN Reg. Nurse Reg. Naturopath
Copyright of text © Jaine Kirtley Bay Naturopath contact us to use this article
Click here to read more about how you can help your heart and circulation.
References
- Click on the references to be directed to the websites giving details of the study and research
1. `kottová N, VeeYa R, Urbánek K, VáHa P, Walterová D, Cvak L: Effects of polyphenolic fraction of silymarin on lipoprotein profile in rats fed cholesterol-rich diets. Pharmacological Research 2003, 47(1):17-26.
2. Huseini HF, Larijani B, Heshmat R, Fakhrzadeh H, Radjabipour B, Toliat T, Raza M:The efficacy of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (silymarin) in the treatment of type II diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Phytotherapy Research 2006, 20(12):1036-1039.
3. Gebhardt R: Inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Primary Cultured Rat Hepatocytes by Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Extracts. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1998, 286(3):1122-1128.
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8. Kong W, Wei J, Abidi P, Lin M, Inaba S, Li C, Wang Y, Wang Z, Si S, Pan H et al: Berberine is a novel cholesterol-lowering drug working through a unique mechanism distinct from statins. Nat Med 2004, 10(12):1344-1351.
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13. Boudjelal A, Henchiri C, Siracusa L, Sari M, Ruberto G: Compositional analysis and in vivo anti-diabetic activity of wild Algerian Marrubium vulgare L. infusion. Fitoterapia (0).
14. Elberry AA, Harraz FM, Ghareib SA, Gabr SA, Nagy AA, Abdel-Sattar E: Methanolic extract of Marrubium vulgare ameliorates hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. International Journal of Diabetes Mellitus 2011(0).
15. Berrougui H, Isabelle M, Cherki M, Khalil A: Marrubium vulgare extract inhibits human-LDL oxidation and enhances HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux in THP-1 macrophage. Life Sciences 2006, 80(2):105-112.
16. Nakamura Y, Tsumura Y, Tonogai Y, Shibata T: Fecal Steroid Excretion Is Increased in Rats by Oral Administration of Gymnemic Acids Contained in Gymnema sylvestre Leaves. The Journal of Nutrition 1999, 129(6):1214-1222.
17. Daisy P, Eliza J, Mohamed Farook KAM: A novel dihydroxy gymnemic triacetate isolated from Gymnema sylvestre possessing normoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity on STZ-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2009, 126(2):339-344.
18. Zhang Z, Ho WKK, Huang Y, James AE, Lam LW, Chen Z-Y: Hawthorn Fruit Is Hypolipidemic in Rabbits Fed a High Cholesterol Diet. The Journal of Nutrition 2002, 132(1):5-10.
19. Zhang Z, Ho WKK, Huang Y, Chen Z-Y: Hypocholesterolemic activity of hawthorn fruit is mediated by regulation of cholesterol-7±-hydroxylase and acyl CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase. Food Research International 2002, 35(9):885-891.
20. Xie Z-q, Gai L, Zhang L, Wang Q, Qu Y, Gao Y, Lin L-b, Ye S, Zhang J, Wang H et al: Molecular mechanisms underlying the cholesterol-lowering effect of Ginkgo biloba extract in hepatocytes: a comparative study with lovastatin. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2009, 30(9):1262-1275.
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