Cholesterol Myths & How Naturopathy Can Help
Recent research turns traditional advice on its head
What causes high cholesterol?
Recent research shows that consuming cholesterol does not cause heart disease or increase levels of cholesterol in the body.
In fact 70% of the cholesterol in your body is made by your body.
Cholesterol is not the evil it has been made out to be, but there is a component of LDL cholesterol that should be controlled.
Your body needs cholesterol
Your body makes 2000mg of cholesterol every day. Cholesterol actually has an important function in the body, such as healing lesions of the heart. It makes hormones, eg stress and sex hormones and Vitamin D, aids with digestion, helps serotonin function, is a precursor to bile production, and is also a vital component of immune function for example.
Have you had a high cholesterol reading?
Traditionally, we have been educated that HDL is good cholesterol and LDL is bad cholesterol. Specifically, small dense LDL is not healthy, but this is only part of the story. The remaining LDL is in fact not unhealthy. So an LDL reading that is high has not differentiated whether the LDL is small dense or not, which renders the result incomplete. Further testing can give you a more a more meaningful result.
How I can help
There is a functional medicine test, which some people may want to take, to determine which type of LDL is high in your body. This will specify whether the LDL is a problem and the extent of the problem.
Rebalancing cholesterol levels in the body is something that I address with dietary steps and a program of natural medicine.
What causes clogging & plaquing of arteries?
Unhealthy fats are not the main problem, although they are part of the problem. The main problem is diets that are high in sugar and carbohydrates.
Inflammation in the body and arteries set up an environment whereby fats and materials can stick to the walls of the arteries. A high carb diet that raises insulin will be converted to fat and stored in the body, such as causing such things as fatty liver and build up on the walls of the arteries.
Hear from my clients
“Amazing man with a heart of gold, he actually helps with what ever U have going on. I swear by this man.”
– Jane
