Herbs to Treat High Cholesterol

 High cholesterol. is a growing health problem that is often treated with
expensive, sometimes toxic medications; fortunately this disease can be treated naturally with herbs and supplements. High cholesterol is reported to be one of the main causes of modern heart disease; the problem with this is that the first course of action that a physician attempts is medication. This medication can be especially hard on the liver and its
side effects range from heartburn to Rhabdomyolysis, a serious disease
that can cause kidney failure and death. This medication can be useful for people
with multiple risk factors and previously diagnosed heart disease but
there are natural options available to try first.
    So what is high cholesterol, what do all these numbers mean, and why
are they important? Well when someone says that they have high
cholesterol the first number that comes to mind is the total
cholesterol. This number represents the amount of cholesterol in the
bloodstream at a certain point and can indicate how much cholesterol may
be on the walls of the arteries. Most medical doctors recommend that
this number be under 200. This however is not the most important number.
The most important set of numbers in this equation is
the Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and the High Density Lipoproteins
(HDL). The LDL is often called the "bad" cholesterol and can come in
small or large molecules. The smaller molecules are more dangerous
because they can lodge into smaller, tighter spaces and cause more
damage then the larger molecules. It is recommended that the LDL number be under
130 (and under 100 for people with multiple risk factors), and in addition to a regular lipid profile another test that should be done along side this is one that measures the LDL molecule size. The "good" cholesterol is the HDL. This is a larger molecule lipoprotein that cleans the cholesterol off the walls of the blood vessels; it works by
collecting the LDL and bringing it back to the liver to be processed. It
is recommended that the HDL be above 35. The last number that is not as
important in a long-term sense is the triglycerides, this number should
be below 150, but is variable depending on lifestyle. The total
triglyceride number can be increased by several factors; a person that
is overweight, doesn’t exercise, or even people who have a glass or two
of wine in the evenings may have elevated triglycerides. All of the numbers put together however, tell
quite a story to the experienced practitioner. For example, an herbal
client came to see me with a triglyceride level of 320, cholesterol of
199, HDL of 20, and a LDL of 180. Now her general cholesterol was good
but her triglycerides and LDL were high while her HDL was low; this
woman was very thin and health-conscious. Her individualized plan
included an herbal blend that improved her digestion, optimized her
liver function as well as education about lifestyle changes that would
increase her HDL. With a specialized plan we were able to get all of her
numbers into a healthy range within 2 months and she avoided having to
go on medication. Her allopathic physician was amazed at the progress
she made in such a short time, and was surprised that she was able to improve her numbers with “just” herbs and supplements.
    The organ that is responsible for the production of cholesterol and
its monitoring is the liver and sometimes treating high cholesterol
involves using herbs that work through the liver and/or digestive tract. One
of the ways that I help my clients with high cholesterol is by using
herbs that help with the digestive process. Herbs can help in the stomach and
small intestines to break the fat molecules down better so that
the liver can process them more efficiently. The liver and gallbladder
are an important part of making cholesterol. The two work together to
break down, process and convert the fats, and a liver or gallbladder
that is not working at its best will not allow the fats to be eliminated
properly. Some of the herbs I use to help lower high cholesterol and bring the
body back into balance include; olive leaf, oatstraw, wild grape leaves,
turmeric, osha, dandelion root, burdock, yellow dock, garlic,
fenugreek seeds, tea (both green and black) and guggul.
   One of my new favorite cholesterol reducing herbs is guggul. Guggul
is an ayurvedic herb that has in several studies brought LDL and
triglycerides down while increasing HDL. It seems to work on cholesterol levels by slowing
down the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. When this process
occurs too rapidly, the body is not able get rid of enough cholesterol,
resulting in higher cholesterol levels. Guggul also has mild
anti-coagulation properties which makes it a protective herb to the
heart, and from what I have seen an excellent choice for people who have both
high cholesterol and other cardiac risk factors.
   Another one of my favorite herbs for treating high cholesterol is wild
grape leaves. Wild grape leaves contain many protective properties to
the heart and blood vessels and is excellent for controlling high
cholesterol especially in someone with high blood pressure. Wild grape
leaves are high in anti-oxidants, tannins, and other chemicals, which are
currently being studied for their cardio-protective benefits. If you are
unable to find wild grape leaves, a good substitute that is easy to find
is grape seed extract, which has many of the same properties.
    There are several vitamins and supplements that I recommend to
people who have high cholesterol. One of my favorite supplements is flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil is high in fatty acids and can help increase HDL in the bloodstream. One
of the supplements that have been proven to reduce LDL and increase HDL
is niacin (1000-1500 mg). In fact many doctors are currently prescribing it along side
lipid-lowering agents because of its ability to increase HDL numbers by
up to 21% according to recent studies. Vitamin C (1000 mg) is also
helpful for people with high cholesterol because vitamin C helps to
decrease inflammation and damage to the blood vessel walls, which helps
prevent the cholesterol from attaching to them. Vitamin E (800 iu.) in
addition to being an antioxidant helps liver and the bile salts work
more efficiently. There are many avenues in treating high cholesterol
naturally, usually with a combination of herbs and supplements that help
bring the body into a state of efficiency and balance.