High cholesterol

What you need to know

Cholesterol levels are measured in millimoles per litre of blood. If you’re concerned that yours is too high, your doctor can do a simple blood test. You can also buy cholesterol testing kits at most chemists and they’re normally reasonably accurate.

To understand the readings:

7.8 or more	You are at high risk of all the dangers of too much LDL - heart disease, circulation problems and strokes
6.5 to 7.8	Moderate risk
5.2 to 6.5	Average risk
5.2 or less	Low risk

IMPORTANT - Research indicates that certain supplements and herbs can help to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, however if you wish to choose these natural approaches instead of cholesterol lowering drugs you must work closely with your doctor and/or naturopath so that you can be closely monitored.

The most useful Supplements:

A good hi-potency multinutrient formula taken daily is useful to assist in correcting dietary deficiencies caused by a poor or restricted diet. Also if your cholesterol level is too high it maybe useful to take extra Antioxidants as these help to protect cholesterol from breaking down and clogging up the blood vessels.

Chromium	200mcg to 500mcg per day
HMB	3gm per day
Niacin	No flush form - 500mg up to 4 times per day
Soya isoflavones	50mg to 100mg per day
Vitamin C	1gm to 3gm per day

Other supplements which might be helpful:

Antioxidant complex, Lecithin, Vitamin E

The most useful Herbs:

Garlic	500gm 3 times per day
Green tea	500gm 3 times per day
Guggul	1gm to 2gm per day
Fenugreek	500gm 3 times per day
Psyllium (isphagula)	50gm per day
Red yeast rice	1gm to 2gm per day

Dietary changes that may be beneficial:

You need to eat more:

Garlic - loads of it. Numerous studies have shown how effective it is at lowering the cholesterol. That’s one reason why the French, hardly known for their abstemious habits when it comes to a glass or six of wine every evening - have a far lower rate of heart disease than us.
Oats
Fruit and vegetables - but particularly apples and pears
Fibre and complex carbohydrates - wholemeal Bread, again, brown rice, dried Beans, lentils, pasta.
Oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, pilchards
Soya foods - tofu, miso, tempeh and soya milk

And you need to cut down drastically on:

Cut down on saturated fats - in all Meat products like pies, Scotch Eggs and pate, the skin of Poultry and full-fat Dairy products.
Bacon and salami
Avoid coconut and palm oils, often present in products labelled ‘vegetable oil.’
Hydrogenated margarine, oils and fats
Butter, Cheese
Eggs
Cakes and biscuits
Fried liver
Ghee
Kidneys
All fish roe - including caviar if that’s part of your staple diet!

Other useful advice

To bring your level down - or to avoid it going up if you have a family history of high cholesterol - you need to give up smoking, take more exercise, drink less alcohol and coffee, and learn to relax by doing Yoga, listening to relaxation tapes, learning meditation or doing any hobby you enjoy which takes your mind off problems at work, arguments with the family or relationship difficulties.

If you are already using cholesterol lowering drugs, please be aware that some can cause nutritional losses from the body eg, Cholestyramine (a Bile Acid Sequestrant) affects the absorption of iron, betacarotene, vitamins A, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin E and folic acid. The ‘Statins’ (HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitors) deplete Coenzyme Q10 from the body. Taking a good multivitamin and mineral and a Coenzyme Q10 supplement in each case may be useful.

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The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.