Cholesterol is really important to strengthen the cell membranes of the bowel wall and is very useful for leaky gut. It is also necessary to produce certain vitamins which in turn help the gut.
Cholesterol is also very important for hormone production which, in turn, has an effect on the gut. It is also vital for brain health and high cholesterol diets have has been shown to be beneficial for people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Another advantage of cholesterol is that it boosts your immune system and is an antioxidant. It is only a problem if it oxidises and your naturopath can test for that.
Why is it that people with normal cholesterol sometimes have a heart attack? Cholesterol testing is not a good indication of heart health; instead testing homocysteine, C-reactive protein and fasting blood glucose levels will give a more accurate picture. More than 60% of heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol and in 20% of cases there is low cholesterol! When arteries are becoming blocked, cholesterol comes in to make them more pliable and soften the blockage.
This may shock you: A study at Yale University found that old people with high cholesterol had half the number of heart attacks than others their age who had low cholesterol. In another study, doctors from London’s Imperial College found that high cholesterol was protective during heart failure. Interestingly, survival “increased by 25% for every mmol/l” of cholesterol.
To help the oxidation, eating antioxidant rich foods helps e.g. blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, acai berry, goji berries and greens like dunaliella salina, chlorella, wheat grass and barley grass. As mentioned earlier, homocysteine and C-reactive protein tests are far better for an accurate measure of heart health. These can be done along with bowel tests through your health practitioner. High cholesterol can also indicate heavy metals and thyroid problems.
Often the main reason cholesterol can rise is when the liver is not efficient at detoxifying or producing enough bile. The liver makes cholesterol and eating globe artichokes helps manage it in a healthy way. The liver is an important part of efficient digestion. Eating more green leafy vegetables and including lemons in the diet also helps the liver. Cholesterol rises to protect the body from an onslaught of toxins. Rather than killing cholesterol with drugs (that have their own side effects, including neurological and memory problems, lymphatic cancers and heart issues!) why not think about the message they are giving and addressing the cause of the problem.
The other thing to be aware of if you are on statins is that they lower an important nutrient called co-enzyme Q10 which is essential for heart function.
More information can be found in ‘Digestive Solutions-101 Proven methods to solve your tummy problems naturally’ By Michele Wolff
