What Is Cholesterol? The real causes of high cholesterol levels Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is found in every single cell within the human body. Function Builds Cell Membranes It’s an important building block for the membranes around your cells, protecting their structure and keeping them stable.
Prevents Infections It helps to build lipid rafts in your cells which help to protect against getting infected or invaded by viruses or bacteria. Building Hormones Cholesterol is vital for building steroid hormones like testosterone, cortisol, and estrogen, and also building vitamin D through your skin Cholesterol Functions Memory It’s absolutely essential for building connections or synapses in your brain so that you have a good and working memory Building Bile And finally one of the most important benefits of cholesterol si that helps to build bile in your liver and gallbladder, which helps your body to digest and process fats, and absorb fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, K, K2 and also phytonutrients from plants.
When you go to the doctors and get a blood test, they will usually measure your cholesterol by checking HDL and LDL. These are proteins that act as vehicles to carry cholesterol around your body where it needs to be. HDL is considered to be healthy, as it helps to carry and remove excess cholesterol from your cells. Whilst LDL is also important for carrying cholesterol from your liver to your cells through your blood.
Unfortunately, certain types of LDL (sdLDL) are dangerous as they contain cholesterol that can stick inside your artery walls and oxidize, raising the risk of heart attacks, blood clots, strokes, and diabetes. In this article we are going to take a look at the 6 main causes of high cholesterol levels (HDL & LDL), and how to bring these numbers back into balance using nutrition and natural remedies. Just a quick reminder this article is for educational purposes only, so do speak to your doctor if you have any medical concerns.
1. Fatty Liver.
Fatty Liver One of the main causes of high total cholesterol levels or having too much LDL is due to having fatty liver disease. Your liver makes a substance called bile, which is involved with breaking down fats and lipids in the body such as cholesterol and triglycerides. However, if you have any type of liver disease, are overweight in the belly area, or have gallbladder problems, You may not be making/releasing enough bile which is causing your body to store more cholesterol.
2. Processed Sugars.
Processed Sugars The main reason that people have liver problems and too much cholesterol is that they eat too many processed carbohydrates, Such as refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, or maltodextrin fillers found in sweets, soda drinks, table sauces, jams, syrups, protein bars/shakes and junk foods. These cause inflammation in your liver and cause the cholesterol in your LDL to become dysfunctional which can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart attacks or blood clots.
3. High Cortisol (Stress).
High Cortisol (Stress) When you are emotionally stressed, your body produces more of a hormone called cortisol, as part of the fight/flight mechanism. This hormone raises your blood sugars, tightens your muscles, and helps your body get ready to fight or run away, as it perceives danger. Unfortunately, if you remain stressed out and anxious for weeks, months, or years this can continue to raise blood sugars. These blood sugars are converted into fat which raises the amount of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Which can raise the risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and a cascade of other health problems.
4. Losing Weight.
Losing Weight If you are following a diet or exercise plan and are losing weight, it is very normal for cholesterol levels to go up. As your body is burning fat, the cholesterol that’s stored in your fat cells has to get transported to your liver for elimination. This means that there is more cholesterol in your blood temporarily because your body needs to break it down to get rid of it. As you reach your weight loss goals your numbers will go back to normal, as this is a temporary situation. This is not a problem, as long as you have enough bile to break down these fats. But we will talk more about this later in the video.
5. Gut Dysbiosis
Gut Dysbiosis Inside your gut there are over 100 trillion friendly bacteria that help to produce vitamins, brain chemicals, and secondary bile. Studies show that these friendly microbes help to regulate cholesterol levels and raise HDL (good cholesterol) to lower the risk of heart problems. Unfortunately, if you suffer from any type of gut disease like SIBO, IBS, Celiac, Indigestion, ulcers, etc… It’s likely that your LDL cholesterol will go higher, because of the damage that’s happening to the walls of your intestines. The liver produces more LDL to help repair the damage, but this cholesterol can become oxidized and cause problems in your body.
6. Overactive Thyroid
Overactive Thyroid (Hyperthyroidism) People who have an overactive thyroid (hyper not hypo), also tend to have higher LDL cholesterol levels. This gland in your neck controls many parts of your metabolism, and if it’s overworked it can produce more of the dangerous type of LDL (VLDL) which can cause plaque in the arteries. If you suffer from this condition you may need to get more Vitamin B1 in your diet, and be sure to avoid taking bile or TUDCA as a supplement which can make the problem worse.
Other Causes Of High Cholesterol Other Causes of High Cholesterol Diabetes CETP Gene Mutation Vegetable Oils & trans fats (Inflammatory, damage the liver) Alcohol (also damages the liver and causes problems with cholesterol metabolism) Smoking cigarettes or vaping. (nicotine from cigarettes or vaping lowers HDL and can raise LDL) Medications (such as beta-blockers, diuretics, birth control, or steroids) Removed Gallbladder (which causes a lack of bile, so cholesterol and fats don’t break down properly in eh body) Niacin Deficiency (B3) How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally How To Lower Cholesterol Now that you know about the main causes of high cholesterol levels, we will take a look at 6 ways to help normalize your LDL and HDL numbers.
1. Take 2-4 bile acid capsules every single day to help support your liver and gallbladder in breaking down cholesterol. Look for a brand that contains ox bile, or for a more powerful version take TUDCA or Taurodeoxycholic Acid. Avoid this however if you have an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroid). I’ll put some links down below the video to share my favorite products, which you may also want to research in your own time.
2. Cut out inflammatory vegetable oils and trans fats from fast foods, and stop smoking and drinking alcohol as these all damage your liver and accumulate bad types of cholesterol in your body. Stay away from foods that contain high fructose corn syrup and sugar like table sauces, jams, syrups, sweets, and soda drinks as much as possible. 3. Eat anti-inflammatory foods to help reduce the dangerous small dense LDL cholesterol, including avocados, sardines, pistachios, extra virgin olive oil, and walnuts. Focus specifically on eating more omega
3-rich fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring, or taking fish oil/cod liver oil supplements.
4. If you have concerns about heart attacks, suffer from atherosclerosis (arterial plaque), or have heart disease consider taking Niacin (B3) at a dosage of 500-1000mg per day. Make sure that the product you chose is extended-release niacin, not niacinamide. This causes a flushing sensation within 2 hours of taking it as it opens up blood vessels. Niacin has been shown to increase HDL and lower LDL for a healthier cholesterol profile.
5. Exercise for at least 10-20 minutes twice per week, using high-intensity interval training. Biking, running, weight lifting, or deadlifts are all excellent. This will help cholesterol to be transported to the right places in your body, and lower oxidative stress, making LDL more stable and less likely to cause damage to your arteries.
6. Consume more soluble fiber and prebiotics in your diet from fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, berries, chia seeds, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. These will help to boost the amount and diversity of the friendly microbes in your gut, which will naturally reduce cholesterol levels.
6 Vitamins to UNCLOG Your ARTERIES Thank you so much for reading my topic today, and as always I wish you great health, wealth, and happiness.
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