Cholesterol

Do you have high levels of cholesterol? What is cholesterol anyways? Cholesterol is It is very common for individuals (generally older than 50) to start seeing higher levels of cholesterol. And of course, with higher levels of cholesterol can come higher risks for heart attacks and strokes.

Causes of High Cholesterol

But what exactly causes high cholesterol? Isn’t high cholesterol causes by a diet high in fats? Specifically things like eggs and butter?

I’m sorry to say, that isn’t true. In fact it’s not really even close. For years though, that was the theory behind high cholesterol. Heart doctors, major health clinics, and even the heart association have taught that one of the major reasons for high cholesterol comes from eating too many fats. Too many fats which then leads to building up in the arteries, of course.

The recommended fix? “Avoid fats and red meat and instead focus on fruits, carbs, and whole grains.” This is also not a good idea since healthy saturated fats like organic grass-fed butter or grass-fed beef are amazing for us. They are important for fighting inflammation, supporting the immune system, and with improving overall cellular health/energy.

The real cause of high cholesterol comes from 1 of 2 places: high blood sugar and/or poor thyroid function.

High Blood Sugar

When we eat too many carbohydrates and not enough protein, we can cause our body to develop high blood sugar. It is primarily our liver’s job to direct glucose to be stored in the liver itself or in the muscles where it can be used for energy. When we eat too many carbs and not enough protein, our liver doesn’t have enough fuel (amino acids) to properly handle the carbs. Thus the cells become insulin-resistant and the blood sugar becomes higher and higher (as seen in diabetics). Though you may not have diabetes, if your blood sugar is high, your body will turn it into cholesterol and as a way to reduce the high blood sugar.

It is important to note there are other causes that can contribute to high blood sugar (insulin resistance) such as inflammation, infections, and mold. To read all about high blood sugar, check out this article here.

The key here is to focus on addressing the high blood sugar and the cholesterol numbers will naturally reduce as the blood sugar improves.

A few tips for reducing high blood sugar would be to reduce carbs to 0-5% of your daily caloric intake. Increase quality sources of protein and fats in your nutrition. Also consider intermittent fasting, doing water-only day-fasts, and doing interval training. I’d encourage you to read through the article I linked in the last paragraph to get more comprehensive insight into addressing high blood sugar.

Poor Thyroid Function

The thyroid is a powerful organ that helps increase metabolism and functioning of our cells and organs. When thyroid function is poor, the gallbladder can become sluggish. The gallbladder is known for helping with break down and absorption of fats, but it also helps with detoxing un-needed cholesterol from the body. Therefor, if the gallbladder is not functioning well, the body will not excrete cholesterol. Thus, cholesterol may build up.

There is a 2nd mechanism by which hypothyroidism can contribute to hypercholesterolemia. With low thyroid function, you generally will have a high TSH on lab work. When TSH is high, it will cause an increase in activity of an enzyme called HMG-CoA Reductase — the enzyme responsible for making cholesterol. Simultaneously, when TSH is high, the body has a low sensitivity for LDL cholesterol which can allow it to increase.

Read more about thyroid conditions here.

The key here is to increase thyroid function. This one is a bit more complicated since there are many reasons why someone’s thyroid may be functioning poorly. Common stressors to the thyroid system include: nutrient deficiencies (iodine, zinc, selenium), infections, heavy metal toxicities, inflammation, and poor estrogen detoxification.

It is also worth mentioning that most doctors usually only run ONE thyroid test (TSH) when you really need ~10 thyroid markers to see the whole picture.

Work with a Professional

It is true that you can make a lot of progress with health conditions simply by making the right lifestyle changes. Sometimes, unfortunately, lifestyle changes just aren’t enough. If necessary, work with a functional and holistic professional to uncover the root causes of your high cholesterol.

Suffering from High Cholesterol?

At Freedom Health and Wellness, we address all of these things and more through a personalized and functional approach. We help people with chronic diseases and illnesses regain their health by getting to the source of their health concerns.