Cholesterol gets a bad rap for its association with increased cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. However, it is actually a vital nutrient that our bodies need to keep our brains and nervous systems functioning, maintain proper hormone production and is a key building block of our biggest organ, the skin. Unfortunately, conventional medicine’s most common answer to “high” cholesterol is a group of prescription drugs called statins.
Statins have many known side effects such as muscle pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment, and digestive issues (diarrhea or constipation), but did you know they also increase the risk of much more serious conditions such as liver and kidney damage, diabetes and even dementia? Also, recent studies have shown that statins have no effect whatsoever on overall mortality rate or the actual risk that someone will die from a cardiovascular event. So, what’s a person supposed to do when they have been diagnosed with high cholesterol?
Being natural or holistic doctors, we can help you! We look at labs differently and emphasize the ratio of good vs bad fats which is more important than the total cholesterol number! The total cholesterol number should not be the determining factor when considering heart risk.
We will be able to review your labs and determine the cause of your excess “bad” cholesterol (and it’s not due to a lack of statins!). Like many things in the body, it is constantly being made and broken down, so the first step is to decide whether we are taking in too much and/or not breaking it down fast enough. This could include looking into dietary sources of excess cholesterol as well as examining our detox organs.
The liver is the main organ that breaks down cholesterol and then it is excreted from the body through the bowels. Therefore, optimizing liver and digestive function is typically at the heart of a treatment plan for decreasing cholesterol levels. Your doctor could recommend supplements and/or treatments such as constitutional hydrotherapy, visceral manipulation, sauna, and castor oil packs. While it does require some effort, it can be done, and your body will thank you for it.
We look forward to working with you to have the optimal ratio of “good” vs “bad” cholesterol.
Resources: Dr. Sherry Rogers, M.D. The Cholesterol Hoax and Is Your Cardiologist Killing You?
