All About Cholesterol
What is Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat. In small amounts, it is beneficial for our body’s function. It is one of the building blocks of our cellular membranes (Medical Herbalism), it is needed in order to create hormones which help us remain in homeostasis, and is one of the essential ingredients of bile acids, which help us to digest foods. Cholesterol even helps us to resist illness.
We intake some cholesterol through our diet, but the majority of the cholesterol in the body is created by the liver. When cholesterol levels are too high, whether because of diet or due to an internal factor like genetics or disease, we can run into more serious health issues, like coronary heart disease.
Fats we intake can be sorted into different categories according to how dense they are. A blood test known as a lipid panel will check for the levels of various densities of fats. This test returns results regarding your total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, non HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Total cholesterol: This is the total amount of cholesterol in your blood and is calculated by adding your HDL count, LDL count and 20% of your triglyceride count.
HDL: These are the smaller, high density lipoproteins and what we consider “good cholesterol.” “Good” cholesterol moves extra cholesterol out of your bloodstream and into your liver for the liver to process and remove. By doing this, HDL helps arteries clear cholesterol the body doesn’t need.
LDL: These are the larger, low density lipoproteins and what we consider “bad cholesterol.” We consider LDL “bad” because it tends to be retained in the arteries and, when there is an excess of it, leads to plaque buildup or arteriosclerosis. Our bodies need some LDL cholesterol. They carry cholesterol from the liver to your body’s cells, where the cholesterol is used for various body processes, but having too much LDL cholesterol can cause issues. Excess LDL or VLDL cholesterol contributes to plaque buildup in our arteries. Plaque is a sticky substance made from cholesterol, calcium, and other fats and substances in the blood. This plaque hardens overtime, blocking the arteries and narrowing the path for blood to flow. This restricts the flow of oxygen in the body carried by blood cells and creates the condition for various heart diseases to occur.
VLDL: These are very low density lipoproteins. VLDLs carry triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood. Though VDLDs are needed in the body, an excess of them, similar to LDLs, can create damaging effects for the cardiovascular system.
Triglycerides: These are another type of fat and are in fact the most common type of fat in our bodies. You need some triglycerides as they help our bodies use them to store unused calories that can later provide our bodies with energy. However, very high levels of Triglycerides can put you at risk of liver and pancreas related complications.
Non-HDL cholesterol: this is all the cholesterol in the blood that isn’t HDL
Interpreting Cholesterol Panels
Helpful facts
Cholesterol and triglycerides are measured in milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood or mg/dL
Total cholesterol: HDL + LDL + 20% Triglycerides = Total Cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol: Total Cholesterol - HDL = Non-HDL
Total Cholesterol-to-HDL Cholesterol ratio: Total Cholesterol/HDL Cholesterol (you want this to be less than 5)
A HDL above 60 offers you protection against heart disease (Cleveland Clinic)
Normal Cholesterol Levels by Age (Cleveland Clinic)
| Age | Total Cholesterol | Non-HDL Cholesterol | LDL Cholesterol | HDL Cholesterol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 and younger | Below 170 | Below 120 | Below 110 | Above 45 |
| 20 and older; assigned male at birth | 125 to 200 | Below 130 | Below 100 | 40 or higher |
| 20 and older; assigned female at birth | 125 to 200 | Below 130 | Below 100 | 50 or higher |
High Cholesterol Levels by Age (Cleveland Clinic)
| Age | Total Cholesterol | Non-HDL Cholesterol | LDL Cholesterol |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 and younger | Borderline High: 170-199 High 200+ |
Borderline High: 120-144 High 145+ |
Borderline High: 110-129 High 130+ |
| 20 and older | Borderline High: 200-239 High: 240+ |
Below 130+ | Near-optimal: 100-129 Borderline High: 130-159 High 160-189 Very High: 190+ |
Managing cholesterol
Incorporating exercise, stress-reduction practices, and a diet that includes antioxidants and complex carbohydrates all may support healthy levels of cholesterol in the body. Herbal medicine can help play a role here, too! Here are five of my favorite herbs to use to support cholesterol management.
Oatstraw (Avena Sativa) has many of the same healing properties as oatmeal. It provides soluble fiber known as beta glucans which bonds to cholesterol in the small intestine which reduces the amount of cholesterol that travels to other parts of your body. This helps lower cholesterol.
Cayenne (Capsicum Annuum) contains a chemical constituent known as capsaicin which makes it spicy. This same constituent aids in the breakdown of fat in the body, including in the arteries which helps cayenne aid in the reduction of cholesterol.
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) acts by lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL cholesterol.
Milk Thistle (Marianum silybum) is rich in polyunsaturated fats (Liu, 2023; National Institute of Health) which are excellent for lowering LDL levels and it is a liver tonic, aiding with the production of regulated cholesterol, including HDL, or “good” cholesterol.
Garlic (Allium Sativum) helps to reduce serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing the presence of HDLs. It helps to reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis, among other cardiovascular health complications. (Medical Herbalism, 293)
