What does the liver have to do with cholesterol?

Are you concerned about your cholesterol level? Have you tried unsuccessfully to lower it by watching your diet? Did you know that the vast majority of the cholesterol in your body was made by your liver?

On the whole, cholesterol is a beneficial substance in your body. It is so essential in fact that every cell of your body requires it. Having too much cholesterol in your bloodstream can be problematic though; particularly if you have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and abdominal obesity.

If you want to achieve a healthy cholesterol level, it is vital to improve the health of your liver.

The types of fats that are found in your bloodstream include:

  • HDL cholesterol (often referred to as good cholesterol)
  • LDL cholesterol (often referred to as bad cholesterol, but is only bad if the particle sizes are small and dense)
  • Triglycerides (these are very unhealthy if excess amounts are present). Triglycerides are made in the liver from dietary carbohydrates, sugar and alcohol.

The liver plays a central role in the metabolism of fats and if it is working efficiently the liver makes more of the good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) and less of the bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol). If you have a fatty liver this healthy state of affairs becomes reversed and you end up with excess levels of LDL cholesterol floating around in your circulation and this can lead to blocked and hardened arteries. Even more dangerous is the build up of triglyceride fats in the bloodstream that occurs in most people with a fatty liver. Triglycerides are sticky fats and make your blood too thick; this can cause poor circulation and blood clots.

Natural ways to improve your blood fats:

Drink more healthy beverages – water, tea, herbal tea and raw vegetable juices

Take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in water – sip this during your main meal and it will also improve digestion

Take a fiber mixture daily- mix the following

  • 2 tablespoons of psyllium husks
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon of ground LSA (Linseed, Sunflower seeds & Almonds)
  • 2 teaspoons of Fibertone powder
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut milk
  • Eat this like a porridge or add it to your cereal or smoothie

Garlic can influence the liver’s ability to produce cholesterol. It is thought that garlic is able to reduce the production of the liver enzyme, HMG-CoA, which is responsible for the production of cholesterol. It seems garlic works in the same way as cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, however without the side effects.

Previous studies have supported this finding and have concluded that garlic is capable of lowering harmful LDL cholesterol and raising beneficial HDL cholesterol. A recent study completed at Pennsylvania State University found that the active ingredient in mature garlic (known as S-allyl cysteine) inhibits unhealthy LDL cholesterol. Other studies have also shown that garlic is able to reduce other risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease by enhancing circulation, reducing homocysteine levels (an amino acid which increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and fatty deposits in arteries) and reduce blood clotting.

I am not a believer in the modern day practice of giving everyone with risk factors for heart disease cholesterol lowering drugs, irrespective of their cholesterol levels. I have seen many patients with extremely low cholesterol levels induced by years of these types of drugs and they live in fear of their cholesterol levels rising back to normal levels.

High doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs can cause side effects such as:

  • Liver inflammation
  • Memory impairment
  • Muscle inflammation, muscle pain, muscle weakness and cramps
  • Weakening of the tendons and ligaments
  • Inflammation and weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)
  • Mental and physical fatigue
  • Deficiency of co enzyme Q10

Your body manufactures co enzyme Q10 via the same metabolic pathway as cholesterol. That means a drug that reduces your cholesterol level will also reduce your co enzyme Q10 level. This is a problem because CoQ10 is very important for a healthy heart. It helps to bring blood and oxygen to the heart muscle, reducing the risk of heart attacks. It also helps to strengthen the heart muscle and reduce the risk of heart failure. Lastly, co enzyme Q10 assists energy production in the body, therefore helps to improve energy, endurance and stamina. If you are taking a cholesterol lowering drug, a co enzyme Q10 supplement can reduce many of the side effects.

The practice of starting older patients on cholesterol lowering drugs is to be questioned unless they have very elevated levels of small dense LDL cholesterol. Slight elevation of cholesterol in older patients, and indeed in any patients responds to natural therapies, a liver tonic and increased dietary fiber. Often older patients are already on too many prescribed drugs – such as drugs for gastric reflux, pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, depression, fluid retention etc - the last thing they need is another drug! When the liver has to break down 4 or 5 different drugs, it must work very hard, indeed much much harder than normal. This can cause a higher risk of liver damage and drug interaction side effects.

I have also found that when patients are prescribed too many drugs at one time we get a tendency to weight gain, as there are less energy reserves left in the liver to burn fat. Yes the practice of prescribing too many drugs (polypharmacy) can lead to weight gain as well as serious health problems. Is it normal for a 75 year old to have extremely low levels of cholesterol? I do not think so!

What does the body use cholesterol for?

  • Cholesterol is the raw material that the body uses to manufacture the following –
  • Vitamin D
  • Sex hormones and steroid hormones – such as testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, cortisol
  • Bile salts
  • Production of the myelin sheath which insulates nerve pathways

Just the other day I had a patient who came to visit me with her daughter. She was a woman aged 74 years and had been made to feel seriously ill by taking an ever increasing number of prescribed drugs. She was taking drugs for osteoporosis, high blood pressure, acid reflux and high cholesterol. This polypharmacy had made her feel like “a toxic stew” she said. The diuretics she had been taking had caused her blood electrolytes to become seriously deranged.

Her daughter, being a nurse, had taken her off all the medication, except for her blood pressure tablets. She had made her mother raw vegetable juices and within a week, her mother felt human again and could walk without falling over.

Is the theory that everyone with any risk factors for cardiovascular disease (and isn’t that 90% of us?), should have a very low cholesterol level, a conspiracy theory? I think it is.

There are forces that encourage Western governments to subsidise the use of cholesterol lowering drugs for the majority of its older population – is that natural? I don’t think so.

For a comprehensive plan to improve cholesterol see my book "Cholesterol the Real Truth"

 

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.