How To Balance Cholesterol Naturally

We often think of cholesterol as something that is inherently bad for our health. After all, it’s what causes the plaque buildup in arteries that lead to heart disease, right? The truth is the body actually needs cholesterol, and this relationship is, well, kind of complicated. So let’s talk about what does and doesn’t work for lowering cholesterol, and what we need to really be paying attention to.

What Is Cholesterol?

Okay, let’s start with the basics: what exactly is cholesterol? 

Cholesterol is a type of waxy fat, or lipid, that moves through the bloodstream. It’s found in every cell in the body, and your body makes up to 75-85% of your total cholesterol, which means that only about 20% comes from your diet, in the form of animal foods. (1)  And there’s a reason for this: your body needs cholesterol, so regardless of whether you consume it or not, it will go out of its way to produce it. 

This also means that opting for a low-cholesterol diet often doesn’t reap the benefits you might hope for. 

In fact, cholesterol levels in the body are so tightly regulated that when you limit your intake of dietary cholesterol, your liver works overtime to make up the difference and produce more of it. (2) So if that’s the case, does diet even matter when it comes to cholesterol? The answer is yes...And no. And we’ll get into that. 

First, let’s understand why we need cholesterol.

Why We Need It: The Health Benefits of Cholesterol

1. It’s required for the production of steroid hormones. 

Cholesterol is actually needed to create sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen. It’s also needed for the production of glucocorticoids like cortisol, which not only help to manage stress, but also lower inflammation, and break down fats and proteins. (3)

2. It helps with bile production in the liver. 

Cholesterol is needed for the formation of bile salts, the main component in bile, which is needed for good digestion and the breakdown of fats.

3. It’s the precursor to vitamin D. 

Vitamin D is required for the regulation of calcium and phosphate and the body, to keep  bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

Types of Cholesterol

You’ve probably heard this before, but when it comes to cholesterol, there are two types to pay attention to: HDL and LDL. 

The Good: HDL

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is what we consider to be good cholesterol. This is because it circulates in the blood, sweeping up unwanted cholesterol so that it can be broken down and eliminated from the body. Think of this as your pick up truck, scooping up unwanted things in your backyard and taking them away. 

The Bad: LDL

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is what we think of as the bad cholesterol. It’s the type of cholesterol that travels to the arteries. Think of this as the dump truck, dropping off LDL to your doorstep (your arteries). 

There it can create plaque build up, known as atherosclerosis.  This can lead to an increased risk of blood clots and heart attacks. LDL is also much more easily oxidized, meaning it can be easily damaged by free radicals, leading to inflammation and increased risk to heart health. (4)

The Ugly: Triglycerides

Triglycerides are actually not a type of cholesterol, but are instead another type of fat that circulate in the blood and give cells energy. Triglyceride levels are usually looked at in conjunction with cholesterol levels. High triglyceride levels combined with high LDL or low HDL can put you at an increased risk of heart disease.

What Are Healthy Levels of Cholesterol?

In a nutshell, the higher the HDL levels and the lower the LDL levels, the better. 

HDL: at least 55mg/dL for females and 45mg/dL for males

LDL: under 100mg/dL

Triglycerides: under 150mg/dL

What Causes Unhealthy Levels of Cholesterol?

First of all, let’s talk about what doesn’t cause unhealthy levels. 

You may have been told to limit how many eggs you eat to avoid consuming too much cholesterol, but there’s now enough high-quality research to prove that dietary cholesterol has a very small influence on body cholesterol and has no associated link to heart disease. (5,6) 

In fact, eating eggs may actually improve your lipoprotein profile. (7) 

Factors such as inactivity, eating refined foods, obesity and smoking can all increase cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels can also be impacted by genetics, or other health conditions like diabetes and hypothyroidism.

Let’s take a look at some ways to naturally reduce cholesterol levels.

Tips for Maintaining Healthy Cholesterol Levels

Quit Smoking

Smoking has been shown to lower HDL levels and therefore increase overall cholesterol levels. (8) This is because cigarettes impact the immune cells’ ability to return cholesterol to the blood so that it can be properly eliminated. (10)

The good news is that quitting smoking is able to reverse these harmful effects. (11)

Eat Healthy Fats

Some people suggest opting for a low-fat diet to lower cholesterol levels, however research suggests that while a low-fat diet reduces LDL, it also reduces the beneficial HDL. (12) Instead, focus on eating the right kinds of fats.

Monounsaturated fats, for example, are able to reduce LDL while also boosting HDL. (13) Good sources of monounsaturated fats include avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts and nut butters. These fats can also help to reduce the oxidation of lipoproteins that can lead to clogged arteries. (14)

Another healthy fat to include in your diet is polyunsaturated fats, particularly omega-3s. Research shows that polyunsaturated fats can not only decrease LDL and total cholesterol levels, but they can also decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. (15, 16, 17)

Omega-3s have also been found to decrease the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. (18)

Healthy sources of omega-3s include cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, as well as nuts and seeds like walnuts, hemp seeds and chia seeds. If you struggle to consume enough Omega 3 rich foods it can also be supplemented into your diet with Omega 3 capsules or a purified Omega 3 oil if you don't like swallowing capsules.

Avoid Trans Fats

Not only should you be aiming to eat the right fats, but it's important to avoid the bad types of fat. Trans fats are especially volatile. Trans fats are vegetable oils that have been partially hydrogenated, in order to stay solid at room temperature, and improve the shelf life of refined foods. 

The problem with these man-made oils is that your body doesn’t know what to do with them. One global health study estimated that about 8% of deaths from heart disease may be caused by trans fats. (19) Not only can trans fats increase LDL levels, but they can also decrease HDL levels, by as much as 20%. (20, 21)

Food sources of trans fats include margarines, vegetable shortenings and oils, fried foods, and refined baked goods. It’s also worth noting that just because something says “zero trans fats” doesn’t make it true: labels are allowed to round down if they have under 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving, so avoid products that list “partially hydrogenated” oil in the ingredient list. 

Limit Processed Sugar

Fat isn’t the only concern when it comes to cholesterol. Processed sugars, especially high fructose corn syrup, can also elevate cholesterol levels. One study found that adults who drank 25% of their calories in the form of high-fructose corn syrup sweetened beverages, saw a 17% increase in LDL levels in two weeks. (22) Not only that, but people who consume over 25% of their calories in the form of added sugar were three times more likely to die from heart disease than people who consume 10% or less. (23) 

While you don’t have to fear fruit and the occasional treat, limiting your overall intake of processed sugars (and swapping out soda for carbonated water) can help improve your overall cholesterol levels. 

Eat Enough Fibre

Fibre, especially in the form of soluble fibre, can help to lower LDL cholesterol. Soluble fibre helps to feed the healthy bacteria in our guts, which in turn reduce levels of LDL. (24) One study found that taking a daily soluble fibre supplement for 12 weeks decreased levels of LDL by 18%. (25)

Another study found that soluble fibre was able to enhance the cholesterol-lowering effects of statin medication. (26)

Food sources of soluble fibre include oatmeal, whole grains, beans, lentils, potatoes and fruit. 

Move Your Body

Another great way to lower cholesterol levels is by moving your body. Exercise has been shown to lower LDL and raise HDL levels. (27) In fact, 30 minutes of activity, 5 days a week is enough to improve cholesterol levels. 

When exercising, it’s important to choose something you like and can stick to—and it doesn’t matter if it’s walking, dancing, resistance training or biking. Just focus on finding something you actually enjoy!

What About Statins?

With all of that covered, what about statins? 

Statins are a class of drug that lower levels of LDL, and therefore, can reduce the risk of heart disease caused by plaque build up. They work by inhibiting a special enzyme, HMG-CoA, that the liver requires to produce LDL. Statins are generally regarded as safe, although they can have side effects. 

Cholesterol is abundant in the brain and nervous system, as it's used to create myelin, a protective layer on nerve axons that allows electrical impulses to happen. These impulses are how neurons communicate and directly impact our ability to think, move and remember. 

Because statins reduce cholesterol production, they may interfere with myelin formation and function. (28) That being said, there are no studies that link statins to memory loss. 

Side effects that have been documented include muscle problems, new-onset diabetes (especially in people who have metabolic risk factors) and depression. (29,30,31) But again, some of the studies point to an association, not causation.

What this means is that you don’t have to ditch your statins. After all, they are very effective at what they do, and are obviously better than no intervention at all.

But because they suppress the enzyme that’s needed for LDL production (an enzyme, by the way, that’s also needed for the synthesis of key mitochondrial antioxidant CoQ10), it doesn’t necessarily get to the root problem. (32) 

Therefore, it may be worth considering if dietary and lifestyle interventions, in conjunction with statins, offer up a more robust plan in improving cholesterol levels. Not only will adopting healthier lifestyle habits improve your cholesterol levels, but they can also improve your overall health and reduce the risk of other chronic diseases.

These tips will hopefully give you a place to start in making these healthy changes!