Cholesterol might just be one of the most misunderstood substances in the body.  Most of my patients come to me with the notion that cholesterol is this inherently nasty thing that they must eliminate from their bodies.  While we all need our cholesterol levels to be in the healthy range, I find that many of my patients don’t have a clear grasp on what cholesterol is or does in the body.  This is probably due in part to the endless array of ads on television and in magazines for prescription drugs that lower cholesterol.  Seeing these commercials over and over is often enough to convince us that if so many different drugs are necessary to lower cholesterol, it must be a very bad thing.

In reality, cholesterol is needed by your body for many things, including steroid metabolism, estrogen, testosterone and adrenaline.  Without cholesterol, your body would basically not be able to function and you would die.  But like many things in life, too much of anything can be bad, and cholesterol is no exception.  High levels of cholesterol have been shown to lead to horrible health conditions like stroke and cardiovascular issues.  The key, as I see, it, is to find a balance and make sure we have enough available cholesterol at all times for proper functioning, but not so much as to cause adverse health effects.

Another common misconception about cholesterol – at least, one that I often encounter in my office – is that it all comes from our diet.  In reality, our livers produce the vast majority of the cholesterol that is in your body at any given time.  Does that mean that you’ll get carte blanche from me to begin eating as many cheeseburgers, omelettes, and other cholesterol-laden foods as you’d like?  Sorry, but no – while I enjoy a good cheeseburger as much as everyone I really can’t endorse eating them everyday.  What it does mean is that finding ways to change the way our liver produces cholesterol and the way our bodies handle what is made can go a long way in keeping our levels in check.

For example, good ol’ vitamin C has been found to lower both cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while vitamin E may prevent LDL or “bad” cholesterol from oxidizing in the arteries.  The mineral chromium has also been shown to naturally lower cholesterol levels.

I have also been impressed with what I have read about garlic and its proven ability to lower cholesterol.  One study I read found that taking garlic led to a 10 to 12 percent reduction in total cholesterol levels – very impressive in my book!  Guar gum has also been shown to lower cholesterol, as has guggul extract, which can actually prevent new cholesterol from forming in the first place – again, this is key in keeping cholesterol in the healthy range.

The group of molecules called tocotrienols (part of what makes up vitamin E) has been found to lead to a reduction of LDL and total cholesterol levels, as does a waxy supplement called policosanol.
This combination of vitamins and nutrients, along with the common but oh-so true advice to get a good night’s sleep and eat a high quality diet, can and should go a long way in keeping cholesterol levels in check.  Remember, cholesterol is not the enemy, but rather a friend to the system that is needed for us to live.  But like many things in life, moderation is the key, and I believe this combination of supplements can help us all find that delicate balance.

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