Cholesterol has become a term synonymous with different emotions within us. It has become associated with health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, and thus can spark fear within us. Often when reviewing labs with patients, I will see them first of all scrolling to their cholesterol numbers. It can also be associated with a sense of achievement – I managed to get my cholesterol numbers down.
Conventionally, cardiologists will place reducing cholesterol numbers as the first priority in preventing or reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is clearly however not the whole picture as unfortunately there are people who experience an acute myocardial infarction with “perfect” cholesterol scores. Also, lowering the cholesterol levels too much can lead to other issues, as we do need cholesterol to function. All the steroid hormones in the body are produced from cholesterol, and every cell in the body has components composed from fats.
In addition, there is evidence that it is not the actual cholesterol value that is the issue, but possibly the oxidation of the cholesterol that leads to the formation of plaque in the coronary arteries, leading to cardiovascular disease. So preventing the oxidation of the cholesterol can be just as important as lowering the cholesterol levels.
The goals are the lowering of the cholesterol but maintaining sufficient levels for the functioning of the body, preventing the oxidation of the cholesterol and supporting and maintaining cardiovascular health and addressing cardiovascular risk factors. So, how do we balance all this out?
Schedule a visit at LotusRain Naturopathic Clinic, and we will do our best to help you navigate the sometimes convoluted cholesterol pathway.
