Cholesterol

Cholesterol is much feared and has had a very bad press in recent years. It is in fact

an essential and helpful chemical, most of which is produced by the liver. It is part of

the structure of every cell in the body and is especially important for the brain. As

with many aspects of life too much of a good thing can be a problem.

One fifth of cholesterol comes from the diet. Many people know of the role too much

fats play but what is often not acknowledged is the role of sugars. Fats and sugars

are closely associated with each other as forms of usable energy and energy storage.

They cannot be sensibly considered in isolation from each other.

The biggest strain for the body is too much energy (food), the body then has to find a

path for the elimination or storage of the overload.

We can reduce the cholesterol overload by one fifteenth if we take regular and varied

exercise. A mixture of energetic exercise (the kind that makes us breathless and

sweaty), stretching of muscles and strengthening of muscles (using weights such as

a tin of beans for arm and shoulder exercises).

So cholesterol is helpful and necessary, but you still need to balance the amount in

the blood stream, so it would be good to know how to eliminate what you no longer

need. You do this through the stools and it is bound with fibre.

All of your cholesterol is excreted in the stool If you are constipated and have high

cholesterol this is the first place to start.

Fibre, Fibre Fibre: ‘a bowel movement a day takes the cholesterol away’.

How to lower your cholesterol without drugs:

 Eat Essential Fatty Acids in the recommended amount

 Eat 7 Portions of Fruit and Veg per day- yes that’s right, 7!

 Eggs are ‘eggscellent’, enjoy 5-6 per week

 All fibre is beneficial. Soluble fibre is particularly helpful e.g. Oats, Oat Bran,

Psyllium Husks and Slippery Elm. Slippery Elm has added benefits for people

with Irritable Bowel Syndrome who cannot tolerate insoluble fibres (skin of

fruits and vegetables, beans and peas, wholegrains)

 Exercise: Dance yourself happy! Walk and stretch regularly, join a class or

group if you find it hard to self-motivate

 Drink water: 4 pints per day. This includes the water in herb teas, soups,

casseroles, yoghurts and other liquid foods.

Foods for strength of blood vessels:

 The humble blackberry and blackcurrant have a role to play, also our native

bilberry and hawthorn berry.

 We seem to love ‘new’ foods such as blueberries but all dark red and navy

berries have the same strengthening effect particularly on the small vessels of

 Rutin is also strengthening. Buckwheat is a good source (try buckwheat pasta

as a change from wheat pasta). The pith of citrus is also high in rutin, this is

the white pithy core of citrus fruit, so don’t throw it away.

Foods for reducing Cholesterol:

 All members of the onion family e.g. chives, leeks and especially garlic.

Include these in your diet on a regular basis.

 Celery has a proven effect on reducing cholesterol. Eating 2 sticks a day has

a demonstrable effect, eating 7 sticks a day will reduce high cholesterol.

 Almonds have research evidence of reducing cholesterol. Include these as

part of your 2-3 teaspoons per day to cover your essential fatty acids.

 Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.): this is rich in antioxidants and cardiac glycosides

which has good evidence for strengthening heart muscle.

 Limeflower (Tilia spp.): This herb is traditionally used as an anti-spasmodic,

particularly for the small blood vessels. It is also used for restlessness,

headache and high blood pressure. It is a gentle supportive herb used for all

 Alfalfa (Medicago): This is a highly nutritious herb with cholesterol lowering

 Chamomile (Chamomilla rec/mat.): Helpful for restlessness and anxiety. By

calming the nervous system there is a feedback loop calming stress

 Rose (Rosa spp.): Good for lifting the spirits, soothing the digestion and

viewing the world through ‘rose tinted glasses’.

 Wild Oats (Aveena sativa): Full of nutrition, particularly plant sterols which

lower cholesterol. This has traditionally been used to strengthen the

circulatory and nervous systems (as in support for ‘sowing your wild oats’).

I have blended these herbs for convenience as a Hearty Tea available on the

website or from the clinic. You can use them independently as teas (infusions),

 Ginko biloba: In Ireland (Republic) this is only avaliable in consultation with a medical

herbalist. We can arrange a telephone consult for your convenience. It has a beneficial effect

on the circulation, particularly the ‘stickiness’ of the blood. This plays a role in the

inflammatory process which is associated with damage to the blood vessel walls that is

associated with high cholesterol. It is also good for poor memory and concentration.

Spices play a helpful role in protecting us from dietary excess, many people in

Western society are over-nourished and malnourished at the same time! We take in

too many calories but not always including the essential building blocks we need for

cell metabolism. Spices help us obtain the best from our foods.

 Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is an anti-inflammatory spice. In order for  

Cholesterol to cause harm there has to be inflammatory process. Turmeric

protects us from this inflammatory process (leaflet available on the website for

 Black Pepper (Piper nigra) is a ‘helper’ for Turmeric. Taken together the

turmeric is one third more effective.

 Fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum grecum): play several helpful roles, they

help modulate sugar metabolism, add fibre and contain helpful plant sterols.

(leaflet available on website for more info.).

 Cinnamon (Cinnomomum verum) helps the body process refined sugars. Use

on toast instead of marmalade, put in porridge or cereal, add to a yoghurt etc.

The spices should be used liberally! Not a dainty sprinkle from a shaker still half full

from two years ago! Use 25 -50 gms per week happily.

Put in Essential Fatty Acids and portion size

Dr. Dílis Clare MBBCh, DRCOG, BSc (Herbal  Medicine)

Health & Herbs Clinic of Integrated Medicine

Dietary Essential Fatty Acids

 Oily fish  Recommended 2-3 portions per week.

Sardines:  Try these on toast. Tinned in brine, oil or tomato is fine (olive oil is

preferable). Try sardines in the blender with lemon juice, black pepper and a tsp. of

Mackerel: Try these fresh - simply grill them and then add lemon juice.

Tinned/canned is readily available. Treat as sardines above. Vacuum packed

smoked mackerel is also readily available and convenient (ideally ensure a natural

smoking process has been used, it usually says so on the packaging).

Salmon (wild): Available fresh in season and buy for the freezer. Tinned wild

salmon is readily available. Vacuum packed smoked or roasted wild salmon may be

available. Organic salmon is an option but significant chemical pesticides may be

permitted and environmental issues may be an issue. Check local resources and

Fresh (or frozen) tuna: Available from fishmongers or freezer of large stores. (Note:

tinned tuna is not a rich source of essential fatty acids)

Unsalted, uncoated nuts and seeds, with the exception of peanuts and pistachios.

Seeds: Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, chia, freshly ground linseeds and hemp seeds.

Nuts: Almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews.

Suggested amounts are two to three tsps. every day. Add to cereal, yoghurt and

stir- fries. Make a mix with raisins and have a small handful to help with sugar

Nuts and seeds are also high in Zinc and other minerals.

If constipated, grind linseeds in a coffee bean grinder. This gives fibre, essential fatty

acids and a rich source of minerals. Always take with water with linseeds.

Avocados – eat one every fortnight.