Cholesterol Control

Summary

Cholesterol is naturally made in the body by the liver and helps the body build cell membranes, provides certain needed hormones, and helps to protect the nerves. But Atherosclerosis cholesterol can also come into the body through the diet and if this is in excess it can become a major health concern. The cholesterol that travels in the lipids (fatty acids) of the blood stream, also called plaque, can build up in the walls of the arteries decreasing the flow of blood to vital areas of the body. This reduced flow can be to the legs or other extremities resulting in claudication, or pain and discomfort with exercise. More seriously if there is reduced blood flow to the muscles of the heart it can lead to a heart attack. Further, recent research has shown a link between high cholesterol and ischemic strokes as well as transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or mini strokes.

Types of lipoproteins

As most are aware with visits to their doctor there are three lipoproteins in our blood that are important to our health, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and triglycerides. LDL is know as the bad cholesterol because it is low in proteins and high in cholesterol. HDL, on the other hand, is high in proteins and low in cholesterol and therefore known as good cholesterol. Triglycerides are a separate lipid in the blood stream that provide a way for the body to store excess energy.

What the numbers mean

The lipid profile blood test reports the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood steam. What the results mean are summarized in the chart below as recommended in MayoClinic.com. (note: these are standard U.S. medical community recommendations, some have different opinions about acceptable levels):

Total cholesterol

Below 200 mg/dL	Desirable
200-239 mg/dL	Borderline high
240 mg/dL and above	High

LDL cholesterol

Below 70 mg/dL	Ideal for people at very high risk of heart disease
Below 100 mg/dL	Ideal for people at risk of heart disease
100-129 mg/dL	Near ideal
130-159 mg/dL	Borderline high
160-189 mg/dL	High
190 mg/dL and above	Very high

HDL cholesterol

Below 40 mg/dL (men), Below 50 mg/dL (women)	Poor
50-59 mg/dL	Better
60 mg/dL and above	Best

Triglycerides

Below 150 mg/dL	Desirable
150-199 mg/dL	Borderline high
200-499 mg/dL	High
500 mg/dL and above	Very high

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a triglyceride level of 100 mg/dL or lower is considered "optimal." (Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood in the United States and some other countries)

Suggestions to control cholesterol (also from MayoClinic.com and highly summarized):

Make life style changes including lose weight, eat heart-healthy foods, exercise daily, stop alcohol and tobacco.

Improve eating habits and add high-fiber foods including oatmeal or bran. Also include fish and omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts, almonds, and other nuts, and olive oil. Some foods (margarine, orange juice, yogurt) now include a natural additive of sterols (or stanols) that is beneficial. Of course reduce use of those foods with cholesterol and saturated and trans fats. Trans fats are particularly bad because they both raise LDL and lower HDL.

Consider cholesterol-lowering supplements such as artichoke extract, barley, beta-sitosterol, blond psyllium (found in seed husk and products such as Metamucil), fish oil (found as a liquid oil and in oil-filled capsules), flaxseed, garlic extract, green tea extract, oat bran, stanols, and red yeast rice.

They also suggest: As always, if you decide to take an herbal supplement, be sure to tell your doctor. The herbal supplement you take may interact with other medications you take.

[search helps: hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia]

Oils, blends & products recommended:

Oils & Blends: cassia, cypress, lavender, lemongrass

Essential oils based products: Life Long Vitality supplements

Also consider:

Suggested protocols:

• By far the most oft mentioned suggestion is to consistently use the Life Long Vitality supplements (that include the Omega 3).

• Some suggest additionally taking a daily capsule with 5-6 drops lemongrass, or lemongrass with cypress and lavender, or lemongrass with cassia.

• Dr. David Hill and others speak of the importance of adequate levels of water daily for efficient cleansing of the body.

Experiences and Testimonials of others

Rose - My husband is not overweight but his blood pressure was extremely high as well as his cholesterol levels. After one month on the LLW his blood pressure went way down and his cholesterol levels were cut in half! Can't wait to see the results from the LLV.

Janine – There is a testimonial about LLV lowering the bad cholesterol and raising the good. Has anyone found this to be true? Has anyone tried using just the oils for lowering cholesterol? If so, which ones?

Ileen - I went on LLV in February and my cholesterol has gone up!

Pat - Well hang in there it will level out. I went on the LLV and mine went down. Lil Shepherd went on the LLW and her cholesterol went down over 100 pts.

Julie Ann – Lemongrass also works.

Christine - Yes, hang in there, my husband's went down 55 points in 3 months as well as his triglycerides also down 55 points. His blood pressure also dropped 20 points (both numbers) in those 3 months.

Alisse - Just wanted to add this about a friend. She had high cholesterol and chose to use lemongrass daily in a capsule. It has been 6 weeks and her cholesterol is back to normal! I don't know the numbers or specifics but it worked.

Pat – With respect to lemongrass we have used 5-6 drops in a capsule daily with success.

FSW - I've heard lemongrass can be very effective but many people I know have had great success lowering and regulating cholesterol and blood pressure with the LifeLong Vitality supplements!

Ivan - Dr. Sue Lawton states that a combination of lemongrass, cypress, and lavender was very efficient in bringing down cholesterol.

Mariana - Apart from using essential oils to help lower cholesterol, dehydration is a factor in high cholesterol. The book "Your Body’s Many Cries for Water" lists many results from patients who increased their daily water consumption significantly, plus walked twice per day, and lowered their cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

Bonnie - I have been using the LLW supplements for 5 months now and my recent lab reports were good-no change in my LDL cholesterol, but my HDL was much improved. I wanted to add the oils, lemongrass and cassia that I understand help lower cholesterol as well. Also I do have a colleague that started the LLW supplements just 2 months ago, her cholesterol has dropped from 250 to 192 as well as she has improved her HDL.

Pat - If you want to ingest the oils you would for added help use 4 drops of lemongrass and 3 drops of cassia in a capsule per day.

Kathy - I have a question - someone told me if someone is on cholesterol medication they cannot have grapefruit - would this include the AromaTouch oil as it has grapefruit in it?

Editorial Addition - Dr. David K. Hill and Justin Harrison had this exchange on grapefruit essential oils and high blood pressure and medication during a webinar in 2010.

Justin – Some on our webinar have asked can people with high blood pressure use Slim and Sassy?

Dr. Hill – There is some research that says you should avoid grapefruit oil and so some have asked why is there grapefruit oil in Slim and Sassy? It is there because of all the remarkable benefits it has. It is good for toxicity, good for stabilizing the body, it helps to reduce blood sugar just like cinnamon does, and it helps to manage and control insulin which, although it has its benefits, is part of the whole inflammatory process in the body. So there is good reason for it to be in there.

When we look at the research associated with grapefruit and high blood pressure and that you should not eat grapefruit and that many have been counseled by their physician to avoid grapefruit they are referring to the fruit. If we look at the meat of the fruit which is what you are going to eat you should know that the essential oils do not come from that. And that chemically the essential oils are very different than the fruit itself. Citrus oils and specifically grapefruit have been used for quite some time without any regards to there being any detrimental effects even with high blood pressure.

It is a good question but if you look at the context of what that research is that it is referring to the compounds in the fruit itself and knowing the essential oils come from the rind or the peel and its compounds are very different. It can be very stabilizing to the body. That being said, if someone has very direct concerns encourage them to consult with their physician and address that question with them.

From Cory 4/2011 - I have been battling high cholesterol my whole life - since I was 8. I have the inherited type and not the dietary kind. It has always been my understanding that grapefruit (rind and fruit) is great for people with high cholesterol. The problem arises when people are taking a synthetic medicine to control their levels. To take grapefruit in addition to these can interact with these medications. However, Dr. Hill believes that the rind is different from the fruit. I use to take medicine, but could not be on it during my "childbearing" years, so I chose to stop taking it when I got married. Currently, I do not take any medication and am trying to find a way to lower my cholesterol naturally. I have tried herbs and a few other things, but nothing has brought my levels down. I am hopeful that doTERRA essential oils will be my answer. I do know several people that use Slim & Sassy and still take medications. I have not heard anything, but good results from them.

Chris - I know a lady who just got off of her medication to lower cholesterol that she has been on for many years. What should she use to cleanse herself from those toxins?

Pat – Suggest the LLW supplements and lemon in her water and maybe even the lemon cleanse.

Francisco – The most important thing is you start to cleanse the liver. There are many cleanses recommended for this.