Can stress increase cholesterol levels? Any natural ways to reduce cholesterol?

oh how I agree with you...I'm so fed up with people telling us what to eat...every cell in the body needs cholesterol and I read somewhere that if you change your diet to try to reduce cholesterol..the body makes more ..because it needs it .I took statins for years and they did reduce my cholesterol...but they also raised my blood sugar and I suffered from muscle and joint pains....I stopped them about 6 years ago and won't ever take anymore..I eat a healthy diet...have a glass of wine when I want to...still got achey joints...but then I'm over 70 ....

Hi Jen - you are not ranting. Agree wholeheartedly with what you have written. Also, the "fat-free" march saw the fat removed from products replaced with sugar to keep it tasty. I have elevated cholesterol, as did my father who died at age 89, and my elder brother. Genetic predisposition. I was completely poisoned by statins. 4 years clean and i'll never trust a doctor again. I keep telling others, no-one gets out alive. Something is going to kill you. Quality of life and a natural approach to health are the best you can do.

Wayne, your father did not do too bad did he 89. I have been researching the beginning of the cholesterol lie and how fat was demonized, basically health in general.

It started because a few years ago I became scared of how every family is affected by illness, it did not happen when I was a child. Doctors are fueling ill health by bad advice and the drugs they prescribe.

Sounds rather dangerous. How are you doing these days?

Hi Elaine,

Its funny, you sound just like me the stress of knowing my numbers in 2010 made me stop enjoying food and my numbers were total 6.5 then with 2.8 being good cholesterol gp said the ratio was excellent. At the time i had a weekly treat of fish and chips and just ate a varied diet and didnt exercise as much. Fast forward to 2014 after exercising loads and eating healthier cholesterol went to 8.5 havent checked since. The stress knowing the numbers caused I swear has affected my cholesterol as everything I now eat I wonder if its ok to eat. The one thing that changed is periods stopping 2011 so I think lack of oestrogen had a huge roll in my numbers and health. My Dad died of heart attack st 56 and so me at 53 has made me have such anxiety now which has led to depression. So I can really relate to how you feel. Some people eat what they like do not exercise and have low cholesterol. Take care x

Hi Sue

I'm wondering if the menopause could be party what's making mine go up as my diet wasn't too bad before. In my 40s my cholesterol was at 5.6 which they said was higher than ideal but to just make changes like changing from full cream milk to semi-skimmed and cutting back on cheese which I did. I generally eat what I thought was a decent diet anyway with lots of fruit and veg, wholegrains and the odd meal out or cake at weekends but probably too much chocolate! Since turning 50 last year I thought I'd try and improve my diet more and have managed to do more walking and this year I've improved my diet even more and am hardly eating any fat at and it's still gone up!!! My dad also had heart problems and had to have a heart bypass when he was 60 so am also wondering if there is a genetic link. Like you I now look at foods and feel I shouldn't be eating them. I look at the fat content of everything I buy now and it seems such a chore. It's like I've become obsessed with saturated fat! I think that knowing that's it's high and if you have experience of a family member with heart problems make you more aware that the same thing could happen to you which makes you more anxious which probably puts it up higher anyway. It's a vicious circle. Did you ever try Benecol to lower it? It says it's meant to lower it by about 10% so I'm thinking of trying it to see if it helps. My husband who eats a lot of rubbish in his office and sits more than me (though he does cycle) had his checked and it's only 4.2. Life doesn't seem fair sometimes!!!

Elaine, I know this is hard to understand after years and years of brainwashing but, our bodies need saturated fat, if needs it to function.

Lard has been demonized initially by Proctor and Gamble, as they made the first seed oil, they then set about the demonization of lard to push their product. Lard has NO cholesterol but has vitamin D and protects the skin. It was the same with butter when P & C made margarine.

Any artificial made product is bad for you including benecol. Anything low is bad and full of chemicals. Please do not get hung up on cholesterol eat natural. It may take ten years but the consensus in America (where everything starts) it that too much calcium causes the problems with the heart. It is the same with salt our bodies need it, we die without it, it stabilises blood pressure, stops cramps.

A last thought, every family these days have someone who has cancer, alzheimer's, diabetes, every child seems to have a learning disability, fatness is everywhere. This was never the case pre 1970s, it all exploded with the onset of drug companies through doctors telling what to eat and what not to eat. sadly, everything we were told to eat was bad for us.

Again I apologise for ranting but the truth needs putting out.

Hi Jen

I totally agree with you that a natural diet is best. I normally mostly try and follow a Mediterranean type of diet eating mostly, fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, chicken, olive oil, etc. I'm allergic to fish so have flaxseeds and nuts instead. I have 2 squares of dark 70% cocoa solids chocolate every night as a treat. I try and make most meals myself but occasionally buy shop bought things like a chicken dish which I have with vegetables. I thought this type of diet was meant to be heart healthy so was surprised my cholesterol was high in the first place. Yes I was having the odd treat like a cake, chocolate bar or meal out but the majority of my diet was healthy. It's shocking when you read the ingredients in a lot of foods as you haven't a clue what most of the ingredients are so don't know what you are putting in your body. I try and avoid things like that when I can. I agree people years ago probably ate a more simple natural diet and were much more active than people are now. They probably had a lot less stress too as life was simpler then. I'd resisted trying the Benecol before as I wanted to see if I could lower the cholesterol through diet alone which hasn't worked. I might try it and see if it helps as I'm not keen to take statins at all. If it doesn't then I'll just need to accept my cholesterol is high and forget about it. I'm not going to be forced into taking something I don't want to take by a doctor.

I maybe need to spend less time trying to have perfect cholesterol and just spend time doing things that make me happy!!!

Same here Elaine my husbands was 4.5 no fruit at all no exercise. He doesnt snack maybe its that that is wrong as I do. Maybe its nuts I eat who knows. Ive had benecol drink every morning since 2010 I did try the spread but it gave me indigestion. My sympathy is with you regards your DAD as once we hit 50 mortality rears its head knocking on our door. Yes I also eat treats as well. x

For a lot of people with high cholesterol, it isnt diet related. My doctor advised me that as my diet was healthy to start with (I am vegetarian and eat no processed food at all) and I'm not overweight nor have high blood pressure, it isnt dietary its hereditary - luck of the draw with bad genes I guess. Mine was sky high at 9 but statins nearly killed me so I'm taking my chances and will continue without them. The stress of being so ill on statins must have increased my chances of dying of a heart attack or stroke far more than the high cholesterol level.

Same here Loxie, I think weve chatted before on this. Statins made me very ill wasting muscles and the heart is a muscle, I also would of died I am sure, but thanks to the internet and my local chemist put two and two together. I think the statins reduced my cholesterol too much and so I started with aching joints as well. They are saying it is inflammation in us that is the problem now.

Loxie, why is your cholesterol sky high, who actually knows what is high or not, as I said before everyone is an individual, no ones cholesterol is text book. It is like appendix, they have been whipping them out saying it is not needed now, they have found out it is part of the digestive system. Our bodies are amazing and it knows how to balance itself, as long as we eat as naturally as possible and do not overload it with chemicals.

I have a friend who takes no exercise at all, eats loads of red meat, creamy sauces and rich deserts and her cholesterol is only 4.8! Maybe it is hereditary as every time I've had mine tested since I was 40 it seems to have gone up even though I've gradually improved my diet and been more active. Think some of us are just unlucky!!!

I agree with what you're saying about cholesterol numbers...I've wondered myself how they got to a specific number to say that anything above that was high, our bodies need cholesterol...can't function properly without it . when you take something ...like statins that make you feel so ill, then that cannot be good for anyone

Lisa,

Sir Rory Collins of British University is the leading voice on statins in Britain, the said Mr. Collins has recieved 96.1 million from the drug company Merck Sharp and Dohme to 'fund' research into statins. He has also recieved a £50,000 prize from Pfizer for his work in highlighting the benefits of statins. This is why statins are pushed on to everyone, this man is a powerful voice in the world of statins in this country, you can see why he pushes them. He is a puppy of the drug companies, it is lucretive for him.

Nearly killed you how??