Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine for high cholesterol

What is high cholesterol?

Cholesterol is produced by the human body and is essential for its normal functioning. There are two forms of cholesterol, high density cholesterol (HDL), also known as the ‘’good’’ cholesterol, and low density cholesterol (LDL) or ‘’bad’’ cholesterol. The level of cholesterol differs for a number of reasons, such as:

·         Heredity: a person’s genetic composition has an influence on the amount of HDL and LDL our bodies produce.

·         Physical activity: in general, the more active one is the lower the cholesterol in our bodies.

·         Weight: research suggests that being overweight or obese has an effect on the level of cholesterol in our bloodstream.

·         Age: Cholesterol levels tend to rise with age.

·         Gender: Before menopause, women in general have lower cholesterol than man; after menopause their cholesterol levels have a tendency to be higher than in man.

An extensive amount of research indicates that high levels of cholesterol, especially LDL, are associated with high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death in most western countries. Chinese medicine practitioners, like allopathic practitioners recommend changes in diet and increased physical activity as the first step to try and lower cholesterol in our bodies.

The most effective western medications to treat high cholesterol are compounds that belong to the chemical family known as Statins. This treatment has been in the news lately because of its limited effect and side effects and people are advised to think twice before taking this drug especially if they are at low risk for heart disease. One statin, Cerivastatin, was removed from the market worldwide because of an unacceptably high rate of rhabdomyolosis, a rapid disintegration of muscle fibre which can lead to kidney failure, coma and death.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for high cholesterol:

High cholesterol is a medical condition in which the amount of cholesterol in one’s bloodstream exceeds the normal or recommended level. Cholesterol is a complex organic compound that occurs naturally in the body and is used to produce bile acids, vitamin D, and a number of hormones needed by the body to function normally. When there is too much cholesterol in our body, it usually deposits on the inside lining of the arteries, leading to different coronary heart disorders. TCM offers a safe alternative to western medication.

Every person is assessed according to Chinese medicine principles and at the end of the diagnoses is assigned a, what we call, pattern of disharmony. These patterns of disharmony have names that sound unfamiliar to the general public and therefore are seldom used in explaining the condition to the patient.

In general we talk about accumulation of phlegm in the body or deficiency of the Spleen and Stomach, or Blood stasis. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatment will be based upon the correction of these patterns with special points and herbs added to lower Your Cholesterol.

Chinese herbs usually come in a formula containing different herbal substances.

Some of the herbs that bring down cholesterol are, Shang Zha or Hawthorn berry, Jiaogulan or gynostemma pentaphyllum and red yeast rice.