This is EXACTLY how I started my investigation…
Cholesterol is typically part of a routine blood work but TSH is NOT!
Why is this important? Because you can start digging deeper sooner than most conventional approaches would.
If you eat well and suddenly have elevated cholesterol like I did you need to QUESTION that!
DO NOT ACCEPT the spill that “ it is your genetic” and put on drugs without digging deeper, PLEASE!
Time to check under the hood for more clues!
If you have high cholesterol and you also have symptoms of hypothyroidism such as:
Weight gain
Increased sensitivity to cold
Dry skin
Constipation
Brain Fog
Depression
Anxiety
Menstrual changes
If yes to some of the above: Think HYPOTHYROIDISM and don't just get put on a STATIN drug!
Nerd talk:
Your body needs thyroid hormones to make cholesterol and to get rid of the cholesterol it doesn’t need. When thyroid hormone levels are low (hypothyroidism), your body doesn’t break down and remove LDL cholesterol as efficiently as usual. LDL cholesterol can then build up in your blood.
Thyroid hormone levels don’t have to be very low to increase cholesterol.
Even people with mildly low thyroid levels, called subclinical hypothyroidism, can have higher than normal LDL cholesterol
A 2012 study found that high TSH levels alone can directly raise cholesterol levels, even if thyroid hormone levels aren’t low (PMID: 22730515) Hyperthyroidism has the opposite effect on cholesterol. It causes cholesterol levels to drop to abnormally low levels.
This is so important when you think about the ROOT CAUSE approach, and not treating what appears to be the problem (cholesterol) when it's deeper than that (thyroid)
I recently had this happen to me, my cholesterol is elevated and my endocrinologist suggested Statin asap … You can probably see my eyes rolling from there…
I refused and decided to dig deeper. Blood tests showed very low T3 and a big heavy metal burden on my body. I could take all the cholesterol lowering medications in the world and that would not make a dent on my real issue.
I see this happening a lot with people with Hashimoto's, gut and stealth infections, trauma.
Meaning, your high cholesterol is a reflection of your overall health, and artificially lowering it can do more harm than good. Clue: your hormones are made from cholesterol.
Always ask why, and if your doctor is not onboard or investigating, sorry to break it to you, time to find someone that will!
Don’t despair! If you need some help correcting this, feel free to schedule a DISCOVERY CALL with me and we can discuss how to tackle this issue once and for all!
Apply for a 30 minute complimentary Discovery Call Here.
Isabela Fortes is a
Board Certified Holistic Health Expert, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner
Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher Level II
Certified Yoga Therapist
She teaches and works with clients in Southern California and Virtually anywhere in the world.
APPLY HERE to work with Isabela 1:1