Cholesterol - What's Really Going On?

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in every cell of your body. It’s often thought of as “bad,” but the truth is, cholesterol is essential for life. It plays a critical role in building cell membranes, producing hormones like oestrogen and testosterone, creating vitamin D, and supporting bile production for digestion. Your brain, nerves, and immune system also rely on cholesterol to function properly. Your liver makes around 75% of the cholesterol in your body, while the rest comes from your diet.

What are the symptoms and long-term risks?

High cholesterol doesn’t always cause symptoms, which is why it’s often called a “silent” issue. Many people don’t know they have it until they’ve had a blood test, or worse, a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke. Over time, if LDL cholesterol becomes oxidised (damaged by inflammation), it can build up as plaque in the arteries. This narrows blood flow, raises blood pressure, and increases the risk of serious conditions like heart disease, vascular dementia, and peripheral artery disease. In some people, high cholesterol is due to a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), which affects the way the body processes cholesterol.

What causes high cholesterol?

The root causes often go far beyond diet. While saturated fat intake can influence cholesterol levels in some people, it’s not the whole story. Other common drivers include:

• Chronic inflammation (from stress, poor sleep, or infections)

• Diets high in sugar and ultra-processed foods

• Low fibre intake

• Lack of physical activity

• Insulin resistance and blood sugar imbalances

• Sluggish liver function or poor bile flow

• Thyroid dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, menopause, certain medications and alcohol

What’s the typical GP approach?

Most GPs will check your total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL and triglyceride levels in a standard blood test. If your LDL and triglycerides are high, they may recommend a low-fat diet and, in many cases, statin medications to lower it. This approach can be helpful in some cases, particularly if you have a strong family history or existing cardiovascular disease. However, it doesn’t always address why your cholesterol is high in the first place, or look at the full range of risk factors like inflammation, or insulin resistance.

How I approach cholesterol differently

Rather than focusing on just the numbers, I take a root-cause, whole-body approach. That means:

• Running an advanced lipid profile investigating LDL particles in more detail

• Assessing additional relevant markers for heart disease (e.g. HbA1c, liver enzymes, thyroid hormones, CRP)

• Exploring your symptoms, history, lifestyle and diet

• Supporting your liver, gut and inflammation pathways

• Using food as medicine and targeted supplements where needed

  
  

Nutritional support might include:

• A whole-foods diet rich in fibre, antioxidants and healthy fats

• Prioritising oily fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruit and veg

• Reducing sugar, ultra-processed foods and alcohol

• Moving your body regularly

• Getting enough protein to support detoxification and blood sugar

• Improving stress resilience, sleep quality and bile flow

Let’s take the guesswork out of your health.

If you’ve been told your cholesterol is high, or you just want a more complete picture of your heart health, I’d love to help. We’ll go deeper than surface-level numbers, so you can understand what’s really going on and take action that’s tailored to you.

Ready to stop feeling confused or overwhelmed? Let’s chat. Click here to book a free call.

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