How Traditional Chinese Medicine and Nutrition Can Help Lower High Cholesterol
By Gavin Larsen and Elisa Kosonen
Rethinking Cholesterol Management
When cholesterol levels are high, it’s often viewed purely through a numerical lens. But there’s more to the story than lab values alone. High cholesterol, especially when combined with inflammation or insulin resistance, can increase the long-term risks of cardiovascular and cognitive decline.
While cholesterol-lowering medications like statins are typical for conventional treatment, they aren’t always well-tolerated. Some patients struggle with muscle pain, fatigue, or don’t meet their lipid targets despite medication. That’s where a root cause-oriented perspective can help.
Understanding Cholesterol Basics
Before diving into how Traditional Chinese Medicine and holistic nutrition can help, it’s useful to understand what cholesterol is. Your body carries fats through the blood in different forms. LDL, often called “bad cholesterol,” can build up in the arteries, especially if it’s oxidized or paired with inflammation, raising your risk for heart disease. HDL, the “good cholesterol,” helps clear out excess cholesterol and bring it back to the liver to be processed. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood that rises with too much sugar, alcohol, or refined carbs, and can also raise heart risk. A lesser-known marker, ApoB, reflects the number of particles that carry bad cholesterol and may be even more important than LDL alone.
Chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, sluggish liver function, and gut health issues can all disrupt how your body makes, moves, and clears cholesterol. That’s why a root-cause approach can be so effective.
This brings us to two complementary approaches: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and holistic nutrition. Together, we explore how these systems can offer safe, integrated support for lipid balance, whether you're currently taking statins, just looking to lower your levels, or you want to prevent high cholesterol in the first place.
How TCM Understands High Cholesterol
Meet Gavin Larsen
As an acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, I approach high cholesterol not just as a lab number, but as a reflection of deeper imbalances. With over a decade of clinical experience, I use acupuncture, herbal formulas, and lifestyle guidance to support healthy lipid metabolism, reduce inflammation, and promote long-term cardiovascular health.
When cholesterol is high from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) standpoint, we don’t treat it as a single disease. We look at the underlying patterns. Elevated lipids are often rooted in internal imbalances like Damp-Phlegm, Liver Qi Stagnation, Blood Stasis, or Spleen deficiency.
Key organ systems involved include:
Spleen – responsible for transforming food and fluids; dysfunction leads to Damp accumulation
Liver – governs the free flow of Qi and Blood; stagnation contributes to lipid buildup
Kidney – oversees long-term regulation and overall metabolic capacity, especially relevant in aging-related dyslipidemia
From a treatment perspective, acupuncture and herbal medicine aim to correct these imbalances, working to reverse the mechanisms that cause them.
A 2020 study found that acupuncture and similar treatments can help raise good cholesterol (HDL), lower bad cholesterol (LDL), and reduce triglycerides. It’s safe to use alongside regular medical treatments.
From a Western medicine view, this might be because acupuncture helps blood flow better, calms the nervous system, and improves how your body handles fats.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees it differently: it works by helping your body’s energy (Qi), blood, and fluids move smoothly through key organs. A 2017 review also showed that TCM might lower cholesterol by helping your body get rid of fat through bile, absorb less fat from food, and keep liver enzymes balanced.
Nutritional Physiology of Cholesterol
Meet Elisa Konosen
As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Health Coach, I support clients in navigating cholesterol imbalances through a science-backed, whole-person approach. Together, we move beyond restrictive diets and into a more joyful, empowered relationship with food—one that fits into real life, with all its full calendars, family dinners, and takeout nights.
Because here’s the truth: when cholesterol is elevated, it’s rarely just about dietary fat. From a modern nutrition lens, it’s about so much more—liver function, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, gut health, and hormonal balance all play a role. My approach helps clients understand the full picture and make gradual, sustainable shifts in both diet and things like sleep and stress management that support long-term health and vitality.
Nutrition Allies for Lipid Support
The goal isn’t just to “lower cholesterol,” it's to ensure optimal balance (this can include increasing HDL) and support the systems that regulate it:
Artichoke – Enhances bile production, aiding fat digestion and cholesterol clearance
Milk Thistle – Promotes liver detoxification and hepatocyte repair
Dandelion Root – Supports gentle liver detox and fluid regulation
Nettle – Anti-inflammatory and vascular-supportive
Parsley – Aids in detox and urinary clearance, supports antioxidant defence
These botanicals help address the root causes of dyslipidemia, not just its symptoms.
Better Lipids, Holistic Support
When cholesterol is high, it’s not only about targeting the issue; it’s about treating a more widespread imbalance.
You don’t have to choose between holistic and conventional care. Holistic nutrition and acupuncture can complement your medical plan, help reduce cardiovascular risk, and support your long-term health safely, effectively, and holistically.
Book a Holistic Nutrition or Traditional Chinese Medicine appointment today and start addressing cholesterol from the inside out.
Gavin is a Registered Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner who helps clients manage high cholesterol and inflammation by addressing the root causes of imbalance. Drawing on over a decade of experience, he uses acupuncture, herbal medicine, and lifestyle guidance to support healthy blood flow, liver function, and long-term cardiovascular health—all through a personalized, integrative approach.
Meet Elisa Kosonen
Elisa is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ and Certified Health Coach who helps clients navigate a wide range of health concerns—from metabolic and hormonal imbalances to gut health, energy, and inflammation. Known for her compassionate, real-life approach, she empowers clients to move beyond restrictive diets and quick fixes by addressing the root causes of imbalance. Whether supporting heart health or overall vitality, Elisa creates personalized strategies that are both sustainable and deeply nourishing.
