Did you know your gut can affect your cholesterol? It’s true. The trillions of microbes living in your intestines help decide how your body absorbs and gets rid of cholesterol.
This connection between gut health and cholesterol is often overlooked, but it can make a big difference in your health.
At our holistic wellness clinic in Sugar Land and Houston, we often see patients whose cholesterol numbers don’t improve, no matter how clean their diet is. Around 40% of people in the U.S. have high cholesterol. That’s why it’s so important to understand what affects your cholesterol levels.
Recently, scientists have started looking closely at a surprising factor, like gut bacteria, and how they can influence cholesterol.
Gut Bacteria and Your Cholesterol
Everyone’s gut bacteria are unique, and over time, science has shown that the balance of these microbes can affect many aspects of health, including your cholesterol.
Some of these bacteria make compounds that help break down certain foods. When your gut is out of balance, these byproducts can actually raise cholesterol and even affect your blood vessels. Researchers are still figuring out all the details, but it’s clear that a healthy gut plays a big role in keeping cholesterol in check.
These bacteria help regulate bile acids, which are made from cholesterol, and when your gut is balanced, these acids recycle efficiently, keeping cholesterol in check.
A recent study also found that certain gut bacteria can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Your balanced gut helps you in:
- Supporting your healthy fat metabolism: Good bacteria help break down dietary fats, so the LDL (bad cholesterol) doesn’t build up.
- Reducing your inflammation: A healthy gut keeps harmful bacteria in check, lowering inflammation that can affect blood vessels.
- Optimizing bile recycling: Proper gut balance helps bile acids efficiently recycle, keeping cholesterol levels in control.
But stress, antibiotics, sugar, and processed foods can allow bad bacteria to dominate, leading to inflammation and impaired fat metabolism.
This is why sometimes, even with a healthy diet, cholesterol stays high. At our clinic in Houston, Texas, we focus on restoring your gut balance, which could be the missing piece to better cholesterol health.
How an Unhealthy Gut Can Raise Your Cholesterol
It’s not immediately obvious how the bacteria in your gut could affect the cholesterol in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to produce bile in the liver, vitamin D, hormones, and to build strong cell walls. But too much cholesterol can build up in your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
When your gut is out of balance, a condition called dysbiosis, can quietly impact cholesterol in several ways:
- Increased inflammation: A leaky gut allows inflammatory molecules into your bloodstream. Your liver may respond by producing more cholesterol as a way to repair damage.
- Reduced cholesterol clearance: Normally, your gut helps eliminate excess cholesterol through bile. But when your gut flora is off, cholesterol can get reabsorbed instead of leaving the body.
- Blood sugar and insulin effects: Poor gut health can contribute to insulin resistance, which can raise triglycerides and lower your good cholesterol.
- Poor nutrient absorption: Your gut absorbs key nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. Without them, your body struggles to process fats properly, affecting cholesterol metabolism.
Key Signs Your Gut May Be Affecting Your Cholesterol
Cholesterol problems can sometimes start in the gut, not your diet. If you have any of the following symptoms, your gut may be the reason behind your high cholesterol:
- Always Bloated or Gas
- Irregular bowel movements
- High LDL or low HDL despite a healthy diet
- Fatigue or brain fog after meals
- Sugar cravings
- Not losing weight
- Skin problems
- Joint pain
- Inflammation
If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to take a closer look at your gut. At Kairos Functional Medicine, we help you balance your gut to support healthy cholesterol and overall wellness.
Role of Fermented Foods for Gut and Cholesterol
People have been enjoying fermented foods for thousands of years, and for good reason. Eating these foods regularly is one of the simplest ways to boost the good bacteria, probiotics, in your gut.
These live microorganisms can also help lower cholesterol. They reduce how much cholesterol your gut absorbs, which can help prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, supporting your heart health.
Your gut produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate when probiotics ferment fiber. SCFAs have been shown to reduce liver cholesterol synthesis and improve lipid profiles. Some studies even link regular probiotic intake to modest decreases in total cholesterol and LDL.
But eating too much fermented food, however, can cause digestive issues like bloating or diarrhea. We recommend starting with one serving a day and increasing gradually to avoid any issues.
Some fermented foods for gut health that you can easily add to your daily routine include:
- Unsweetened Plain Yogurt with live active cultures to give your gut a probiotic boost.
- Kefir is a fermented milk drink packed with probiotics that help digestion and balance cholesterol.
- Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage full of fiber and probiotics, a great addition to any meal.
- Kimchi is made from spicy fermented vegetables and helps improve gut diversity while reducing inflammation.
- Miso is a fermented soybean paste that you can add to soups, sauces, or dressings for extra probiotics.
- Pickles, look for those labeled “fermented” rather than vinegar-pickled.
Fermented foods are just one part of a holistic approach to gut health and cholesterol.
Learn more about our holistic care approach at our Sugar Land functional medicine clinic.
Practical Steps to Support Gut Health and Lower Cholesterol
If your body is low in magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, or fiber, it can affect how you process fats and cholesterol.
Research shows that the gut-liver connection plays a big role in cholesterol control. Healthy gut bacteria help your liver remove extra cholesterol. Your small steps to improve gut diversity can greatly lower your overall inflammation.
Try to:
- Eat fiber-rich foods like oats, beans, vegetables, and fruits to feed your gut bacteria.
- Include fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi.
- Eat more polyphenol-rich foods like berries, dark chocolate, coffee, and green tea to support your good bacteria and reduce inflammation.
- Limit processed foods, seed oils, and added sugars.
- Drink plenty of water to help your gut and bile function.
- Eat more prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, and bananas
- Support your liver with cruciferous veggies, beets, and herbs like milk thistle.
- Drink alcohol in moderation.
- Consider probiotic supplements under guidance from a healthcare provider. Strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum may help lower LDL cholesterol.
Bottom Line
If you’ve been told your cholesterol is “genetic” or that you just need more medication, it might be time to take your gut health.
At Kairos, Lola, one of our board-certified practitioners, helps patients find the root cause of cholesterol imbalance, so you can feel better and rely less on prescriptions.
We see patients in Houston, Sugar Land, Richmond, and nearby areas (77046 & 77478), and accept major insurance plans including Blue Cross, Aetna, Ambetter, Cigna, and more.
New patients are always welcome, and if visiting the clinic isn’t possible, telemedicine appointments are available across Texas.
Book your appointment today!
