CBD For Cholesterol

High cholesterol has no symptoms but plenty of unhealthy side effects, making it a silent killer. To better understand cholesterol, we’ll look at the different kinds of cholesterol, the causes and symptoms of having too much cholesterol in your body, and the potential benefits of using CBD as treatment. 

What Are The Differences Between HDL, LDL, and VLDL? 

There are three types of cholesterol: HDL, LDL, and VLDL. Each is a combination of lipids (or fat) and proteins, but have vastly different purposes. 

HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is often referred to as the “good” cholesterol. It serves as a cleansing agent, pulling cholesterol from throughout the body to your liver, where it’s then processed and vacated from the body. 

LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, is considered the “bad” cholesterol whose level needs to be monitored. As the levels of LDL increase in your body, it can combine with other components of the blood to become plaque.  

VLDL, or very low-density lipoprotein, is another form of “bad” cholesterol. It also can form plaque in the arteries but differs from LDL in that it carries triglycerides while LDL mostly carries cholesterol. 

What Are The Causes And Symptoms of High Cholesterol? 

While age, genetics, race, and weight can all raise your odds of having high cholesterol, generally there are considered three main causes of high cholesterol: 

• Eating saturated and trans fats 
• Lack of exercise 
• Smoking 

High cholesterol has no symptoms. However, there are multiple risk factors of having high cholesterol: 

• Can limit blood flow 
• Increasing risk of heart attack or stroke 

Due to the lack of symptoms, it’s essential to have your blood’s cholesterol levels tested regularly. This can help ensure your cholesterol levels maintain what is considered a normal cholesterol level. 

What Are The Benefits of CBD For High Cholesterol? 

CBD is typically regarded as safe with lessened side effects when compared to other medications, and when it comes to high cholesterol, specifically, recent research found that a four week CBD treatment in mice increased HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels while reducing total cholesterol levels. As CBD interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for maintaining homeostasis, further research has shown that CBD can also help modulate cholesterol levels.   Before taking CBD for high cholesterol levels, make sure to discuss it with your doctor. They may be able to help isolate the specific cause of your high cholesterol levels and identify lifestyle changes that can help boost good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol levels.