Acupuncture Helps Lower Cholesterol Levels.
If your health professional says you have hyperlipidemia, this simply means the amount of fat in your blood is higher than it should be. ("Hyper" means high; "lipid" is another word for fat or fat-like substance; "emia" refers to the blood.) Although high cholesterol is the most famous form of hyperlipidemia, blood fats include more than just cholesterol. Triglycerides, phospholipids, and other fatty substances circulate continuously through the bloodstream on their way to and from organs and tissues. Abnormally high levels of cholesterol in the blood can lead to coronary heart disease and other serious conditions, due to build-up of cholesterol-filled plaque in the arteries. But cholesterol by itself is not the problem. LDL, or "low-density lipoprotein," is the blood lipid that causes the most concern. Compared to other lipoproteins, LDL has a much greater tendency to deposit cholesterol in the walls of blood vessels. Because LDL is the most plaque-forming form of cholesterol, the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis is directly related to the concentration of LDL in the blood. Lowering LDL is the primary goal in treating hyperlipidemia.
Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. It originated in China and is most commonly associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles through the skin. Acupuncture is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi (vital energy) and imbalances in the forces of yin (represents cold, slow or passive principles) and yang (represents hot, excited or active principles). Acupuncture seeks to help in healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi.
A study published in the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture investigated the effects of acupuncture on losing weight and lowering cholesterol levels. Researchers enrolled 50 subjects with simple obesity (accumulation of excess energy (calories) when not used are stored as fat resulting in excess weight). The subjects were all overweight and had higher than normal cholesterol levels - this would include serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipid protein. Results were the acupuncture treatment decreased body weight and cholesterol levels in varying degrees but even after the treatment stopped, there continued to be decreases in all areas. In conclusion, the researchers determined that acupuncture is effective immediately and it also continues to have a stable long-term effect on weight loss and lowering cholesterol.1
1 Liu Y, et al. Acupuncture as the Main Therapeutic Methods to Treat Simple Obesity. Int J of Clin Acupuncture.2007;16(3):187-189.