High levels of LDL cholesterol can leave us at risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Find out which herbs can help you manage your cholesterol in our latest blog post.
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You likely already know that having high cholesterol levels is bad news for your heart health. When your cholesterol is high, it can cause fatty deposits called plaque to form in your blood vessels. This narrows the blood vessels, making it harder for blood to flow and increasing your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
However, cholesterol isn’t all bad. We need some cholesterol for our bodies to function properly. It’s involved in the production of vitamin D, many hormones, and even our cell membranes.
There are two main types of cholesterol – high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL cholesterol is often referred to as “good” cholesterol. It helps our bodies get rid of excess cholesterol by transporting it to the liver, which in turn flushes it out of our systems.
In contrast, LDL cholesterol is often called “bad” cholesterol. This is the type of cholesterol that can wind up in our arteries, causing a build-up of plaque and eventually leading to atherosclerosis.
It’s important to understand the difference because higher levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, while high LDL levels increase our risk of developing heart issues.
High cholesterol can sometimes be the result of genetics. But, more often, it is a result of our lifestyles. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating fatty foods can all increase our risk of developing high cholesterol.
Fortunately, this also means we can improve our cholesterol levels by making changes to our daily habits. Eating healthily, getting regular exercise, and avoiding smoking and excessive drinking can all help us manage our cholesterol.
There’s also evidence that certain herbal teas can help to lower our levels of LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. To help you choose, we’ve compiled this list of herbal teas to manage your cholesterol levels.
1. Tulsi Tea (Holy Basil)
Tulsi Tea is well known for its health-giving benefits. As well as supporting general health, Holy Basil helps to reduce overall cholesterol levels, lower LDL cholesterol, and keep HDL cholesterol levels stable. That makes it an all-round winner for supporting our heart health!
2. Cinnamon
Packed with antioxidants, cinnamon is both delicious and good for us. Many of the studies into its benefits have focused on people with diabetes, who often experience high cholesterol too.
Cinnamon helps reduce both overall cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. It also gives a boost to our HDL cholesterol levels. Plus, cinnamon lowers our levels of triglycerides – a type of lipid (fat) that also contributes to the build-up of fatty deposits in our blood vessels.
3. Garlic
OK, you may not want to drink a cup of pungent garlic tea on its own. However, this culinary herb is a great addition to a herbal tea blend because of its ability to lower our cholesterol levels and lower our risk of developing atherosclerosis.
Garlic can also help us maintain a healthy blood pressure, which is another reason this is a beneficial herb for anyone concerned with their heart health.
4. Turmeric 
Earthy yellow turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory and another herbal tea ingredient that can help you manage your cholesterol levels.
Turmeric is effective in lowering both LDL cholesterol and overall cholesterol levels. It doesn’t appear to affect HDL cholesterol, leaving your existing levels stable.
5. Hawthorn
Traditionally used as a heart tonic, hawthorn has earned its reputation as the go-to herbal remedy for heart and circulatory issues. Hawthorn is often called “the heart herb” for its various cardio-protective abilities. Prized for its ability to uplift and strengthen the heart both emotionally and physically, the hawthorn has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for all kinds of serious heart concerns. These include angina, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, irregular heart beat and even congestive heart failure.
Hawthorn reduces non-HDL cholesterol levels. It also increases the gut bacteria associated with cholesterol metabolism, helping our bodies process cholesterol and remove it from our systems more effectively.
Herbal Tea for Cholesterol Management
At HealthTea, we create unique herbal tea blends that combine several beneficial herbs into one. Our tea for cholesterol management is Heart Warming, and it contains herbs on this list, as well as other ingredients that support cardiac function and keep blood glucose in check.
You can find The Heart Warming Tea alongside our other premium blends in our online shop as well as the single herbs to create your own blends!
Hi, I’m Róisín Sheridan, founder and creator of HealthTea. My 3 main passions in life are people, nature and health, although not always in that order... 
