Plants and Herbal Teas that Lower High Cholesterol and Help Improve Liver Health (Part 2)

It’s not easy sometimes, but there are plants and herbal teas that help with cholesterol and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. A review.

Part 2, the final section of an article originally published on April 9, 2023 in The Road to Wellness on Medium

See Part 1 here.

For the decoctions

1. Chicory (Chicorium intybus L.), its root

A 1998 study showed how rats were given a water-soluble chicory extract had significantly higher HDL, “good” cholesterol, and lower LDL cholesterol. Another study from 2000, also on rats, showed that a water-soluble chicory extract significantly decreased cholesterol absorption in the jejunum and ileum parts of their small intestine.

While I cannot easily find human studies that link chicory root and its effects on high cholesterol in human individuals, there are studies showing how inulin, a prebiotic fiber, helps lower TC and triglycerides. Here’s a meta-analysis.

Fresh chicory root is up to 68% inulin by dry weight.

Chicory root also helps with NAFLD.

Chicory root has a mild laxative effect.

Again, see WebMD for some of the side effects of chicory, precautions, interactions, and more.

2. *Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus and Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus), its root

Astragalus is a go-to remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), though not necessarily for liver issues. Recently, however, astragalus was shown in various studies to have antifibrotic effects, not only as pertaining to the liver, but also in renal, pulmonary, peritoneal, and cardiac fibrosis.

Note, however, that astragalus can negatively impact people with autoimmune diseases as it can rev up their immune systems.

See WebMD for some of the side effects of astragalus, precautions, interactions, and more.

3. *Ginger (Zingiber officinale), its root

Not on my doctor’s list of plant components, but studies show ginger is effective for cholesterol and hepatic steatosis (but not hepatic fibrosis) if used in meals as bits from the fresh root or as a spice, in powdered form, rather than boiled as a decoction.

That said, now that I’m done with the strictures of my liver detox, I’m enjoying (prepackaged) dry chopped ginger root in my tea a lot (for a month only, and then I’ll take a break).

I’m also back (after this detox) to using ginger more in doughs and stews, and other meals. I use it in moderation because ginger is a blood thinner, and so are other spices I enjoy, such as turmeric and caraway, but I do use one half a teaspoon per dough (here’s my recipe for a healthy and satisfying Romanian pizza) or pot of stew because it’s quite potent.

Ginger also helps increase insulin sensitivity, among its other health benefits.

I couldn’t find scientific studies on ginger root tea specifically and its benefits for the liver, but the gingerols and shogaols from ginger — antioxidant, anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds — do leak into the tea water (they are the ones that give ginger its pungency), so I’m assuming there are some health benefits for the tea as well (as it’s traditionally assumed).

Ginger is a blood thinner, so watch out for that if you’re on medication to prevent blood clots or if you’re due for surgery.

See WebMD for some of the side effects of ginger, precautions, interactions, and more.

[*Turmeric (Curcuma longa), with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory compound curcumin, is also good for cholesterol — here’s a meta-analysis that shows turmeric and curcumin significantly reduced LDL-C and TG in 7 studies — and very helpful for the liver, but I personally wouldn’t like it in tea. You have to get something with a drinkable taste if you are to sip from it all day long. Turmeric tea is a thing, though, so you may want to try it.

Note that turmeric, too, is a blood thinner, and it may interact with anticoagulant medications, among others.

See WebMD for some of the side effects of turmeric, precautions, interactions, and more.]

4. Burdock (Arctium lappa L.), its root

Burdock is a lesser-known member of the aster family, so, again, beware of allergies. It can also give you a rash even if you’re not allergic to plants in the daisy family. (I got two of those myself on my legs many years ago after using some burdock root supplements.) Pregnant women should also stay away from this root because it can unduly stimulate the uterus, leading to premature birth.

Burdock also has hypoglycemic effects, so if you take meds for diabetes, make sure your blood sugar doesn’t go too low.

All that said, among its other health benefits, burdock root may help improve liver function, including by helping with fatty liver disease. I used half a teaspoon.

Note that burdock, too, is a blood thinner and may interact with your blood-thinning medication.

Here’s WebMD on some of the side effects of burdock, precautions, interactions, and more.

5. Elecampane, a.k.a horseheal or elfwort (Inula helenium L.), its root

This plant, another one from the large aster family, is native to Europe and Asia and has been traditionally used in these parts of the world for “wet” respiratory illnesses (for instance, in TCM and Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine), including bronchitis and tuberculosis. It’s rich in inulin and other phytonutrients and used for liver health as well, among other health benefits.

Elecampane has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, and it’s even been proven to be “100% effective” potent in vitro against 200 Staphylococcus aureus strains, both methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA).

Elecampane has been recorded in notable manuscripts for its medicinal properties from ancient times, going back to 2700 B.C.E. Along with its use in TCM and Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine, it appears in Minoan, Mycenaean, Egyptian, Assyrian, and Serbian (Chilander Medical Codex) records. It’s also been traditionally very popular in the British Isles. This was mostly for its help with respiratory ailments, so not about its effects on the liver, but this plant’s longstanding renown seemed like an interesting digression.

Note that elecampane can cause sleepiness.

See WebMD for this and some other of the side effects of horseheal, precautions, interactions, and more.

6. *Rose hips (Rosa canina L.), the fruit of dog rose, are also very good for cholesterol.

A 2012 study on 31 obese individuals, with or without impaired glucose tolerance, showed that 40 daily grams of rosehip powder, consumed over six weeks, can significantly lower TC, LDL cholesterol, and the LDL/HDL ratio. It also worked for systolic blood pressure.

I don’t take supplements lightly these days, but I do enjoy my teas and use rose hips in various blends now and then. I have no idea why my doctor didn’t include rose hips on the list. Maybe he focused on less common ingredients since many people in Romania use rose hips, for instance.

Rose hips contain many antioxidants, from vitamin C to malic and citric acids, carotenoids, along with anthocyanins, tannins, flavonoids, and other polyphenolic compounds, which boost the immune system and make rose hips a great remedy for colds, the flu, and fatigue.

Rose hips also contain tiliroside, a flavonoid with many health properties, which also protects the liver, including a fatty liver. In a 2013 study, mice fed both a high-fat diet and a rose-hip extract for 8 weeks gained less weight and visceral fat than the group fed only the former. The liver of the former also weighed less, and their hepatic lipids and triglycerides were lower.

I first cottoned onto rose hips for liver health after a discussion with an old lady, probably in her eighties, selling the fruit in the street. She told me they were good “for blood pressure, cholesterol, and for the health of the liver.” And, indeed, they are. I wish I had looked more into things and used rose hips in my tea blends regularly. But then again, I use about thirty herbal teas in rotation regularly, so it’s easy to forget about one of the plants. But rose hips are truly a great help when it comes to fatty liver and cholesterol.

There are situations, however, when you should not use them. They’re also dangerous in high doses (they can lead to blood clots: deep vein thrombosis) or in supplement form (you can get kidney stones, for instance), and can have side effects even when used in moderation. They also interact with medications and are not good for you if you have certain illnesses, such as sickle cell disease.

Here’s WebMD on the uses and risks of rose hips.

7. Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), the berries

Sea buckthorn is another popular remedy in this part of the world. It’s also used in Ayurvedic medicine and TCM.

Sea buckthorn berries are especially rich in nutrients, from important vitamins (C, alpha- and beta-carotene, K, E, along with B vitamins) and minerals (potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and others) and omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids along with omega-7 and omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids. Sea buckthorn is a rich source of the latter, along with avocado and olive oil. It also contains antioxidant, anti-inflammatory phenolic acids and flavonoids, cholesterol-reducing phytosterols, other phytonutrients, and 18 amino acids.

Surprisingly, sea buckthorn also contains vitamin B12 (more than 98% bioactive) in significant amounts, on account of living in symbiosis with Frankia alni bacteria.

Regarding its benefits for liver health, a 2017 meta-analysis concluded that “supplemental sea buckthorn” significantly improved the lipid profile in subjects with NAFLD or hyperlipidemia but had no such effect in healthy subjects. The study authors attributed these health benefits to the flavonoids and beta-sitosterols in sea buckthorn, but palmitoleic acid, an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid, most likely played a part too.

As this meta-analysis refers to multiple studies on human individuals, sea buckthorn must have been administered differently in each one. I have never taken sea buckthorn supplements myself and would be wary of them because these fruits are so powerful, but I have been using whole fruit in my tea. The tea box says I should macerate them first for up to ten hours. I haven’t been doing that, but then I’ve just started today, so maybe I will.

Sea buckthorn is a blood thinner and can lower your blood sugar, so be wary of it if you take anticoagulant medications and medications for diabetes.

See WebMD for more on the uses and risks of sea buckthorn.

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I’ll stop here with this list of herbal teas for high cholesterol, but since we’re on this topic, I don’t want to leave out a trendier item, bitter melon, a.k.a. bitter gourd (Momordica charantia). One 2018 study shows that it can help lower LDL cholesterol. Other studies, on animals, including ones mentioned in the above paper, show that it can lower blood sugar as well and help in several ways with metabolic syndrome.

I learned about this plant only after doing my detox and am trying to see how I can incorporate it into my diet. I tried making tea with it, but it wasn’t bitter enough. Then I tried eating the actual fruit slices, and they were very, very bitter. I don’t think I’ll eat them. But I don’t want to take supplements with bitter melon, either. So I may stick with bitter melon tea, making it separately from the pot of decoctions and infusions I make daily.

Now that I’m done with the detox I include in that pot some (not many) of the above plants, in rotation, to keep working on that cholesterol, and then I vary the taste and health profile of my tea with various other floral and fruit accents.

For the sake of clarity, here’s how I do it these days: I first boil the dried ginger and the sea buckthorn for a few minutes, for instance (I keep changing things every three to four weeks), and then turn off the heat, add everything else I want to add (often at a moment’s inspiration), and let the tea infuse for 15 minutes.

Here’s Part 1 if you missed it.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. As always, pins and shares are much appreciated! Thank you!

I’ll be back with a story about my detox and and two or more articles about a food regime that may lower high cholesterol and improve liver function.

Thank you for reading!

To a happier, healthier life,

🙂 Mira