Battling LDL Cholesterol with Bergamot: The Natural Statin!

Have you heard the story about LDL cholesterol, which is nearly universally branded a villain?

Of course you have! Here’s how it usually goes.

LDL, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, has critical jobs within the body. As HDL cholesterol, the “good” type, silently protects your heart health, LDL cholesterol helps to repair tissues, orchestrates the production of essential hormones, and even crafts vitamin D.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to get too much of a good thing — and before you know it, plaque builds up within your arteries, setting the stage for a deadly combo—stroke and heart disease.

You enter the danger zone if your LDL levels exceed 100 mg/dL. When they exceed 160 mg/dnd, especially when your total cholesterol climbs to 200 mg/dL or above, your doctor knows you need help.

They’ve got just the thing: Statins. In the financially motivated world of modern medicine, one size always fits all. A staggering 86 million Americans aged 20 and up suffer from high cholesterol, and approximately 47 million battle it with prescription medication.

Is that necessary? What if a cheaper natural alternative could be just as effective? Enter bergamot — the natural statin that might free you from high LDL cholesterol levels and pharmaceutical treatments.

What Is Bergamot?

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a unique citrus fruit almost exclusively cultivated in Italy’s Calabria region. While its origins remain unclear, scientists believe the fruit is a hybrid between a lime or lemon and a bitter orange.

Although bergamot is most famous for its rich essential oil, which blends citrus aromas with spicy undertones, it’s also been a mainstay in alternative medicine. Bergamot has been used to treat everything from depression and joint pain to schizophrenia. The citrus fruit’s rich flavonoid profile explains why — bergamot is packed with antioxidants and compounds with an anti-inflammatory action.

It’s also a powerful cholesterol treatment — one that has the potential to free people with high cholesterol levels from prescription medication.

Why Is Bergamot a Viable Treatment for High Cholesterol?

A deeper look at the flavonoids in bergamot makes it clear why the citrus fruit is such an exciting natural treatment for people with high total and LDL cholesterol levels — and two hold stand out as the “secret ingredients.”

Neohesperidin and naringin appear to bind to HMG-CoA reductase, the same enzyme statins target. As bergamot inhibits the activity of HMG-CoA reductase, a few different things happen:

· The liver stops producing as much cholesterol.

· LDL receptors become “supercharged,” allowing your body to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream and stop plaque buildup.

The result? Drastically reduced LDL and overall cholesterol levels. Does bergamot work, though, and how effective is it? Let’s explore that!

Can Bergamot Lower Your LDL Cholesterol Levels Effectively? A Look at the Science

Studies have shown citrus bergamot to be surprisingly effective in the battle against high LDL and total cholesterol levels, and this research shows you the tip of the iceberg:

· A review of five clinical trials showed that bergamot was well tolerated (had few side effects) while significantly lowering both LDL and total cholesterol.

· Another study exploring bergamot as a cholesterol treatment found that this modest citrus fruit can reduce total cholesterol levels by 12.3 to 31.3 percent while slashing participants’ LDL levels by 7.6 to 40.8 (!!!) percent. Study participants given bergamot treatment also enjoyed reduced triglyceride levels of 11.5 to 39.5 percent.

· Yet another clinical trial shed light on the long-term effects of bergamot as a cholesterol treatment, with promising results.

· People who already take statins for high cholesterol might be interested to learn that research has also shown the two work well together. In other words, adding bergamot to your cholesterol treatment regimen while continuing to take statins can lead to significantly better cholesterol control compared to just taking statins.

How Do You Take Bergamot as a Cholesterol Treatment?

The studies we just looked at examined the potential of citrus bergamot extract as an oral treatment — in other words, in capsule or tablet form. Bergamot capsules are widely available on the internet.

Most capsules contain a dose of 500 mg, but the doses studies looked at are generally closer to 1,000 mg. You can avoid statins or reduce your dose by up to half by taking bergamot for just one month.

There’s little to lose.

While the potential side effects of statins include liver damage, muscle pain and damage, increased blood sugar levels, and even memory loss or “brain fog,” bergamot only has one significant side effect — occasional heartburn.

So, Is Bergamot the Magic Solution to High LDL Cholesterol Levels?

Of course not!

Lifestyle changes should always be your first step. If you have high total and LDL cholesterol levels, there’s no way around it. Where applicable, you’ll need to get your diet in order, lose weight, quit smoking or vaping, stop drinking, and start exercising.

The best natural treatments start from within, after all.

The robust flavonoids citrus bergamot hides are merely helping hands that can help you regain control and get back on a healthier track.

Have you entered the cholesterol danger zone? The extract of a beautifully aromatic citrus fruit can free up your doctor’s schedule — because you can get your cholesterol levels under control before you’re in the “statin range.” If you’re already on statins, try bergamot and see how fast you can cut your current dose in half.

Who knows? Discovering the power of bergamot may radically change your approach to health and life as you get off the prescription train and learn what your body is capable of with a bit of help from Mother Nature.

Watch this episode of the Medical Truth Podcast, where host James Egidio interviews Dr. Jack Wolfson as he discusses the Dangers of Cholesterol medications.