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Treating Lipid Metabolism Disorder Naturopathically

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The causes of lipid metabolism disorders range from genetic factors to diseases and even to lifestyle. The naturopathic treatment options include a change in diet, naturopathic detoxification procedures, micronutrients as well as omega-3 fatty acids and medicinal plants.

Too high cholesterol levels are not only the effects of calorie bombs on holidays, but rather lipid metabolism disorders are also part of a fairly common problem in naturopathy. Naturopathy offers various treatment options.

Too high cholesterol levels are not only the effects of calorie bombs on holidays, but rather fat metabolism disorders are also part of a fairly common problem in naturopathy. In the case of a fatty metabolism disorder, also known as a lipid metabolism disorder, dyslipidemia or dyslipoproteinemia, the composition of the fats or lipoproteins contained in the blood is outside the normal range. In the Western world, it is mainly a matter of increased blood lipid levels as a result of an unfavorable lifestyle, other diseases or genetic predisposition. In most cases, there is a combination of the causes.

Fats, or lipids, from the Greek from lipos = fat, are among the three macronutrients of the human body, along with carbohydrates and proteins. They are indispensable for our organism as energy stores and components of cell membranes. The fats ingested with food or produced in the metabolism are water-insoluble, hydrophobic, and are therefore bound to proteins in the blood, so-called lipoproteins. They consist of lipids (cholesterol, phosphatides, triglycerides) and proteins (apolipoproteins). Lipoproteins are synthesized in the liver or intestines and transport fat-soluble substances such as lipids and fat-soluble vitamins in the blood. Lipoproteins are naturally divided into different density classes:

• Chylomicrons
• VLDL (very low density lipoprotein)
• IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein)
• LDL (low density lipoprotein)
• HDL (high density lipoprotein)

Chylomicrons have a very low density and are used to transport triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol from the small intestine to the liver. VLDL has a greater density than chylomicrons and transports lipids from the liver to the extrahepatic tissues. During transport, triglycerides are released and thus the VLD lipoprotein is transformed into the LD lipoprotein. IDL represents the intermediate stage between VLDL and LDL and corresponds in composition to that of VLDL. LDL consists of about 50% cholesterol, the other 50% proteins and phospholipids. It is responsible for transporting cholesterol from the liver to tissues and body cells. If there is an excess of LDL in the blood, cholesterol can be deposited on the walls of the arteries, narrowing them and, when dissolved, also clogging them. Cholesterol is therefore an essential component of atherosclerotic plaques. Colloquially, LDL cholesterol is referred to as bad cholesterol. HDL is a very dense fat protein. It consists of about half proteins and the other half cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides and has the task of transporting excess cholesterol from the cells and organs back to the liver so that it can be disposed of there. This process is intended to prevent the narrowing of the blood vessels and thus also the development of arteriosclerosis. This lipoprotein is therefore the countermeasure to LDL cholesterol and is therefore also referred to as good cholesterol.

Diagnostics

As part of a blood count, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides are usually identified to determine the cardiovascular risk. For total cholesterol, a value below 200 mg/dL is considered normal. In addition, the triglycerides (neutral fats) should be below 150 mg/dL. LDL greater than 130 mg/dL and HDL less than 35 mg/dL or a quotient of LDL/HDL greater than five are considered pathological. However, lipid levels should always be assessed in combination with the respective cardiovascular risk. In addition, the information on the limit values differs in the literature. A manifest lipid metabolism disorder is present when one or more of these values are outside the normal range for a longer period of time.

Overall, the average total cholesterol level as well as the LDL and HDL levels of the healthy normal population vary from country to country and are also age- and gender-dependent. There is a positive correlation between blood cholesterol levels and body mass index.

Frequency and Prevalence

Among the most relevant lipid metabolism disorders in the Western world are hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Dietary and lifestyle-related lipid metabolism disorders are common. In Germany, around 56.6% of men and 60.5% of women between the ages of 18 and 79 have elevated cholesterol levels. The frequency increases significantly with increasing age.

Dyslipidemias are considered the main risk factors for the development of arteriosclerosis as well as its complications such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, mesenteric disease, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, fatty liver or cholesterol gallstones. Pronounced hypertriglyceridemia is associated with the risk of pancreatitis.

Primary lipid metabolism disorders are genetically determined.

Causes

The causes are manifold. Primary lipid metabolism disorders are genetically determined. Secondary disorders are triggered or facilitated by lifestyle or a pre-existing condition. These include alcohol consumption and hypothyroidism as well as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension and hyperuricemia as a so-called metabolic syndrome, “affluence syndrome”. In addition, various medications like for example beta-blockers, diuretics, estrogens or glucocorticoids can contribute to a lipid metabolism disorder.

Hyperlipoproteinemia usually does not trigger any visible symptoms.

Symptoms

Hyperlipoproteinemia is usually accompanied by no visible symptoms. In the case of a very pronounced disorder, xanthomas, i.e. benign, yellow-colored tumors in the area of the Achilles tendon and the finger extensor tendons, can form over time. In addition, yellowish, slightly raised cholesterol deposits, xanthelasma, in the area of the eyelids and a grayish-whitish opacity ring at the edge of the cornea of the eye, arcus lipoideus corneae, can sometimes be seen. As the disease progresses, arteriosclerotic changes become apparent, due to the fat deposits in the arteries. The result is circulatory disorders and loss of function of the affected tissue with pain in the chest, left arm or legs, as well as upper abdominal pain due to pancreatitis.

Treatment

The earlier a lipid metabolism disorder is detected, the sooner consequential damage can be avoided or alleviated. Often, an adjustment in lifestyle with a change in diet and with increased physical exercise contributes to regulating fat metabolism.

The diet should consist of little meat and cheese, among other things.

General Measures

According to the recommendations of the German Society of Cardiology, Heart and Circulatory Research e.V., care should be taken to eat little fatty meat, internal [organs], sausage products and ham as well as little cheese, cream, whole milk and butter. Eggs should only be consumed in moderation and the preparation of food should be low in fat. The society recommends a plant-based diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts as well as vegetable oil. Hydrogenated margarine and alcohol should be avoided.

Animal fats should be replaced by vegetable fats.

In general, animal fats should be exchanged for vegetable fats, as they mainly contain saturated fatty acids, which increase cholesterol levels. Vegetable fats such as olive oil, rapeseed oil and linseed oil, on the other hand, contain unsaturated fatty acids, which lower cholesterol levels. It is also important to reduce excess weight.

If the lifestyle modification does not sufficiently help to reduce blood lipid levels, lipid-lowering drugs are used in conventional medicine.

Conventional Medicine

If blood lipid levels do not decrease sufficiently through lifestyle modification, lipid-lowering drugs, especially statins as cholesterol synthesis enzyme inhibitors (CSE inhibitors, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) or fibrates to lower triglycerides, are used allopathically, with the primary aim of preventing the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and pancreatitis.

Naturopathic Treatment

The basis of a holistic treatment should be to remediate the terrain, cleanse the organism, eliminate toxins and waste products on the one hand, and to stimulate the metabolism and strengthen the immune system on the other. An excellent way to cleanse the milieu or improve the basic regulation and to stimulate detoxification and the excretory organs (such as the liver, intestines, kidneys, skin and the pulmonary-bronchial system) are the traditional naturopathic detoxification and toxin removal therapies.

Elimination With the Help of Medicinal Preparations

For drainage via the organs by means of medicinal preparations, the Phoenix detoxification concept with spagyric remedies has proven itself in my practice. It starts over three days with the liver remedy Silybum spag., 60 drops three times a day. Then the kidney drug Solidago spag. in the same dosage over another three days and finally over three days the remedy Urtica-Arsenicum spag. as an activator of skin, mucous membrane and tissue. The latter remedy should only be used in a dosage of three times 20 drops a day, otherwise the release of toxins is too intense. The intake now begins again with the liver remedy Silybum spag. and is continued in the same rhythm. The cycle must be repeated up to a total duration of 45 days. At the same time, the lymphatic agent Thuja-Lachesis spag. to remove the waste products, 20 drops are administered three times a day over the entire cure. I recommend that my patients put the entire daily dose into about 1.5 liters of still water in the morning and drink it evenly throughout the day. This ensures that a sufficient amount of fluid is absorbed to remove the dissolved substances from the body. The intake in children is one drop per kilogram of body weight, except for Urtica-Arsenicum spag. with 1/3 drop per kilogram of body weight.

Wheal Therapy* Of the Liver Zone

To improve microcirculation and relieve the arterial and venous systems, to stimulate the immune system, to improve the milieu by binding excess hydrogen and to activate cellular respiration, I infiltrate the liver zone in the area of dermatomes C 3, 4 and Th 6-10 right anterior and posterior strictly intracutaneously with [Phoenix] Juv 110 solution for injection. Depending on the patient’s constitution, I use one to three ampoules per treatment.

Ointment Wrap

On the injection-free days, I have an ointment wrap with Juv 110 ointment applied to the area of the right upper abdomen once or twice a week. Like the Juv 110 solution for injection, the Juv 110 ointment also combines twelve finely tuned herbal components. In contrast to the pure use of ointments, the ingredients of the wrap are absorbed longer. They stimulate the body’s own basic regulation, have a tissue-retuning effect and in this way support the healing process. To do this, the ointment is applied to the skin area and covered with a cotton cloth. A pleasantly warm hot water bottle is placed on the cloth, kept warm and rested for about 20 minutes. According to the organ clock, a favorable time of day for this is the early afternoon between 1 and 3 p.m., when the bile juices flow particularly well.

Micronutrients

By blocking the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, statins inhibit not only cholesterol synthesis but also the biosynthesis of ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10). It is therefore obvious to prevent an undesirable deficiency by taking Q10 at the same time. 100 mg of Q10 per capsule is recommended. In addition, sufficient supplementation of vitamin D should be considered, as according to a meta-analysis, this lowers total and LDL cholesterol levels, in optimal combination with B vitamins for energy and selenium for cell protection.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Various studies provide evidence that omega-3 fatty acids have a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases, mental illnesses, the immune system and brain development and can be used as well to prevent and treat arteriosclerosis. Omega-3 fatty acid contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is converted in the body into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). They have an anti-inflammatory, vasodilator effect and reduce blood clotting. ALA is found in larger quantities mainly in linseed oil, rapeseed oil, chia seeds and walnuts. However, losses can occur during the conversion, so that often only small amounts of EPA and DHA are synthesized from ALA. Therefore, it is more effective to take EPA and DHA directly. These two omega-3 fatty acids are almost exclusively found in fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna and sardines. Since it seems almost impossible to absorb the required amounts through food, supplementation in the form of a natural fish oil or vegetable algae oil with 2 g per day is recommended.

Red fermented rice flour is a natural product originating from TCM.

Red Fermented Rice Flour

The natural product, which originates from Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a polished rice inoculated with a yeast culture, whose color pigments give the rice flour its typical red color. The different color pigments have an antibiotic effect on pathological intestinal bacteria in different ways, which means that they have a positive regulating effect on the intestinal flora. In addition to these pigments, the yeast fungus Monascus purpureus produces blood lipid-regulating monacolins as the main active ingredient and therapeutically important component, as well as bioflavonoids, unsaturated fatty acids and amino acids.

Garlic is a plant-based lipid-lowering agent.

Medicinal plants

Plant-based lipid-lowering drugs include raw garlic (Allium sativum) or garlic juice or capsules, wild garlic, artichoke extract, milk thistle and green tea. Fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, potatoes, fruit and whole meal bread also reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the intestine.

Conclusion

Lipid metabolism disorders are widespread in our society. As a rule, however, despite their possible and serious consequences, they can be treated well by adhering to general dietary rules and with naturopathic support.

Literature: The complete list of references can be requested from the publisher.

An Exclusive Article for P2P Supporters
Published March 2026

From an article in Naturheilpraxis, Volume 79, February 2026
Translation & redaction by: Carolyn L. Winsor, P2P Consulting
© Copyright 2026, Naturheilpraxis, Susanne Rothörl, Germany
AI Digital and online translation assistance utilized.

The Author

Susanne Rothörl, HP

She is a naturopath in her own practice, a biologist B.Sc. and author of scientific texts on naturopathic topics. As a textbook author and lecturer, she is in demand at alternative and naturopathic schools in Germany and abroad, and her specialty includes spinal therapy according to Dorn.

* Neural Therapy technique

Literature: The complete list of references can be requested from the publisher.