Your body uses cholesterol as part of digestion, and to produce hormones and vitamin D. You make all the cholesterol you need. This white, waxy substance is also part of animal products, including meats, eggs, and cheeses. Terms for high cholesterol begin with “hyper,” meaning high, as in hyperlipidemia, a condition with a high level of fat, or lipid, cells in the blood.
Cholesterol concerns crop up because of a diet rich in animal products, limited exercise, overweight, smoking, ethnicity, or genetics. Lab tests measure the levels of the types of cholesterol, or lipoproteins, in your blood. This determines if any levels indicate you are at risk for plaque build up in your arteries, a cause of coronary artery disease.
Why Essential Oils are good for Cholesterol
Essential oils help you face cholesterol challenges as they stimulate circulation, nourish your immune system, and aid with detoxification. The oils help with reducing inflammation, something to be avoided, especially when cholesterol is elevated. Oils promote typical lipoprotein processing mechanisms in your system.
These actions, along with aiding in fat cell breakdown, are beneficial as you take physical and emotional steps to balance your cholesterol levels. They uplift mood, reducing stress and anxiety. This benefit encourages you to adopt healthy behaviors, including sound nutrition and regular physical activity.
Best Essential Oils For Cholesterol
1. Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
Lavender detoxifies, ridding your system of free radicals that create inflammation and limit immune function. It reduces the stress hormone cortisol level as you rest, reducing its potential to add to inflamed tissues. High cholesterol and inflamed circulatory system tissues contribute to plaque buildup.
Healthy human volunteers experienced reductions in saliva cortisol levels after smelling lavender. It reduces worry, creating the balance needed to adopt healthy exercise and eating patterns. The main compound, linalyl acetate, bestows calm while promoting clarity, one reason for feeling refreshed following a lavender supported sleep.
To promote sound, calming sleep add 2 drops of lavender to a cloth tucked beneath your pillow.
Best for: Balancing levels of stress hormones.
2. Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens)
Cypress offers a smorgasbord of care that cleanses tissues, reduces the effects of inflammation, and eliminates excess fluids. It is rich in a-pinene, limonene, thujopsene, and cedrol, compounds that care for your circulatory system. These offer an array of cholesterol balancing benefits.
To begin, cypress stimulates circulation, boosting your body’s ability to eliminate fluids as lipoprotein metabolism improves. Along with these welcome physical benefits, cypress has a lifting quality that lightens your mood and puts some needed spring in your step!
Add 2 drops to 5 ml of carrier oil. Massage into wrist pulse points for quick absorption.
Best for: Diuretic action.
3. Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Rosemary’s terpene compound pinene supports reduction of inflammation. Carnosol is one of the components responsible for rosemary’s ability to thwart inflammation as it releases toxins. It stirs you with stimulating qualities that are caused by flavonoids and diterpene compounds. These beneficial chemicals boost the immune system and scavenge free radicals, resulting in fat breakdown and reducing the potential for cholesterol imbalance.
Rosemary stimulates circulation by increasing your heart rate. A human subjects study suggests that rosemary aromas affect thinking and mood states through different neurochemical pathways. The aromas were absorbed by nose and lung membranes, good news for those want to reduce cholesterol concerns.
Add 2 drops to a lava necklace or bracelet for inhaling all-day antioxidant benefits.
Best for: Detoxifying.
4. Pink Grapefruit Oil (Citrus paradisi)
Grapefruit is invigorating, giving you the boost needed to balance cholesterol levels. The compound limonene stimulates your circulatory and lymph systems, eliminating toxins and supporting lipoprotein metabolism. Pinene stimulates respiratory strength, vital to flushing fats from your body. That is because most fat loss by-products, such as carbon dioxide, are eliminated through your lungs.
Losing weight is one goal for people with elevated levels of low density lipoproteins and triglycerides. Limonene aids with this endeavor too! It activates the enzymes in your body that break down body fat. It also reduces food cravings and forestalls hunger.
Prepare a personal inhaler by adding 3 drops of grapefruit to a cloth. Place it in a small glass bottle, inhaling from this throughout the day.
Best for: Supports weight loss.
5. Sweet Basil Oil (Ocimum basillicum)
Sweet basil is rich in linalool, a compound that cares for inflamed tissues, a sure benefit when cholesterol levels need balancing. It has antioxidant abilities and the compound eugenol relieves discomfort that limits activity when your goal is to lose weight.
Basil promotes focus and clear thinking, reducing anxiety with its warm, balancing support. This helps to foster determination, such as sticking with a healthy diet. Sweet basil cares for nervous tension that interferes with sound sleep. This is important as interrupted sleep can impede weight loss.
Place 3 drops in 20 ml of water in the top of a candle diffuser for use in your living area.
Best for: Promotes sound sleep.
6. Ginger Oil (Zingiber officinale)
Ginger is invigorating with compounds that transform within the body, becoming gingerols that reduce inflammation in tissues. Ginger aids with sugar breakdown, a benefit that limits your body’s fatty acid content. These effects are brought about by the actions of several terpene compounds. The enzyme zingibain helps to breakdown protein, another digestive benefit.
Ginger also encourages your confidence, beneficial for adopting wellness practices! As you get moving, ginger stimulates respiration and eases congestion, promoting clear breathing. As you have already read, respiratory well being helps to eliminate fat by-products, important for lowering cholesterol.
Add 2 drops of ginger to 15 ml of shower gel to stimulate respiration and boost confidence.
Best for: Aids digestion.
7. Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus)
Lemongrass has a sweet lemon scent that is awakening and energizing, helping you to actively address cholesterol concerns. Geranial and neral are aldehyde compounds that stimulate and invigorate, supporting circulation and its role in detoxifying your body. This is important because of the liver’s role in cholesterol metabolism. Limonene helps to reduce appetite, a sure benefit when managing your diet.
The elevated cholesterol concentration of study animals were successfully reduced, dependent on the dosages administered. This same review reported on lemongrass as a beneficial antioxidant with positive effects on lipoprotein levels.
For an uplifting spritzer, add 2 drops of lemongrass to 10 ml of carrier oil mixed with 5 ml of vodka, blending well. Add this mixture to 120 ml of distilled water in a glass bottle.
Best for: Cholesterol balancing.
8. Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia)
Bergamot is beneficial for lowering high density cholesterol levels. Its polyphenol compounds aid with fat oxidation, limiting their production in your circulatory system. It supports you when you feel down. For some people that can prompt overeating carbohydrate laden comfort foods. Bergamot aids digestion by stimulating enzymes that promote nutrient absorption.
Improved digestion limits hunger and cravings. Toxins are released and your overall energy is invigorated. Bergamot reduces tension and anxiety, providing the balance needed to adopt behaviors that will reduce unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Add a few drops to 10 ml of carrier oil, massaging into abdomen for improved digestion.
Best for: Stimulating digestion and nutrient absorption.
Best Essential Oils For Cholesterol Recipes
Lovely Lipoprotein Balancing Oil
This oil is designed to bring on the cholesterol balancing benefits of lemongrass and grapefruit. Ginger and rosemary aid digestion and detoxify. Patchouli keeps your feet on the ground with a smile!
- A glass bottle
- 30 ml of coconut carrier oil
- 6 drops of lemongrass
- 5 drops of grapefruit
- 4 drops of rosemary
- 3 drops of ginger
- 2 drops of patchouli
Blend the oils well and store in the glass bottle.
Use for a full abdominal massage, upper and lower belly, using gentle circular strokes. Breathe fully and follow with intentional relaxation.
Delightful Digestion Inhaler
Keep this inhaler handy for cholesterol balancing as you leading a full, busy life! These oils will lift your mood, quell hunger, boost circulation and digestion, and flush fatty toxins from your body.
- Two glass bottles: a 30 ml one for the blend and a 10 ml for the inhaler.
- A small piece of cloth
- 30 ml of carrier oil
- 3 drops of bergamot
- 2 drops of cypress
- 1 drop of ginger
Blend the oils well, storing the mixture in the larger bottle.
Moisten the fabric with 2 ml of the blend, fold, and place in the 10 ml bottle.
Carry the small bottle with you, inhaling its invigorating aromas off and on throughout your day. Replenish your inhaler buddy as needed.
Sleep Well Sachet
Let this blend calm you into a soothing slumber as it supports your efforts at balancing cholesterol levels.
- A small muslin or organza bag
- A piece of soft, absorbent cloth
- 10 ml of carrier oil
- 2 drops of sweet basil
- 1 drop of lavender
- 1 drop of cypress
Blend the oils well. Drop several drops of the blend on the cloth.
Fold the cloth and place in the bag. Keep the sachet under your pillow or nearby where you will inhale its calming aromas as you sleep.
To Summarize
- Cholesterol concerns are imbalances of the body’s lipoproteins, or cholesterol, levels. This white, waxy substance is produced by the body and consumed in animal products such as eggs, meat, and cheese. Cholesterol imbalances are caused by overweight, diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and genetics.
- Essential oils stimulate circulation and respiration, aid in fat breakdown, protect against inflammation, and support detoxification. Oils aid digestion, promote nutrient absorption, quell appetite, and reduce hunger and food cravings.
- Essential oils for cholesterol are lavender, grapefruit, rosemary, lemongrass, sweet basil, bergamot, ginger, and cypress.
- Use tips include a pulse point oil, personal inhaler, candle diffuser, in shower gel, a spritzer, lava jewelry diffuser, and on a cloth beneath your pillow.
Read more:
- Essential Oils For Weight Loss – Top 5 Oils & How To Use Them!
- Best 14 Bergamot Essential Oil Benefits For Your Hair, Skin, Sleep & Even Home!
