Most women I see aren’t dealing with a cholesterol issue they’re dealing with a metabolic issue that starts in the liver.
If you’ve noticed:
- Weight gain around your midsection
- Trouble losing weight (despite doing “everything right”)
- Elevated cholesterol
- Discomfort under your right rib cage
Your liver may be struggling.
This is even more common if you’ve had your gallbladder removed. Without it, your body relies more heavily on your liver, pancreas, and microbiome to process fats making fat accumulation in the liver more likely.
Now here’s where it gets tricky…
Your labs may still be labeled “normal.”
But look closer:
- AST/ALT creeping above 20
- Triglycerides over 100
- Glucose over 90
- A1c above 5.4
These are early signs your metabolism, and liver, are under stress.
And if you calculate your Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and it’s over 36, fatty liver is likely already in play.
But even without that number your symptoms matter.
Because your liver doesn’t just process fat…
It regulates blood sugar.
It detoxes hormones.
It stores nutrients like iron (hello, elevated ferritin).
When it’s overwhelmed, everything backs up:
- Hormones get dysregulated
- Blood sugar rises
- Fat storage increases
And yes… cholesterol goes up.
Here’s the truth no one is talking about:
Fatty liver is more often driven by blood sugar imbalance than fat intake.
And managing cholesterol without addressing the liver?
That’s a short-term strategy at best.
So where do you start?
Support your liver by addressing what’s stressing it:
- Blood sugar swings
- Alcohol + sugar habits
- Processed foods + inflammatory oils
- Chronic stress + poor sleep
You can’t out-supplement a lifestyle that’s overwhelming your liver.
That said targeted support helps when paired with the basics:
- Strategic fasting (12–16 hours or longer if appropriate)
- Nutrients like B12, folate, NAC, vitamin C, E, and alpha lipoic acid
- Determining the zinc copper balance your liver prefers
- Liver-supportive herbs like dandelion, burdock, artichoke, and cruciferous extracts
- Microbiome support with fiber + targeted probiotics
- Daily movement + lymphatic support
For some clients, I also use micro-dosed GLP-1 peptides to help stabilize blood sugar when they’ve already “done all the things.”
Because when blood sugar stabilizes…
the liver can finally catch up.
And everything starts to shift.
If your cholesterol is high, don’t just ask:
“How do I lower it?”
Ask:
“What is my liver trying to tell me?”
Here’s to smarter strategies for healthier livers,
Dr. J
