Q: Is yoga helpful in reducing cholesterol levels? Is it an alternative to medication?

A:One of the most extraordinary changes in the general public's awareness of health issues over the past two decades has been the deep interest in serum cholesterol. This is a measurable chemical in the blood that is only estimated by means of a laboratory test. In contrast, for instance, anaemia can be recognised by physical exam, or diabetes by testing the urine. If cholesterol was not routinely measured, most educated people would not worry about it and a health conscious person would automatically eliminate the need to think about this chemical in the blood stream by eating a healthy diet and exercising. To this extent, yoga can help maintain health aand prevent complications of bad living style such as heart disease and stroke. Thus, the issue is not so much whether an activity (or a drug, such as Lipitor) can reduce cholesterol: the real issue is whether heath in general is improved. From this perspective, yoga improves health and maybe at the same time cholesterol will be reduced, particularly if a sensible diet is followed as well.