Low carb and cholesterol

[the_anticarb]

Is a low carb diet good for reducing cholesterol? My total cholesterol is 5.9, on the high side, although my HDL is 2.8 which I gather is good. But the hospital just send the results without any explanation, I've had to google everything, so hope I've got it right.

Is 5.9 a cause for concern would anyone say?

How do I reduce cholesterol as I've heard the link between fat in the diet and cholesterol is not proven. Also I don't want to go down the low fat route if I'm doing a low carb high fat diet - there'll be nothing left to eat! And I like my cheese too much!

Have any of you low carb (high fat) people out there seen your cholesterol reduce from low carbing? Is this the best way forward for me?

Ta

 

[viviennem]

In my case, the answer is "yes" - Atkins reduces my cholesterol to what I, and my GP, consider to be acceptable levels. The diabetic specialist GP wouldn't agree - she wants my cholesterol in the 3s and me on a high dose of statins.

The cholesterol target figures I work to (NICE 2007, I think) are as follows:

Total - below 5.18. in fact I'm higher than that - 5.6 if I remember rightly.
HDL - above 1.04
Triclycerides - below 1.70 and the lower the better. 0.65 was my best ever!
Calculated LDL - below 3

Total:HDL ratio - below 5:1; pref c. 3.5:1

My GP is most concerned with the Total:HDL ratio.

Hope that's of some use.

I'm now completely off BP medication, as well.

Viv 8)

 

[philc]

Don't worry about the level of your cholestrerol. What you eat has little effect in the case of most people.

Since I turned low carb 2 years ago and ceased taking statins, I haven't felt better and my bs are much better. My DSN keeps going on about cholesterol but I've read lots of contrary opinions about fats and cholesterol. It just doesn't worry me any more.

Regards
Phil

 

[dawnmc]

I agree and we need more cholesterol as we get older, strangely enough apparently the brain is full of it and wouldn't operate without it.