Does a LCHF diet raise cholesterol levels?

[plonkish_]

Do any of you have experience of this?

I'm trying the LCHF diet and keeping my blood sugars low, but I have previously had highish cholesterol so I'm worried about that now too!

 

[plonkish_]

Sorry if this has been asked before.

 

[DeejayR]

It hasn't raised mine. I' ve been taking statins for about 5 years and will continue while I persevere with the diet. I have to trust someone and I trust the forum members and the "vibe". It just feels right.
Some people say the LCHF diet lowers their cholesterol.
It is also said the cholesterol we consume doesn't affect the cholesterol in our bodies.

 

[sanguine]

Actually around 80% of the cholesterol in the body is manufactured by the liver and the cells, and relatively little comes directly from the diet. Furthermore, total cholesterol is now widely recognised as being a very poor indicator of heart disease risk.

Far more meaningful are the individual components (the lipid profile) of total cholesterol, especially the high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride levels. The triglyceride/HDL ratio is perhaps the single most significant measure of heart disease risk. The lower the triglycerides and the higher the HDL, the better. A triglyceride/HDL ratio of 2 or less is a good target, 1.3 even better.

Insulin and glucose combine to raise triglycerides and lower HDL, which is why a low fat, high carbohydrate diet may actually increase heart disease risk. It is commonly reported that those on low carb diets have better lipid profiles and certainly much improved triglyceride/HDL ratios, even though high carb diets can produce lower total cholesterol.

 

[jack412]

If you lose weight it throws your bloods out
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/06/i-lost-weight-and-my-cholesterol-went-up/

but have a look at this to start with

 

[plonkish_]

Thank you all!

DeeJay I'm not on statins, I was just over so didn't get that far (and in fact had started to lower my fat intake as a result of that shortly before I was then diagnosed with diabetes - now I'm back to eating fat!)

Sanguine, that is very interesting! I will check when I have my next round of blood tests done.

Jack, I have lost weight (12Ibs in under 3 weeks). Thank you - I'll have a look at the video (have no sound here right now!)

 

[Bluetit1802]

Some excellent advice above.
I can only speak for myself.
On a LCHF diet my lipid profiles are better than they were this time last year when I was on statins, which I stopped taking.
My trigs are 0.58, and my trigs/HDL ratio is 0.19.
Other people may differ.

 

[JohnD54]

Can only agree with others that have posted here, since having been on LCHF or at least my own version thereof, cholesterol is better than last May BG levels under control for the moment down from HBa1c of 80 (12mmol) to 34 ( 5.8). Weight lose so far 3 stone now at the upper end of healthy BMI.

Less meds for elevated BP and hoping to reduce or come off Metformin shortly.

All down to LCHF and advice and assistance from this forum.

 

[Daks]

Actually around 80% of the cholesterol in the body is manufactured by the liver and the cells, and relatively little comes directly from the diet. Furthermore, total cholesterol is now widely recognised as being a very poor indicator of heart disease risk.

Far more meaningful are the individual components (the lipid profile) of total cholesterol, especially the high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride levels. The triglyceride/HDL ratio is perhaps the single most significant measure of heart disease risk. The lower the triglycerides and the higher the HDL, the better. A triglyceride/HDL ratio of 2 or less is a good target, 1.3 even better.

Insulin and glucose combine to raise triglycerides and lower HDL, which is why a low fat, high carbohydrate diet may actually increase heart disease risk. It is commonly reported that those on low carb diets have better lipid profiles and certainly much improved triglyceride/HDL ratios, even though high carb diets can produce lower total cholesterol.

Please don't thump me with the stupid stick, can that be further put into laymens ?

 

[sanguine]

Please don't thump me with the stupid stick, can that be further put into laymens ?

HDL (the so-called 'good' cholesterol) should be as high as possible, and this goes up with LCHF. Triglycerides are strongly associated with carb consumption and go down with LCHF. So low values of trigs divided by HDL (and total cholesterol divided by HDL) are good. LDL doesn't mean much because it comprises both small dense particles (bad) and big fluffy ones (good).

Read Malcolm Kendrick or Jimmy Moore if you want more background to this.

 

[Bluetit1802]

HDL (the so-called 'good' cholesterol) should be as high as possible, and this goes up with LCHF. Triglycerides are strongly associated with carb consumption and go down with LCHF. So low values of trigs divided by. HDL (and total cholesterol divided by HDL) are good. LDL doesn't mean much because it comprises both small dense particles (bad) and big fluffy ones (bad).

Read Malcolm Kendrick or Jimmy Moore if you want more background to this.

Important typo there Rod

 

[Daks]

HDL (the so-called 'good' cholesterol) should be as high as possible, and this goes up with LCHF. Triglycerides are strongly associated with carb consumption and go down with LCHF. So low values of trigs divided by. HDL (and total cholesterol divided by HDL) are good. LDL doesn't mean much because it comprises both small dense particles (bad) and big fluffy ones (bad).

Read Malcolm Kendrick or Jimmy Moore if you want more background to this.

I got it! Thank you.

 

[sanguine]

Important typo there Rod

Thanks, now fixed

 

[alisonhe]

Do any of you have experience of this?

I'm trying the LCHF diet and keeping my blood sugars low, but I have previously had highish cholesterol so I'm worried about that now too!

Hi, everyone now says that fat is good and necessary but you need to be sure you are eating the healthy fats and in moderation. Goods fats are extra virgin olive oil, ghee, butter and coconut oil, these should not raise your bad cholesterol. Make sure you eat a variety of low starch veg, it can really fill up your plate without adding loads of calories and gives lots of nutrients which are essential for overall health.

 

[Tom Green]

I just had a quintuplet bypass in Dec.. My cholesterol and triglycerides were perfect . I have blood tests every 3 months . I have had 3 stress tests over the last 20 years and they were clear until the last one. Surgeon told me it really wasn't about cholesterol or triglycerides. More about inactivity.

 

[Sumobabe]

When I did LC before, my cholesterol and triglyceride levels improved. Going LCHF soon, and I imagine the same thing will happen again.

 

[Angelmum21]

I have been on the LCHF or ketogenic diet for a year and have seen my cholesterol drop in that time - my diabetic nurse is now not pushing me to reduce cholesterol at all as the good cholesterol has gone up at the same time while the bad has dropped. I eat full fat milk, cheese, clotted cream etc and where I can get it (!) full fat natural yoghurt. I only eat low GI fruits and avoid high starch veg too. I snack on olives and nuts and pork scratchings and occasionally make 85% dark choc courgette brownies. We are all different but for me it was logical to cut out all high sources of carbs and I certainly need the fat to make the diet palatable plus you simply cannot absorb the vitamin and mineral content of green leafy veg unless you eat it with some kind of fat.

 

[jeanie99]

It's all very confusing to me.

I am a slim 70 year old pre diabetic with high blood pressure, cholesterol was high last time taken by GP and heart valve disease.
Fit as a fiddle wouldn't know I had a health problem if my GP had not tested my blood and the gym had not told me I had high blood pressure.

 

[Brunneria]

I have been on the LCHF or ketogenic diet for a year and have seen my cholesterol drop in that time - my diabetic nurse is now not pushing me to reduce cholesterol at all as the good cholesterol has gone up at the same time while the bad has dropped. I eat full fat milk, cheese, clotted cream etc and where I can get it (!) full fat natural yoghurt. I only eat low GI fruits and avoid high starch veg too. I snack on olives and nuts and pork scratchings and occasionally make 85% dark choc courgette brownies. We are all different but for me it was logical to cut out all high sources of carbs and I certainly need the fat to make the diet palatable plus you simply cannot absorb the vitamin and mineral content of green leafy veg unless you eat it with some kind of fat.

Hi,

Do you have the recipe for those brownies? They sound intriguing.

 

[JTL]

It's all very confusing to me.

I am a slim 70 year old pre diabetic with high blood pressure, cholesterol was high last time taken by GP and heart valve disease.
Fit as a fiddle wouldn't know I had a health problem if my GP had not tested my blood and the gym had not told me I had high blood pressure.

It can be confusing at first.
I've become one of the low carb high fat people and everything is improving ...
Blood sugar control
Blood pressure.
Steady weight.
Cholesterol improving.
I read somewhere that when you first start lchf your cholesterol can go higher for a short while whilst your body adjusts to what's going on.