Cholesterol and diabetes

[SueJB]

I know roughly about good and bad cholesterol and have heard that Benecol reduces the bad stuff. Has anyone used the stuff and was it effective? Any advice about reduces cholesterol?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Which bits of your cholesterol do you want to reduce?

 

[Rachox]

I know roughly about good and bad cholesterol and have heard that Benecol reduces the bad stuff. Has anyone used the stuff and was it effective? Any advice about reduces cholesterol?

I’m giving the Benecol daily drinks a try. There’s a no added sugar one that’s only 2.9g carbs per drink. I have my next review in a month. I’ll write a post about an effects good or bad then. They are usually on offer in Tesco two six packs for £6.50, works out at 54p per day.

 

[SueJB]

Which bits of your cholesterol do you want to reduce?

all the bad stuff

 

[SueJB]

I’m giving the Benecol daily drinks a try. There’s a no added sugar one that’s only 2.9g carbs per drink. I have my next review in a month. I’ll write a post about an effects good or bad then. They are usually on offer in Tesco two six packs for £6.50, works out at 54p per day.

I think I'll give Benecol a go too. Let us know your results. Good luck

 

[bulkbiker]

What are your cholesterol numbers?
My view is that as cholesterol is essential for life its a bit dangerous to start messing with it without knowing exactly what you are doing. Your doctor is highly unlikely to be an expert and will just be following the "guidelines" when giving you warnings about cholesterol. If you are worried about CVD then try and get a CAC scan which looks at calcium in the arteries and actually shows how "furred" they are.

 

[NicoleC1971]

You could reduce ldl by doing this but it may not reduce your cv risk (even statins don t always achieve this) and it sounds expensive. Why not decrease triglycerides (vldls) and increase Hdl (protective)by truing a low carb and high fat diet which many here have done to god effect.

 

[Rachox]

You could reduce ldl by doing this but it may not reduce your cv risk (even statins don t always achieve this) and it sounds expensive. Why not decrease triglycerides (vldls) and increase Hdl (protective)by truing a low carb and high fat diet which many here have done to god effect.

I’m doing it mainly to try to achieve at least a small improvement in my cholesterol numbers to use as a bargaining tool against statins, which my gp has mentioned regularly. He’s not forceful and we usually have a decent discussion about it. My numbers have deteriorated since diagnosis and commencing a low carb diet, I believe due to losing a shed load of weight. If I can just show even a small improvement at my next review it may earn me some more breathing space!

 

[Rachox]

I think I'll give Benecol a go too. Let us know your results. Good luck

I certainly will! Good luck with your numbers too.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Good luck! I have regular discussions with my consultants too! They do have a treatmwnt target to tick off for diabetics! Well done on the weight loss btw and you could be right re this being the cause of 'bad' numbers temporarily. That and the fact that if eating hflc your ldl may be full of large fluffy particles that are not harmful. The trouble is that we do not do that kind of test in the UK to determine. Btw I found Jimmy Moore s book Cholesterol Clarity useful (its on Audible too) ad is Fat Emperor on You Tube and that is free!

 

[Skunna64]

I use mashed avocados instead of margarine/spread it is full of the good fats we need and it helps reduce cholesterol too

 

[Alexandra100]

My numbers have deteriorated since diagnosis and commencing a low carb diet, I believe due to losing a shed load of weight.

I have the same problem with cholesterol, but in my case I was already seriously under-weight when I started LC and I have managed since not to lose much more weight, mostly by eating HF. Some people claim that the cholesterol rise is tem;porary. I'm living in hopes and awaiting my next blood test in about 3 months.

 

[librarising]

I’m giving the Benecol daily drinks a try. There’s a no added sugar one that’s only 2.9g carbs per drink. I have my next review in a month. I’ll write a post about an effects good or bad then. They are usually on offer in Tesco two six packs for £6.50, works out at 54p per day.

Zoe Harcombe (and I suspect others I can't remember) is no fan of plant sterols :
http://thescipub.com/abstract/10.3844/ojbsci.2014.167.169
My reading of this article is that in a move to reduce the risk of CVD, you may increase it.
Once you know cholesterol isn't the problem, but inflammation is, you look to reduce inflammation.
The working aspect of statins is largely its anti-inflammatory action. Some anti-statinists recognise the possible benefit from a LOW-DOSE statin (say 5 mg), which reduces inflammation but without the side effects a higher dose can bring.
Geoff

 

[librarising]

Zoe Harcombe (and I suspect others I can't remember) is no fan of plant sterols

You can add Dr Briffa :
http://www.drbriffa.com/2013/08/01/...-are-good-for-cholesterol-but-bad-for-health/
Geoff

 

[Rachox]

Zoe Harcombe (and I suspect others I can't remember) is no fan of plant sterols :
http://thescipub.com/abstract/10.3844/ojbsci.2014.167.169
My reading of this article is that in a move to reduce the risk of CVD, you may increase it.
Once you know cholesterol isn't the problem, but inflammation is, you look to reduce inflammation.
The working aspect of statins is largely its anti-inflammatory action. Some anti-statinists recognise the possible benefit from a LOW-DOSE statin (say 5 mg), which reduces inflammation but without the side effects a higher dose can bring.
Geoff

This article refers to sterols. Benecol contains stanols, I wonder if there is a difference?

 

[Bluetit1802]

NICE does not recommend them for diabetics
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg...d-assessing-cardiovascular-disease-cvd-risk-2

Plant stanols and sterols
1.2.17 Do not advise any of the following to take plant stanols or sterols for the prevention of CVD:

• people who are being treated for primary prevention
  
  
• people who are being treated for secondary prevention
  
  
• people with CKD
  
  
• people with type 1 diabetes
  
  
• people with type 2 diabetes. [new 2014]
  

 

[Rachox]

You can add Dr Briffa :
http://www.drbriffa.com/2013/08/01/...-are-good-for-cholesterol-but-bad-for-health/
Geoff

This article talks generally about stanols and sterols but only quotes evidence from sterol use. Again I wonder if the stanols in Benecol are different?

 

[Rachox]

NICE does not recommend them for diabetics
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg...d-assessing-cardiovascular-disease-cvd-risk-2

Plant stanols and sterols
1.2.17 Do not advise any of the following to take plant stanols or sterols for the prevention of CVD:

• people who are being treated for primary prevention
  
  
• people who are being treated for secondary prevention
  
  
• people with CKD
  
  
• people with type 1 diabetes
  
  
• people with type 2 diabetes. [new 2014]

Annoying that it doesn’t say why!

 

[librarising]

This article refers to sterols. Benecol contains stanols, I wonder if there is a difference?

I see that Briffa addresses both as the same problem.
I tend to look askance at anything recommended by a Heart Association on the 'fool me once' principle. Heart healthy grains ?
Need to look at Zoe H. again.
Geoff

 

[Bluetit1802]

Annoying that it doesn’t say why!

Exactly! I also wonder why, but it is a direct recommendation.