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LCHF diet - effect on Cholesterol levels?

sheebee

sheebee

Active Member
Messages
40
Location
Shropshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi,

I've just started trying to introduce myself to LCHF diet and was wondering what effect the High Fat will have on my Cholesterol levels. I have overall levels of 6.6 atm and was told to eat low fat. Can anyone answer this for me please?
 
Hi Sheebee

I only speak for myself as everyone is different.

I have been on LCHF diet for a year and my cholesterol is normal (including HDL and LDL). I eat a lot of healthy saturated fat (e.g. butter, eggs, avocado, full fat cream/cheese, nuts etc.

Cholesterol is vital for the body. Your brain is 25% cholesterol.

But do avoid trans fats as found in margarines and fast food.
 
collectingrocks said:
Hi Sheebee

I only speak for myself as everyone is different.

I have been on LCHF diet for a year and my cholesterol is normal (including HDL and LDL). I eat a lot of healthy saturated fat (e.g. butter, eggs, avocado, full fat cream/cheese, nuts etc.

Cholesterol is vital for the body. Your brain is 25% cholesterol.

But do avoid trans fats as found in margarines and fast food.
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Thank you Collectingrocks thats given me something to think about. I must learn a bit more about the different types of fats and which foods have the trans fats. I didnt realize there was healthy and unhealthy saturated fat as i ignorantly just took it that all full fats were bad o_O. Mind you im happy to learn otherwise as i just love butter and Greek yogurt! :happy: Glad to know that your cholesterol is ok after a year on LCHF diet :)
 
I started doing LCHF at the end of January. I am having blood tests done on Friday ready for my diabetic clinic in a couple of weeks. I will let you know how my cholesterol looks once I have the results :)
 
I've been low carbing around 30-50g carbs daily for the last 2 years I have high total fat but restrict saturated fat - I've had 2 blood screens in that time, due another one next month - both have shown HDL doubled and triglycerides halved from what they were pre-low carb with total cholesterol and LDL unchanged.Blood sugars down to non diabetic levels with medication reduced by 1/3
 
Total cholesterol level doesn't really give much guidance - other than this should be below 4.0 for high cardiac risk patients(ie. diabetics). You should check if your doctor has your breakdown to HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides. HDL-C is the good cholesterol and typically you want levels as high as possible. LDL-C and triglycerides ideally as low as possible.

Unfortunately it is still a common myth that dietary cholesterol is the major cause of high blood lipids. In fact carbohydrates are a bigger factor especially for raised triglycerides and implicated in low HDL-C levels. But some find that LDL-C can stay high or rises slightly on LCHF.

At diagnosis as Type 1 my total Cholesterol was 7.74, HDL-C 1.58 (should be > 1.00), LDL-C 5.44 (should be < 2.60) and Triglycerides 1.53 (should be < 2.30).

After a few years mostly low carbing my LDL-C is often still over optimum level, say 3.0, while HDL-C is always above 2.50 and triglycerides under 0.70. Key ratio of Total C /HDL-C under 2.25 (should be < 4.50). Unfortunately not total consensus among doctors which numbers matter most - some still monitor LDL-C as most important (hence those statins prescriptions...), other prefer to track Total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio.
 
Charles Robin said:
I started doing LCHF at the end of January. I am having blood tests done on Friday ready for my diabetic clinic in a couple of weeks. I will let you know how my cholesterol looks once I have the results :)
Click to expand...
that will be interesting, thanks :)
 
oldgreymare said:
Total cholesterol level doesn't really give much guidance - other than this should be below 4.0 for high cardiac risk patients(ie. diabetics). You should check if your doctor has your breakdown to HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides. HDL-C is the good cholesterol and typically you want levels as high as possible. LDL-C and triglycerides ideally as low as possible.

Unfortunately it is still a common myth that dietary cholesterol is the major cause of high blood lipids. In fact carbohydrates are a bigger factor especially for raised triglycerides and implicated in low HDL-C levels. But some find that LDL-C can stay high or rises slightly on LCHF.

At diagnosis as Type 1 my total Cholesterol was 7.74, HDL-C 1.58 (should be > 1.00), LDL-C 5.44 (should be < 2.60) and Triglycerides 1.53 (should be < 2.30).

After a few years mostly low carbing my LDL-C is often still over optimum level, say 3.0, while HDL-C is always above 2.50 and triglycerides under 0.70. Key ratio of Total C /HDL-C under 2.25 (should be < 4.50). Unfortunately not total consensus among doctors which numbers matter most - some still monitor LDL-C as most important (hence those statins prescriptions...), other prefer to track Total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio.
Click to expand...

I'll find out the different readings then, when i go to the surgery on Wednesday. Thank you for the explanation of the breakdown of cholesterol. i will give it a lot more thought. I want to stay on the LCHF diet really. :)
 
badcat said:
I've been low carbing around 30-50g carbs daily for the last 2 years I have high total fat but restrict saturated fat - I've had 2 blood screens in that time, due another one next month - both have shown HDL doubled and triglycerides halved from what they were pre-low carb with total cholesterol and LDL unchanged.Blood sugars down to non diabetic levels with medication reduced by 1/3
Click to expand...

those are interesting results... so watch the saturated fats then... thank you :)
 
Actually total cholesterol isn't even a factor for those at heart disease risk. It is a risk factor only for a subgroup of people who have had actual heart disease or other CVD events. Total cholesterol is an extremely weak predictor of anything. The other lipid measures mentioned above are much more useful.

Eating high fat does not cause high cholesterol. Eating low fat does not reduce low cholesterol (it's likely to raise it further). Who told you to eat low fat?
 
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Spiker nhs say eat low fat you know how anal they are...EISH

Anyhow will take upto 6 months for your choleatrol to turn round on lchf. On high carb your ldl is small tight sticky bad news
On lchf your ldl is big and fluffy and cleans the arteries.
Not read the link just woke up brain not fully connecting but lot of info out there though
l refused statins my numbers for each going the way of the forecast.

look up scientific papers and cholestrol low carb high fat

A you need cholestrol to digest fat
B They do not measure cholestrol (except l understand in huge scientific expensive tests) they measure the carrier and extrapolate in nirmal cholestrol tests.
 
My cholesterol sky rocketed after I started low carbing, total went up to 7. Lots of people on here argue about whether high cholesterol causes heart disease or not. I try to err on the side of caution as I think there's conflicting evidence. What happened to me was that my gall bladder became blocked by gall stones, caused by excessive fat consumption.

It's because I took the mickey with fats; over eating butter, cheese etc. The lack of decent dietary advice from the NHS was the cause of this. You'd think that dieticians would be able to advise more than one type of diet, but hey ho.

It's actually easy to keep your lipid levels under control and low carb. I replaced carbs with veg, seeds and nuts. Only eat so-called good fats. My total cholesterol is now back to normal and my HDL is a lot higher.

The bottom line is that a high HbA1c is hugely excessive risk indicator of heart disease, than high cholesterol levels. So if low carbing gives you a good HbA1c, but a higher cholesterol level, then you've done well.
 
Hi Sheebee, I have just had the first HbA1c test since diagnosis in February this year. I am on the LCHF diet and my overall cholesterol is down, my HDL is up and my LDL is down. I was worried that having lots of fats would increase my cholesterol, but it is all good after just 3 months, and by bg is down to 45 from 64. :)

Marilyn
 
...Have been worrying about what my next tests will say as I've been LCHF more or less lately, just not totally convinced about the HF part yet .....tests not due for a while but probably a good thing as I'm sure it'll take a while for results to show and changes re cholesterol, a lot of what everyone says is encouraging though...

....Just off to work, will read that link when I get back Indy51...:)
 
Mazzer said:
Hi Sheebee, I have just had the first HbA1c test since diagnosis in February this year. I am on the LCHF diet and my overall cholesterol is down, my HDL is up and my LDL is down. I was worried that having lots of fats would increase my cholesterol, but it is all good after just 3 months, and by bg is down to 45 from 64. :)

Marilyn
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Thanks for sharing that Marilyn , those results are great, you must be really pleased :) shows the LCHF diet works then which i was hoping to hear
 
Spiker said:
Actually total cholesterol isn't even a factor for those at heart disease risk. It is a risk factor only for a subgroup of people who have had actual heart disease or other CVD events. Total cholesterol is an extremely weak predictor of anything. The other lipid measures mentioned above are much more useful.

Eating high fat does not cause high cholesterol. Eating low fat does not reduce low cholesterol (it's likely to raise it further). Who told you to eat low fat?
Click to expand...

The initial booklet the gp gives out offers only general quidelines eg the Eatwell Plate. Also a negative comment from the nurse regarding cream cheese! got me questioning the LCHF diet. Since then i was given a booklet by British Heart Foundation which although small, i found very helpful. It breaks down the different types of lipids and what increases and decreases what: http://tinyurl.com/o4v9jcf . So as you say, its not the total cholesterol its a lot more complicated, but i feel im a bit more educated on it now and have a few plans to work on getting the triglyceride and LDL level down.

My mother had type 2 diabetes and suffered from strokes from the age of 64 so that is why i am making sure i am doing this right.
 
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