LCHF Pushes My LDL Cholesterol Way Up

cz_dave said:

When I was starting LCHF, I wondered what it would do to my cholesterol (my numbers were always borderline at best) but I decided I would not worry about it until I get some numbers from the lab. So, now I have them and they are really not that great really.

HDL: 1.21
LDL: 4.60
Trig: 0.96
HbA1c: 39

I started LCHF and have been in ketosis (ketones typically in the optimum ketone level for nutritional ketosis) for about 40 days now (since end of July) and I was low carbing even before.

The lipid numbers I got before going on LCHF are from May:
HDL: 1.19
LDL: 3.00
Trig: 1.23
HbA1c: 38

So, between May and August there is a slight decrease in triglycerides but quite a surge in LDL. Most probably, going LCHF has increased my LDL cholesterol. I suppose it could have been the change in my diet or ketosis itself, or both.

Before going LCHF, I would eat very few foods with high saturated fat content. I would also not eat foods high in cholesterol, such as eggs. After adopting LCHF, I would start eating more cheese, butter and I would eat an egg per day or so. So, the change in the diet would be the first candidate to blame or the increase.

However, I also found a few opinions saying that it could also be the metabolic changes brought about by nutritional ketosis itself that contribute to the increase in LDL cholesterol.

So far, I have done just a little bit of reading, found a few interesting cases of people who experienced something similar like this one. I also bought a book on the topic "What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers?", have not finished it yet but find it a little too optimistic about having high LDL numbers (e.g. relying on the hope that I would have low LDL particle numbers and that this would make all the difference).

So, my goal is to decrease my LDL and stay on LCHF if possible. The most obvious changes that I could do to my diet I suppose is to decrease the saturated fat content in my food as well as the foods high in cholesterol and do another blood test in two months.

The challenge that I face is that it seems my body already struggles with highish LDL cholesterol values and so the changes to my diet may be a bit limited. I have already been eating a lot of foods that supposedly lower LDL cholesterol, such as: avocado, nuts, etc. My main source of fat has always been extra virgin olive oil.

This is what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast:
- Plain yogurt (3% fat), a cup of home-made chicken broth, almonds (40g)

Lunch:
- Sardines fried in olive oil, half avocado with cherry tomatoes, green leaf salad with olive oil and lemon dressing, some hazelnuts (30g)

Dinner:
- Grilled turkey breast with olive oil, half avocado, green leaf salad with olive oil and lemon dressing, cucumber, macadamia nuts (30g)

This is my diet after having dropped the morning boiled egg with a few slices of butter and some cheese for lunch. I have also decided to experiment with slightly raising my daily intake of carbs to about 70g, proteins to 100g which should leave fat at about 170g for a daily calorie intake of 2,200. My BMI is just fine, so I want to maintain my weight.

So, the main question I have is: How can I lower my LDL cholesterol while staying on LCHF?

Everyone's advice much appreciated (@Spiker, @tim2000s, @LucySW and others...)

Click to expand...

cz_dave said:

When I was starting LCHF, I wondered what it would do to my cholesterol (my numbers were always borderline at best) but I decided I would not worry about it until I get some numbers from the lab. So, now I have them and they are really not that great really.

HDL: 1.21
LDL: 4.60
Trig: 0.96
HbA1c: 39

I started LCHF and have been in ketosis (ketones typically in the optimum ketone level for nutritional ketosis) for about 40 days now (since end of July) and I was low carbing even before.

The lipid numbers I got before going on LCHF are from May:
HDL: 1.19
LDL: 3.00
Trig: 1.23
HbA1c: 38

So, between May and August there is a slight decrease in triglycerides but quite a surge in LDL. Most probably, going LCHF has increased my LDL cholesterol. I suppose it could have been the change in my diet or ketosis itself, or both.

Before going LCHF, I would eat very few foods with high saturated fat content. I would also not eat foods high in cholesterol, such as eggs. After adopting LCHF, I would start eating more cheese, butter and I would eat an egg per day or so. So, the change in the diet would be the first candidate to blame or the increase.

However, I also found a few opinions saying that it could also be the metabolic changes brought about by nutritional ketosis itself that contribute to the increase in LDL cholesterol.

So far, I have done just a little bit of reading, watched the interesting video with Ken Sikaris, found a few interesting cases of people who experienced something similar like this one. I also bought a book on the topic "What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers?", have not finished it yet but find it a little too optimistic about having high LDL numbers (e.g. relying on the hope that I would have low LDL particle numbers and that this would make all the difference).

So, my goal is to decrease my LDL and stay on LCHF if possible. The most obvious changes that I could do to my diet I suppose is to decrease the saturated fat content in my food as well as the foods high in cholesterol and do another blood test in two months.

The challenge that I face is that it seems my body already struggles with highish LDL cholesterol values and so the changes to my diet may be a bit limited. I have already been eating a lot of foods that supposedly lower LDL cholesterol, such as: avocado, nuts, etc. My main source of fat has always been extra virgin olive oil.

This is what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast:
- Plain yogurt (3% fat), a cup of home-made chicken broth, almonds (40g)

Lunch:
- Sardines fried in olive oil, half avocado with cherry tomatoes, green leaf salad with olive oil and lemon dressing, some hazelnuts (30g)

Dinner:
- Grilled turkey breast with olive oil, half avocado, green leaf salad with olive oil and lemon dressing, cucumber, macadamia nuts (30g)

This is my diet after having dropped the morning boiled egg with a few slices of butter and some cheese for lunch. I have also decided to experiment with slightly raising my daily intake of carbs to about 70g, proteins to 100g which should leave fat at about 170g for a daily calorie intake of 2,200. My BMI is just fine, so I want to maintain my weight.

So, the main question I have is: How can I lower my LDL cholesterol while staying on LCHF?

Everyone's advice much appreciated (@Spiker, @tim2000s, @LucySW and others...)

Click to expand...

donnellysdogs said:

My levels and hubbys went in wrong direct after adding in full fat cream, cheese, eggs and butter. He not diabetic, I'm type 1. He was put on 40mg atoravastatin. After cutting the heavy saturates and going more to the avocados etc he got it agreed with GP from his last results to go to 10mg. He has just had test done again after 3 months (total 6 months now) of med diet to see if he can totally withdraw from statins. Statins really lowered his HDL worringly so and did next to nothing for lipids. He does now want to take statins and prefers the med food with oily fish. We now only eat 2 or 3 boiled eggs a week. Only cheese is scrapings of goat or sheep feta on salads. Lots of avocado and olives.
Today bought 10 half price (slabs of salmon) at Morrisons for £7/kg.. Amazingly cheap.. Cut them up into 30 sluces and froze them. Makes a really cheap salad meal with big pueces of salmon at the equivalent £1 each slice!. Cleared the shelves totally. We both put through 5 packs each incase we were limited by Morrisons.

We did what you did.. We changed totally to med foods. Worked a little within 3 months.. Got to wait till Tues for results of his latest tests. Mine not due yet.

Click to expand...

cz_dave said:

Lucy, did you have the test done and if so, did you find it helpful?

Click to expand...

cz_dave said:

Thanks so much to everyone for their comments and advice. I will now follow the Mediterranean diet (without the pasta ), cut most saturated fat and will provide an update on how it goes once I do new tests.

Click to expand...