Low carb diets and cholesterol levels

[pavlosn]

Hallo

I am a newly diagnosed T2 but have had a high cholesterol problem for a long time. Traditional advice for this was to stay clear of fats and particularly saturated fat.

Now I see on some articles on the net that there is a school of thought that in fact a high carb diet imay cause high cholesterol and that fats and in particular saturates may in fact be good as they raise good HDL cholesterol. This is all contrary to the medical advice I have received before.

Has anybody here had experience of controlling cholesterol levels through a low carb diet?

Regards

Pavlos

 

[Patch]

I've got first hand experience of this. I've been an on-and-of lo-carber for about 4 years now.

When i first started lo-carbing ALL of my numbers SHOT down (BG/LDL Cholesterol/Triglycerides...).

I subsequently fell off the wagon, and my numbers crept up again. Especially my trigylcerides. Medical evidence (as well as my own experience) has taught me that a diet high in carbohydrates DOES have an adverse effect on Triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol.

I've learned not to be afraid of fat. I know this flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but what am I supposed to believe? What a doctor tells me, or what I have seen with my own eyes?

You can only try for yourself...

I find that when I eat carbs (pasta, pizza, bread, etc...) I can never get full. I'll just keep on eating them. When I eat foods that are high in fat, lo in carbs, i get very full, very quick. A couple of nights this week I've gone without an evening meal, because at around 5pm I've snacked on salami and emmental cheese. It took the hunger away, and it didn't come back until the following day...

Eating like this has reduced my total cholesterol and my BG.

[EDIT: Just found this - nice little summary]

Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood test.

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.

HDL (good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.

Triglycerides
Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of total calories or more). People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad) level and a low HDL (good) level. Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels.

Lp(a) Cholesterol
Lp(a) is a genetic variation of LDL (bad) cholesterol. A high level of Lp(a) is a significant risk factor for the premature development of fatty deposits in arteries. Lp(a) isn’t fully understood, but it may interact with substances found in artery walls and contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits.

 

[fergus]

Me too.
I've eaten low-carb for 9 years now and my cholesterol levels have never been better.
My most recent results from April the year show a total cholesterol of 4.9, an HDL of 2.8 and triglycerides at 0.6. I don't restrict butter, cream, cheese, mayo, meat or eggs at all.
The demonisation of cholesterol is completely misguided in my view. It's a very poor indicator of heart disease risk, so much so that even Ancel Keys who built a career out of blaming saturated fat and cholesterol for heart disease eventually conceded it had little if any link at all.
When you add to that the fact that carbohydrates and insulin both raise triglyceride levels and reduce HDL, it starts to look as if a lot of the conventional wisdom isn't very wise at all........

All the best,

fergus