Where to start with low cholesterol diet?

wiflib

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What's a low cholesterol diet look like?
 

MartinAU

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Well that's why I asked this question... Apparently I need to eat only certain food but I don't know where to start from... People are telling me that eggs are bad for cholesterol (I eat it like 5 pieces a week), now cheese, milk as well.... I figured someone who has gone through such a diet can write a sentence or two where I might start from ... Any website or a video... ?
 

wiflib

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Ah, I see.

The majority of cholesterol is produced in your body and only a small part is attributed to diet. Search the forum for the info as there is a huge amount out there. Not all agree but it's carbohydrates that can cause raised cholesterol, not saturated fat and certainly not eggs.

I've never understood why food found in it's natural form that needs no processing or cooking can be 'bad' for us.
 

Paul_c

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wiflib said:
I've never understood why food found in it's natural form that needs no processing or cooking can be 'bad' for us.

Because the manufacturers don't like it... ;)
 

phoenix

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As stated by others there is a lot of controversy and some people have diametrically opposed views on the type and amount of fats in the diet.(though probably all agree that it is better to eat natural rather than manufactured products)
There are several sheets on the HeartUK website (this is a charity originally founded to help those with very high genetic cholesterol levels; a condition that caused even young children to die of heart disease)
http://heartuk.org.uk/healthy-living/he ... -resources
The first mentioned diet (Portfolio) is one that has been trialled and the results published and was found to lower LDL cholesterol by a similar amount to a low dose statin.

It does however make use of manufactured drinks containing plant phytosterols,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytosterol
if you want to avoid them, it's worth noting the natural foods that contain them ( eg olive oil, chickpeas, avocados) Lots of plant foods in your diet seems to help (see the Med diet sheet)
Oily fish also seems to be good for helping lower triglycerides.
http://www.webmd.boots.com/cholesterol- ... fatty-fish
As well as lowering your LDL, you need to think about raising HDL, that's where exercise can help.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hdl-ch ... IONGROUP=2
 

douglas99

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I'd be interested in seeing any cholesterol results for any diets.

Info I've gleaned so far appeared to be wholegrain is good.
Saturated fat are bad.
Trans fats are bad.
Omega 3 is good.
Monounsaturated fats are good
Polyunsaturated fats are good.

low carb may lead to an increase in LDL cholesterol.
low carb reduces triglycerides.

Much is hearsay, ie, no references or links to any conclusive study, with an actual diet menu, but seems to be consistently written.

So, I want to improve my HDL, and take it from 1.1 to over 1.6, take my LDL from 3.0 to less than 1.6, and take my triglycerides from 1.0 to less than 0.7.
Anyone got any suggestions?
 

carty

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My cholesterol levels fell from 7.9 when first diagnosed with DB to 4.7 I drastically reduced my carb intake and I eat lots of cheese eggs butter and cream and full fat yoghurt I also take a plant sterol called Lestrin which can be bought at Boots in there 3 for 2 range Hope this helps
CAROL
 

douglas99

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carty said:
My cholesterol levels fell from 7.9 when first diagnosed with DB to 4.7 I drastically reduced my carb intake and I eat lots of cheese eggs butter and cream and full fat yoghurt I also take a plant sterol called Lestrin which can be bought at Boots in there 3 for 2 range Hope this helps
CAROL


That's a good result.

Any idea what the HDL/LDL is, and your triglycerides?
 

Rockape671

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.......and my cholesterol went from 9.3 to 3.3 when I went from a very low carb diet to a 'medium' carb diet. All pretty **** confusing eh? Still eat at least 4 eggs a day though. No-one knows what's best, no even the so called experts.
 

douglas99

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Rockape671 said:
.......and my cholesterol went from 9.3 to 3.3 when I went from a very low carb diet to a 'medium' carb diet. All pretty **** confusing eh? Still eat at least 4 eggs a day though. No-one knows what's best, no even the so called experts.

Again though, any idea what the HDL/LDL is, and your triglycerides?
 

Rockape671

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douglas99 said:
Rockape671 said:
.......and my cholesterol went from 9.3 to 3.3 when I went from a very low carb diet to a 'medium' carb diet. All pretty **** confusing eh? Still eat at least 4 eggs a day though. No-one knows what's best, no even the so called experts.

Again though, any idea what the HDL/LDL is, and your triglycerides?

HDL went from 1.5 to 1.32
LDL 'no result' then 1.7
Triglycerides 1.3 to 0.6
 

noblehead

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douglas99 said:
I'd be interested in seeing any cholesterol results for any diets.


These were my last results Douglas and due another fasting lipid test soon:

TC 3.5

HDL 1.4

LDL 1.9

Trigs 0.5

Ratio 2.5


I'm a type 1, eat between 150-180g of carbs a day, I would best describe my diet as similar to the Med Diet...... healthy sources of carbs, proteins and fats wherever posible with a good intake of veg & fruit.
 

Rockape671

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My diet sounds very similar to yours noblehead, though I give the fruit a bodyswerve. Maybe we're onto something. Porridge for brekkie?
 

noblehead

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Rockape671 said:
Porridge for brekkie?


Yes indeed, 6 days out of seven and the other I'll have boiled eggs and toast. In fairness I ate All-Bran before eating traditional porridge and never had issues with high cholesterol.
 

douglas99

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Rockape671, good figures, I'm trying raise my own HDL, and lower the LDL. Brilliant triglycerides!
Similar to noblehead, so it's a good start to my quest and consistent so far.
I'm really hopeful carty has a breakdown, as she's lchf.

My targets are
HDL, over 1.6, currently 1.1
LDL less than 1.6, currently 3.0
triglycerides less than 0.7, currently 1.0


So I really have to work on the LDL.
 

phoenix

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Re: Where to start with low cholesterol diet?
Postby Rockape671 » Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:00 pm
.......and my cholesterol went from 9.3 to 3.3 when I went from a very low carb diet to a 'medium' carb diet.
Looking back at your posts , it seems that the big drop was from before diagnosis to after going onto insulin. If so, then this is quite common. I went from 8.38mmo/l to 3.6mmol/l a couple of months later. When you are in diabetic ketosis sky high lipids are the norm. Your plasma looks like this the first slide (warning testube with blood plasma sample and if you are squeamish don't scroll down to look at other slides)http://www.cram.com/cards/g-slides-cardio-1288520

This is from the link to a case study I mention below
Some of the highest total and LDL-C levels I have ever seen were not in
patients with FH but in persons with significant diabetic ketoacidosis (that has developed
over several days) this process (excess ketones) is in overdrive. Cure the dangerous ketoacidosis with
aggressive glycemic therapy and the high cholesterol levels disappear virtually overnight.

You asked in a previous post about high cholesterol on low carb diets
These are comments about a case study written by Dr Dayspring*. The case study concerns a woman on a low carb diet whose total cholesterol had risen considerably
http://www.lecturepad.org/index.php/lip ... sen-lipids
(*a lipidologist who is on the whole a supporter of low carb diets, though he probably disagrees with many in that also believes statins are life savers)
. You might like to read in particular the answer about halfway down the page but obviously they make more sense if you read the study.
Right now we estimate a third of low carb/high fat eaters develop seriously high LDL-P (and high LDL-C - no discordance). ....
. NB LDL-P (the number of ldl particles, not something that we can get tested for

The case study is here.
( difficult read in the places where he describes the metabolic pathways but the discussion sections are relatively straightforward.)
http://www.lecturepad.org/dayspring/lip ... ase291.pdf

He explains how sat fat and excess ketosis can drive LDL synthesis in people who are perhaps genetically prone to synthesise more cholesterol.
You will note that the lady has a much better lipid profile with only small changes to her diet. She added chia seeds, apples, rough cut oatmeal, cut out most dairy and watched her sat intake a little more carefully.
 

fatbird

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"I went from 8.38mmo/l to 3.6mmol/l a couple of months later. When you are in diabetic ketosis sky high lipids are the norm."

I spend most of my life in 'diabetic ketosis' but my lipids are very good. No need for statins. Do you mean diabetic ketoacidosis?

Diabetics, and even some health professionals, often confuse two quite distinct metabolic processes - ketosis and ketoacidosis. Ketosis is a perfectly natural and healthy state during which the body uses stored or dietary fat for fuel. In order to enter this state, carbohydrate intake needs to fall below a certain level. Ideally, a healthy metabolism should regularly use ketosis, while fasting overnight for example, to fuel the body's processes and utilise stored fat reserves. Most of the body's organs, the heart for example, in fact run very efficiently on ketones.

Ketoacidosis is quite different and is typically the result of a chronic lack of insulin, not a lack of carbohydrate. With insufficient insulin, the body attempts to fuel itself by breaking down fat and protein stores in an uncontrolled way, a process which results in the blood becoming dangerously acidic. In short, ketosis usually occurs when blood sugars are at the lower end of the normal range, and ketoacidosis occurs when blood sugars are dangerously elevated. Ketosis is a result of low carbohydrate intake, ketoacidosis is a result of inaquate insulin levels.

FB
 

paul-1976

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I would agree 100%-I have been in constant ketosis for many months and my lipid panels have consistently improved,as has my HbA1c and my weight is well controlled where I want it to be.

Paul