High Cholesterol and terrified! page 4

[magicmerl]

Im confused. (again!) I thought my HDL was really bad!

No, the higher your HDL is, the better. It's the 'good' one.

Also, I thought trigs were good things to have, such as MCT oil and coconut oil. Do I need to cut these out?

Trigs are bad. But don't cut out fats. Cut out sugar.

Work out your ratios (in the second post of griffs cholesterol primer).

[Radialhead]

Did you do the full 12 hour fast before the test?

[anna5]

I have a question. On a nutrition/health forum I follow an American woman brags about her total cholesterol (107). How normal is that?
Can? (should?) it be so low?

[JoeyA]

I would look into vitamin K2 if you're worried about cardiovascular disease. It activates proteins that help guide the placement of calcium into bones and away from arteries and organs.

Get your vitamin D levels up as I've heard it's good for HDL and also works with vitamin K2 to prevent atherosclerosis.

Lastly, could you break down where your fats are coming from?

[RitaRose]

I'd take a look at the studies he cites and make up your own mind.

Yes. I've read the study and it VERY CLEARLY shows a direct relationship between higher cholesterol and longer lifespan, as well as lower cholesterol and shorter lifespan in women.

For men, it's more of a U-shaped curve with a sweet spot in the middle.

Rattybag, the way I look at it is this - damage is like a fire in your body and cholesterol is like the firemen. You can get rid of the firemen, but you're not helping the situation. If you get rid of the fire (inflammation) then the firemen will naturally go away because their job is done.

I know. It's a little too simplistic, but it's true.

[magicmerl]

I have a question. On a nutrition/health forum I follow an American woman brags about her total cholesterol (107). How normal is that?
Can? (should?) it be so low?

I read somewhere that below 160 and above 280 total cholesterol there is an increase in mortality, and within that range it's relatively flat.

Don't know if that's true for women as well though (often medical baselines are done on men, since women are so hormonal and weepy and stuff).

Edit: Rita knows more than me apparently:

Yes. I've read the study and it VERY CLEARLY shows a direct relationship between higher cholesterol and longer lifespan, as well as lower cholesterol and shorter lifespan in women.

For men, it's more of a U-shaped curve with a sweet spot in the middle.

Rattybag, the way I look at it is this - damage is like a fire in your body and cholesterol is like the firemen. You can get rid of the firemen, but you're not helping the situation. If you get rid of the fire (inflammation) then the firemen will naturally go away because their job is done.

I know. It's a little too simplistic, but it's true.

So my U curve is a men only thing.

[noodletoy]

1/2 of all heart attacks occur in peeps with "normal" cholesterol numbers.

there is ZERO proof that statins reduce mortality rates in females. in fact, they likely increase the rates of diabetes and stroke.

high cholesterol is not a disease. it's become a marketing tool for the makers of statins. where else do you take a prescription to cure something you don't have?

we don't know what you are eating. i do know that when switching from high-carb to low-carb (is that you?) it can take 6 months for cholesterol numbers to reduce. they may elevate at first because stored fats are being introduced into the bloodstream.

was it a fasting test?

how long have you been on a ketogenic plan?

[nixxy]

Something interesting today at work actually. I work at a medical centre, and one of the doctors had referred a lady on statins with very high cholesterol for a heart calcification test, i.e. to check for calcium in the coronary arteries, as a check for heart disease.

Her results came back as zero in every single part of her heart, which is crazy really, and the letter was actually hilarious to read because the specialist was obviously quite baffled, pointing out that put her in the lowest possible risk category, and suggested she go off statins.

Everyone is unique so don't take that as I'm saying you'll be fine, but I'm saying her high cholesterol hadn't lead to any kind of heart disease, so yours may be fine as well.

[Rattybag]

I would look into vitamin K2 if you're worried about cardiovascular disease. It activates proteins that help guide the placement of calcium into bones and away from arteries and organs.

Get your vitamin D levels up as I've heard it's good for HDL and also works with vitamin K2 to prevent atherosclerosis.

Lastly, could you break down where your fats are coming from?

As part of the blood tests was one for Vit D levels, and they came up as being low. My doc has given me supplements for that, so hopefully that might help.
you ask where my fats are coming from, and its animal and fish plus dairy - mostly kefir and cream in my coffee. I also use coconut oil. I stopped the butter in my coffee when my weight was rising considerably so dont use butter an awful lot.

Having read all the comments and links from everyone and Im SO grateful, I think that psychologically I would feel better with a lower cholesterol reading. Maybe thats silly, but I have to live with myself!

[JackieKessler]

As part of the blood tests was one for Vit D levels, and they came up as being low. My doc has given me supplements for that, so hopefully that might help.

As another data point, I was also very low in vitamin D. I now take a D3 supplement daily (5,000 IUs). Last time I had it checked a few weeks ago, I'm now no longer considered deficient in D, so between sneaking outside without sunscreen and the D3 supplement, that seems to be doing the trick.

At least one place (here) indicates that a vitamin D deficiency could bring about higher cholesterol -- specifically, a poor HDL/LDL ration.

So may I humbly suggest that you begin supplementing with D3 (not D2) daily? I mentioned that I take 5,000 IUs (or more) daily. One of my docs previously mentioned that standing outside in the sunlight for 20+ minutes releases 20,000 IUs of D3, so taking 5,000 doesn't bother me in the least.