HIgh Cholesterol at 25!?

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  • ClareWantsProgress
    ClareWantsProgress Posts: 173 Member
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    I'm a little shocked by my reading today at one of those free clinic thingies at work. Mine came back 243!!! The last time I got it checked it was 146. I eat a low-fat diet overall, exercise regularly, and have never been seriously overweight. Perimenopause has been giving me weight troubles for the first time in my life. I looked back over my diary and am well under the recommended max, so . . . it's possible it's a genetic thing, though I find it odd that it has struck me at 45 when it was fine before, with no major changes in diet or exercise in the interim. If anything, I am living a much healthier lifestyle now than I was in my 20s.

    I shall continue to monitor it and see what I can do ( that I'm not already doing!) to bring that number down.
  • mollyW2012
    mollyW2012 Posts: 94 Member
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    Does anyone use Benocol supplements to help their Cholesterol levels?
  • PunkinSpice79
    PunkinSpice79 Posts: 309 Member
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    Heredity for me. I didn't know it though until I was 23 and the doctor just happened to check as I was having some other blood work done. I also was on a low carb diet at the time. My result was 275! Too much eggs and bacon, I guess. LOL. I generally test about 213 now and my doctor tests me yearly.
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
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    It's been a long time and Ive forgotten a lot, so double check me.

    Cholesterol is produced in the liver and high cholesterol is generally due to genetics.

    Watching your diet helps though generally dietary cholesterol is not the biggest contributor to high cholesterol; so you can eat eggs and the like in moderation.

    Eat a lot of plant based foods, oatmeal, grains, beans, veggies, fruits, berries - limit saturated fats, avoid trans fats, sugars, and eat more mono and poly fats(nuts, olive oil, flax seed, etc.) as these will increase the HDL which lowers the LDL

    And Exercise!

    As I dont want to take statins my doctor has advised me to take 500mg of nicotinic acid, aka vitamin B3 or Niacin. Niacin will light you up like a firework. It will make you flush and itch insatiably for a few minutes. It has cause some people to panic. LOL

    Be careful and dont let the pharmacist or the health food store sell you NO FLUSH or SLOW RELEASE "niacin". These are not nicotinic acid and can cause liver damage. Do not take nicotinic acid without your doctor's knowledge because it can too cause stomach and liver damage in some people.

    After a while your body gets accustom to the niacin and you wont flush or itch. (I take 500 mgs on an empty stomach before my morning run) Taking it with food or an aspirin can help ease the itching, also starting out with a lower dose for a while will help you acclimate. If you have any questions feel free to inbox me. Though I have forgotten a lot, I did do a lot of research on this a few years ago and havent had problems.

    BTW I recently read that niacin is as effective as some statins in lowering cholesterol and some cholesterol meds do contain naicin...and Niacin is cheap!

    Do your own research and double check my info and be sure and speak with your doctor before trying any supplement.

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol.shtml
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
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    I should also mention that a lot of people are taking CoQ 10 for this, too. Don't know what the science is on that, though, so do your research!
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
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    I should also mention that a lot of people are taking CoQ 10 for this, too. Don't know what the science is on that, though, so do your research!

    Interesting.

    Mayo Clinic:

    "Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and to be low in patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, muscular dystrophies, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Some prescription drugs may also lower CoQ10 levels.

    Levels of CoQ10 in the body can be increased by taking CoQ10 supplements, although it is not clear that replacing "low CoQ10" is beneficial.

    CoQ10 has been used, recommended, or studied for numerous conditions, but remains controversial as a treatment in many areas. "

    https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coenzyme-q10/NS_patient-coenzymeq10
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    I should also mention that a lot of people are taking CoQ 10 for this, too. Don't know what the science is on that, though, so do your research!

    Interesting.

    Mayo Clinic:

    "Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and to be low in patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, muscular dystrophies, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Some prescription drugs may also lower CoQ10 levels.

    Levels of CoQ10 in the body can be increased by taking CoQ10 supplements, although it is not clear that replacing "low CoQ10" is beneficial.

    CoQ10 has been used, recommended, or studied for numerous conditions, but remains controversial as a treatment in many areas. "

    https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coenzyme-q10/NS_patient-coenzymeq10
    Q10 seems to be recommended consistently when statins are prescribed. The same metabolic pathway is used and the statins tend to block Q10 much in the same way that ALA is blocked when too much LA is consumed....from memory.

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