So I Found Out I Have High Cholesterol...

when you get to your 30s take the meds they offer. Maybe by the time your there they will have a way to raise the good stuff too. I wouldn't worry to much about it. It all ends the same.

you said you eat healthy does that mean you exclude foods that are high in cholesterol?

First, what's "a little" high? Can you post some numbers? Total at 200 is a lot different than total at 300 - same with HDL, LDL, and Tri.

Depending on how high it is, at 19, I'd actually see if your doc can prescribe (so insurance will kick in) a dietician for a time to look at things with you. If you have a family history of it, the first thing you need to cover with them is what your goal/target is based on who you are.

Example: My wife's family --- all healthy and they live to their 90's/100's. They all have cholesterol totals in the 250 range. My wife's never dieted a day in her life (though she eats pretty healthy), is 5' 8" and 120, and has cholesterol around 240. Given her family history, the doc isn't concerned

---

because of her family history and otherwise good health. I, on the other hand, have a family history of heart disease. When my cholesterol was ~220 my doc was concerned and wanted it down. We set a target of 150, with Tri under 100, and we did a particle test so we could get more refined HDL and LDL numbers -- different than a standard cholesterol test. He also recommended a CRP test to start a baseline. My cholesterol is now under 140, Tri ~80, and HDL/LDL are better than my goals.

Different strokes for different folks. One person's healthy cholesterol is different than another's, so it's important to figure out where you *should* be and then work with someone to analyze your food choices to see how you can maintain that healthy range for life. You really don't want to be on the meds that they have for cholesterol if you can help it, so good that you're looking at your diet this young. I'm impressed.

You didn't say what your LDL and HDL are and that matters. More than the cholesterol, which is really not a big deal and not a marker for anything, the triglycerides are important. Fish oil typically brings them within the normal range as do chia and flax. Most people who have fatal heart attacks have low cholesterol.

Very, very few people should take statins or pills for cholesterol. Only old men who have had a heart attack benefit. Women need more cholesterol. Our brains are almost totally cholesterol and fat. When we get our cholesterol too low, we get stupid.

Statin drugs are NOT good for you. Sure, they lower your cholesterol but it does this by blocking the enzymes in the body that are required to make cholesterol. It also blocks the body's ability to produce certain sex hormones.

Have you had your hormones tested as well? Low hormone levels can result in high cholesterol.

Numbers are important. Its hard to give advice without them. When docs say something "is not ideal" that covers a whole lot of ground. When I was your age, my cholesterol was always 1 or 2 points higher than 200. Not technically ideal. But my HDL was high and my triglycerides were low. While some docs still worried about it, most told me not to worry about it. Docs differ in how 'not ideal' is a problem.

But I also understand that you are 19 rather than 40, and that you have a family history that concerns you. Folks may argue about the role of cholesterol, but no one can argue that genes aren't real.

I wouldn't let medications be your first line of defense, even with a family history. And especially not at 19. The most concerning thing about high cholesterol is its correlation with inflammation. There are natural, uncontroversial ways to lower your level of inflammation: exercise (keep going with the martial arts!), a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and natural, food-based anti-inflammatories like tumeric, ginger, and most kinds of berries. Also natural, but more controversial are lowering the amount of grains you eat. But if you don't want to get into controversial territory, lowering the amount of processed grains (flour) is also helpful for inflammation.

I have a friend in her mid-30's (thin, has always been a healthy eater) I just found out she's had high cholesterol since her 20's too. I never would have thought it. She says, for her, red rice yeast brings her numbers back into the 'healthy' range after about 6 weeks. My MIL just went on the red rice yeast.. her doctor recommended it after she's been on a few different cholesterol medications that she really believes is responsible for her loosing her ability to walk. Sometimes she can't walk at all now, sometimes she can shuffle.. and she's only in her 50's. She just quit the medicine a couple weeks ago.. she's scared the medicine did permanent damage to her. I don't understand what it would be doing.. but people seem to know their bodies pretty well.. and cause & effects. Personally I would try the more natural thing first and see if that didn't help before going on a pharmaceutical pill.

What are your actual numbers?

It is possible to lower your LDL and raise your HDL with diet and exercise, but heredity is always going to play a roll. I've been working on getting better numbers for the better part of 18 months now and have everything in the normal range...but ultimately, I don't think I'll ever be able to get those number is the "optimal" range and I'll probably have to take meds when I'm an old man. For the time being though I have things pretty well under control.

- I eat oatmeal for breakfast pretty much 5 days per week on most weeks. Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber which helps usher out LDL choleseterol

- I eat high pectin fruits like apples (and nectarines in the summer). Pectin is a soluble fiber.

- I eat 4-6 servings of veggies per day. Peas and Burssel's Sprouts have particularly good cholesterol lowering benefits. I also eat a ton of broccoli for it's vitamin C and anti-inflammatory properties. I also eat a lot of tomatoes and tomato products (sauce, low sodium V8, etc). Tomatoes are high in lycopene which is very good for your heart in general...and tomato products also tend to be good sources of potassium, particularly the low sodium V8.

- I eat legumes, including beans and lentils and split peas about 3 times per week. Legumes are a good source of phytosterols. I also take a plant sterol/stanol supplement called Cholestoff Plus.

- I have a serving of almonds on most days. I also have 1/2 an avocado on most days and at least 3 times per week. They are dietary staples for me...bot are very good at increasing your HDL

- I eat salmon at least twice per week and I take a fish oil supplement as well. I also eat a lot of chicken and lean cuts of pork like pork tenderloin. I eat red meat as well but I try to keep it to about once per week.

- I rarely eat dairy...some cheese here and there in small quantities, but that's about it. I used to be a dairy king and on average would consume about 1/4 Lb of cheese and 1/2 gallon of whole milk per day.

- I get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days per week on most weeks. I mostly ride my bike and usually get closer to an hour at least 3-4 days per week and have a couple days where I just go for a nice long walk. I also lift weights 3x weekly.

Lipitor Website - Only about 25% of cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. The other 75% is made by the body. Factors such as age and family history affect how much cholesterol your body makes. For 2 out of 3 people with high cholesterol, diet and exercise alone aren’t enough, and a cholesterol-lowering medicine may be necessary.

Of course Lipitor would say that! :laugh:

What they're not telling you though is that statin drugs block the body's ability to make the enzymes needed to make cholesterol which is why it's lowered. Your body NEEDS to make cholesterol. It's the building blocks for cells. Why do you think a pregnant woman's cholesterol is through the roof? It's because the baby needs the cholesterol for development. Doctors are quick to jump on the drug bandwagon and people go along with it without doing adequate research on whether or not these drugs are safe and why things are wrong with your body because "My Doctor said I need this" when in reality you more than likely don't.

Thank you for all your advice, I'm learning a lot!

My cholesterol levels are:
Total cholesterol: 194.
HDL: 47.
LDL: 114
Triglycerides: 164

My mom started taking medicine for her cholesterol in her 40's. I know that medicine isn't the right choice for me right now. I just want to focus on changing my diet and finding ways to naturally lower my cholesterol.

get some good aerobic work in...that should get those triglycerides down. Also get your Omega 3 fatty acids. Your cholesterol numbers are "normal" but probably a little high for your age which is why your doc probably mentioned it. Optimally you'd like to have your LDL below 100...personally your HDL looks fine to me and your total is below 200.

Probably just something to be mindful of and keep an eye on at this point. Making positive dietary and exercise habits now will hopefully allow you to kick the can down the road a bit...

Thank you for all your advice, I'm learning a lot!

My cholesterol levels are:
Total cholesterol: 194.
HDL: 47.
LDL: 114
Triglycerides: 164

My mom started taking medicine for her cholesterol in her 40's. I know that medicine isn't the right choice for me right now. I just want to focus on changing my diet and finding ways to naturally lower my cholesterol.

Ummm, you are within normal limits for all except triglycerides which is not a problem...normal is 150mg/dL but pharmacologic treatment is not needed until 500mg/dL triglycerides. Also important to know, were you fasted 8hrs when having your lipid panel taken? Triglycerides are transient and are more prone to change where as your LDL and HDL are much less affected by food ingestion.