Frustration with my lipid panel

RunForChai
RunForChai Posts: 238 Member
Okay, I've never had high numbers in my life.....and have to wonder if this is related to my High Fat/Low Carb diet [which I've been on for almost 2 months].......really freaks me out. I've felt good on this diet, lost weight....and liked it but this?



New Numbers: 6 months ago:
Cholesterol 235* 167
Triglyceride 58 36
HDL 76 62
Cholesterol, non-HDL 159 * 105
LDL 147 98


Should I be alarmed? I'm thinking about cutting way back on fat.....but still keeping carbs low.

Ideas?

Replies

  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    Shoneysien, in order to help you, I tried to look at your food diary, but it is private.

    You say that you follow a high fat low carb diet, but when I look at people's diaries, I see high protein low carb diet, which is completely different from high fat low carb. Results will be different. Are you one of those people who eats chicken breast instead of dark meat, thinking that animal fat is bad? This is a very common issue. Does your diet exceed 65% fat in macros? If the answer is no, you are likely not following LCHF diet.

    If you were on a low fat high carb diet for only two months, what type of diet were you on before that, since your "before" blood tests were from six months ago. If you were on a diet with lots of green juices and fruits, which delivers lots of glucose and fructose, that's where your damage comes from. Fructose is especially a concern because it is not metabolized like glucose. It goes straight to the liver, where the liver converts the fructose to glycogen, and stores it in the liver for later use where glycogen can then be converted to glucose. But, for people who do juicing and eating of lots of fruits, their livers are completely full of glycogen, that the liver then takes the excess fructose and converts it to triglycerides, and those triglycerides are then secreted into the blood, causing risk to cardiovascular system.

    I looked at previous posts from you, and I discovered you used to do this. You followed a diet with lots of fructose intake. This is known to cause problems with bloodwork. Here's proof of what you said your diet consisted, where you said:

    "I LOVE my "diet" which isn't a diet at all but just the way I eat:

    greek yogurt with blueberries
    big salads
    green juices
    lean meats
    fresh fruits "

    This can be found at this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1046952-depressed-and-discouraged

    So, it looks like you did this damage to yourself, eating this way for an extended period. And now after only two months of this new lifestyle you adopted, you are figuring that you should be able to cancel all the damage you did before. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. It will take a longer time. If you ate high fructose and low fat for four months within your six months blood test window, of course you will show high triglycerides and cholesterol problems. I'm not surprised at all. And if you start cutting back on fats, while staying low carb, you will be even higher protein diet, which will get even worse.
  • RunForChai
    RunForChai Posts: 238 Member
    Hi,
    I appreciate your response but want to clarify some things...

    for the past 2 months I have been eating more fat than protein and low carb [under 20]. I ate coconut oil, butter and other healthy fats. I ate chicken thighs, bacon and other fatty, grass-fed meats and goat cheeses.

    I did quite a bit of research on this diet and have followed it pretty carefully.

    Before approach I was eating more carbs [mostly vegies with one fruit a day]---about 60-70 carbs a day, with high protein and yes, low fat.

    However I have always eaten very healthy---organic, as close to it's natural state as possible. I've never eaten fast food or soda and no fructuose but yes, some sugar in the form of dark chocolate.

    I am close to my ideal weight and am very athletic
    what I'm looking for in response is has anyone been negatively surprised/shocked by their blood work? And what will you do if you find your numbers suddenly changing for the negative?

    Since I feel so much better on this diet I am curious....
  • I don't know how true this statement is but I was told that for some people the first 90 days on a lchf diet people can show a more negative cholesterol panel but after that it should start evening out as your body adapts to the diet. But like I said I haven't checked out the truth in that just relayin what I heard :-)
  • rlengland2014
    rlengland2014 Posts: 98 Member
    At the risk of being flamed, I would argue the lipid panel means little. Ask for a lipoprotein analysis, especially a LDL-p and an apoB, these are more predictive of cardiovascular health than total chol. Good luck, I think you're on the right track too, especially for weight loss ?
  • crepes_
    crepes_ Posts: 583 Member
    Short term, keto has been shown to have negative effects on cholesterol. Long term, however, there are positive effects. I also don't think that you can judge your panels after only doing keto for a couple of months. If you're nervous, of course you can change up the type of fat that you're eating. Olive oil instead of butter and coconut oil. Avocados, nuts, fish, etc. Keep the same macros, but switch up how you get there. It's definitely possible.
    Long-term effects of a ketogenic diet in obese patients
    Abstract.

    BACKGROUND:
    Although various studies have examined the short-term effects of a ketogenic diet in reducing weight in obese patients, its long-term effects on various physical and biochemical parameters are not known.

    OBJECTIVE:
    To determine the effects of a 24-week ketogenic diet (consisting of 30 g carbohydrate, 1 g/kg body weight protein, 20% saturated fat, and 80% polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat) in obese patients.

    PATIENTS AND METHODS:
    In the present study, 83 obese patients (39 men and 44 women) with a body mass index greater than 35 kg/m2, and high glucose and cholesterol levels were selected. The body weight, body mass index, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, urea and creatinine levels were determined before and after the administration of the ketogenic diet. Changes in these parameters were monitored after eight, 16 and 24 weeks of treatment.

    RESULTS:
    The weight and body mass index of the patients decreased significantly (P<0.0001). The level of total cholesterol decreased from week 1 to week 24. HDL cholesterol levels significantly increased, whereas LDL cholesterol levels significantly decreased after treatment. The level of triglycerides decreased significantly following 24 weeks of treatment. The level of blood glucose significantly decreased. The changes in the level of urea and creatinine were not statistically significant.

    CONCLUSIONS:
    The present study shows the beneficial effects of a long-term ketogenic diet. It significantly reduced the body weight and body mass index of the patients. Furthermore, it decreased the level of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose, and increased the level of HDL cholesterol. Administering a ketogenic diet for a relatively longer period of time did not produce any significant side effects in the patients. Therefore, the present study confirms that it is safe to use a ketogenic diet for a longer period of time than previously demonstrated.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/