High fat diet = low cholesterol and triglycerides??
AspenDan
Posts: 703 Member
With like 40% of my calories coming from fats, I expected to get blood test results showing high "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides.
Instead my results were 137 cholesterol and 102 triglycerides, both well below abnormally high.
I guess it seemed counter intuitive to me and I was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences. Thanks
Instead my results were 137 cholesterol and 102 triglycerides, both well below abnormally high.
I guess it seemed counter intuitive to me and I was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences. Thanks
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Replies
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Thant's pretty common. Carbs cause triglycerides to usually go up, and HDL to come down. Eating low carb will lower triglycerides and raise HDL (usually).
LDL may go up a bit on a high fat low carb diet, but it is generally the fluffier and more desirable LDL that increases. Lipoprotein a will usually drop too.
Generally speaking, carbs are bad for cholesterol and fats are good.0 -
I dunno, I eat a high carb diet and my cholesterol has come down since I lost weight. The only time it goes up is when I eat a lot of fast food. And by a lot, meaning I eat it for two meals a day for a couple of weeks. My numbers were apparently tied to my weight and nothing else.0
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Eating at a calorie deficit will usually lower triglycerides and LDL regardless of diet composition.0
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Thant's pretty common. Carbs cause triglycerides to usually go up, and HDL to come down. Eating low carb will lower triglycerides and raise HDL (usually).
LDL may go up a bit on a high fat low carb diet, but it is generally the fluffier and more desirable LDL that increases. Lipoprotein a will usually drop too.
Generally speaking, carbs are bad for cholesterol and fats are good.
Wow..I'm learning so much these days.0 -
Thant's pretty common. Carbs cause triglycerides to usually go up, and HDL to come down. Eating low carb will lower triglycerides and raise HDL (usually).
LDL may go up a bit on a high fat low carb diet, but it is generally the fluffier and more desirable LDL that increases. Lipoprotein a will usually drop too.
Generally speaking, carbs are bad for cholesterol and fats are good.
Wow..I'm learning so much these days.
I wouldn't take all that as fact wihtout reading up on the subject from a reliable source. Some carbs have been shown to lower cholesterol in repeated studies. Fiber is a carb.0 -
Weight loss is the single best thing for an overweight or obese person to do to improve cholesterol levels. In many cases it can reverse insulin resistance which is one of the major causes of bad triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
Lower levels of saturated fat can help those whose cholesterol is bad in the absence of other factors of metabolic syndrome, but in those whose cholesterol is bad as a secondary result of other issues, solving those other issues is likely more effective.
It's like salt for hypertension. Yes, cutting back on sodium can help, but weight loss and cardiovascular improvements via exercise can be more effective if you're overweight and sedentary.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Thant's pretty common. Carbs cause triglycerides to usually go up, and HDL to come down. Eating low carb will lower triglycerides and raise HDL (usually).
LDL may go up a bit on a high fat low carb diet, but it is generally the fluffier and more desirable LDL that increases. Lipoprotein a will usually drop too.
Generally speaking, carbs are bad for cholesterol and fats are good.
Wow..I'm learning so much these days.
I wouldn't take all that as fact wihtout reading up on the subject from a reliable source. Some carbs have been shown to lower cholesterol in repeated studies. Fiber is a carb.
Interesting...well I take everything with a grain of salt, but I generally appreciate the conversation regardless.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Thant's pretty common. Carbs cause triglycerides to usually go up, and HDL to come down. Eating low carb will lower triglycerides and raise HDL (usually).
LDL may go up a bit on a high fat low carb diet, but it is generally the fluffier and more desirable LDL that increases. Lipoprotein a will usually drop too.
Generally speaking, carbs are bad for cholesterol and fats are good.
Wow..I'm learning so much these days.
I wouldn't take all that as fact wihtout reading up on the subject from a reliable source. Some carbs have been shown to lower cholesterol in repeated studies. Fiber is a carb.
Interesting...well I take everything with a grain of salt, but I generally appreciate the conversation regardless.
Wise man. Congrats on lowering your cholesterol numbers.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Eating at a calorie deficit will usually lower triglycerides and LDL regardless of diet composition.
This. I was just speaking to my doctor about this. Oatmeal and other fibrous carbs can lower cholesterol, but the best way is through caloric deficit, healthy eating, and genetics not predisposed to high cholesterol. That last one is really hard to control or change, I mean, seriously, any idea how hard it is to change your genetics? It's practically impossible (lol)0 -
I had blood work done a couple of months ago, after losing about 20 pounds or so, and I expected my numbers to be better than before. Nope. They were worse. Triglycerides were ok, but LDL was higher and HDL unimproved.
Doctor said he wasn't too concerned because weight loss can mess with your numbers, but he asked about my diet. I told him I was restricting carbs (>15%; mostly from fruit), and he said that was too low and that I needed to add in some whole grain.
I took his advice and have adjust to about 30% carbs, about half from whole grain. We'll see in a few months if his advice works.0 -
Thant's pretty common. Carbs cause triglycerides to usually go up, and HDL to come down. Eating low carb will lower triglycerides and raise HDL (usually).
LDL may go up a bit on a high fat low carb diet, but it is generally the fluffier and more desirable LDL that increases. Lipoprotein a will usually drop too.
Generally speaking, carbs are bad for cholesterol and fats are good.
The only study that I have seen posted by several had carbs at 72% or so. The only others studies that even more promote that are done on diabetics or others with medical issues. And unless you are following the 80/10/10 diet, the average person won't have carbs that high.
OP, weight loss generally will cause your cholesterol to decrease, regardless of which diet you follow. Mine has consistently improved with my moderate carb (45-50% of my calories) diet. I know others who have lost a lot of weight on LCHF but have cholesterol numbers have doubled.
Other big drivers are obesity and genetics. For me, HDL and LDL never change even when I was 50 lbs heavier. I thank my parents because my numbers align to both of theirs (mom is normal weight, dad is 60 lbs over weight).
In the end, if you have an approach that is helping you lose weight and improve your blood work, keep doing it.
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missblondi2u wrote: »
I took his advice and have adjust to about 30% carbs, about half from whole grain. We'll see in a few months if his advice works.
Nice! GLBecomingBane wrote: »
seriously, any idea how hard it is to change your genetics? It's practically impossible (lol)Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Eating at a calorie deficit will usually lower triglycerides and LDL regardless of diet composition.
Lol! If it were possible, I'd probably be growing a full beard by now but alas, genetics are a b*tch =P0 -
I found eating lower carb while also losing weight caused my numbers to go in the "bad" direction after a year. So it seems like, as with most things, it depends on the person.0
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I found eating lower carb while also losing weight caused my numbers to go in the "bad" direction after a year. So it seems like, as with most things, it depends on the person.
Wow! Lol, maybe I lucked out with genetics..I didn't have blood tested for that prior to losing 70+ lbs..so I missed out on some cool science =(0 -
Since I'm not in any other "risk" categories, I figured it was worth the experiment to try. But clearly it's a disaster for me. Most people in my family when they were my age obese or not had cholesterol levels too high to count (like readings in the 500-700s) so, I'm doing better than the other people I share genes with. But it's simply not worth the additional risk! I'm back to oatmeal every morning and high fiber complex carbs at most meals
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Eating at a calorie deficit will usually lower triglycerides and LDL regardless of diet composition.
This has been the case for me. I focused on eating less/calorie deficit but didn't change the kinds of food I ate, and as the weight loss happened my blood work improved quite a bit. Now I'm in maintenance and still eat all the foods I like, and I still have great blood work panels (last month's gave me a new HDL high at 69/LDL 97 and blood work I had done this past spring put my triglycerides in the 40s). For me, weight has a direct correlation with my numbers and not the types of foods/macros break down I'm eating per se.0 -
Dan, sometime in early February this year the news sources should'a carried a story about how the science stuff would finally be creeping back into the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendations concerning consumption of cholesterol and how (for most people) there is not much of a direct link between dietary cholesterol and blood levels. Basically, this will realign the US views on eating fats and bring stuff back to where the science has been for so long.Wow..I'm learning so much these days.
Google should be your friend on finding proper sources with good citation to studies and summaries, but I remember this finally hitting media at the beginning of February this year.0 -
(last month's gave me a new HDL high at 69/LDL 97 and blood work I had done this past spring put my triglycerides in the 40s)...Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Eating at a calorie deficit will usually lower triglycerides and LDL regardless of diet composition.
Lol nice numbers! There's some diet goals imo, haha
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(last month's gave me a new HDL high at 69/LDL 97 and blood work I had done this past spring put my triglycerides in the 40s)...Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Eating at a calorie deficit will usually lower triglycerides and LDL regardless of diet composition.
Lol nice numbers! There's some diet goals imo, haha
The biggie for me is my glucose number-when I started this whole thing back in 2012 I was labeled a pre-diabetic. Now I'm consistently seeing glucose numbers in the 80s I've lost a couple relatives to type 2, so I'm pretty geeked about my numbers! 0 -
standenvernet wrote: »
Dan, sometime in early February this year the news sources should'a carried a story about how the science stuff would finally be creeping back into the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendations concerning consumption of cholesterol and how (for most people) there is not much of a direct link between dietary cholesterol and blood levels. Basically, this will realign the US views on eating fats and bring stuff back to where the science has been for so long.Wow..I'm learning so much these days.
Google should be your friend on finding proper sources with good citation to studies and summaries, but I remember this finally hitting media at the beginning of February this year.
Dietary cholesterol and saturated fats are the not the same thing, though.0 -
(last month's gave me a new HDL high at 69/LDL 97 and blood work I had done this past spring put my triglycerides in the 40s)...Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Eating at a calorie deficit will usually lower triglycerides and LDL regardless of diet composition.
Lol nice numbers! There's some diet goals imo, haha
The biggie for me is my glucose number-when I started this whole thing back in 2012 I was labeled a pre-diabetic. Now I'm consistently seeing glucose numbers in the 80s I've lost a couple relatives to type 2, so I'm pretty geeked about my numbers!
That's sick! Yeah I'm down to 85 now, so I'm stoked on that too...gf asked what my new goals were and really, now that the health indicators are "normal", any thing else is a bonus 0 -
blood serum cholesterol is far more complicated than fat or no fat or carbs or no carbs...to that end, genetics and heredity play a massive role.
I eat a well balanced diet that includes plenty of carbs, lean sourced protein, and healthy fats and I took my LDL from the 160s down to 92. I also exercise regularly to include both cardiovascular work as well as resistance training and I lost about 40 Lbs. I have an uphill battle as I am genetically predisposed to high LDL but eating a well balanced and highly nutritious diet along with regular exercise and losing some weight seems to have been the key for me.
i get most of my fats from things like avocados, nuts, cooking with avocado and olive oil, etc...i keep my intake of saturated fats at or below the RDA and most of my protein is lean sourced...i eat a lot of cod, salmon, chicken, and lean cuts of pork and beef. my carbohydrates consist largely of legumes, lentils, potatoes, brown rice, oats, tons of veg, and a couple servings of fruit daily.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »blood serum cholesterol is far more complicated than fat or no fat or carbs or no carbs...to that end, genetics and heredity play a massive role.
I eat a well balanced diet that includes plenty of carbs, lean sourced protein, and healthy fats and I took my LDL from the 160s down to 92. I also exercise regularly to include both cardiovascular work as well as resistance training and I lost about 40 Lbs. I have an uphill battle as I am genetically predisposed to high LDL but eating a well balanced and highly nutritious diet along with regular exercise and losing some weight seems to have been the key for me.
i get most of my fats from things like avocados, nuts, cooking with avocado and olive oil, etc...i keep my intake of saturated fats at or below the RDA and most of my protein is lean sourced...i eat a lot of cod, salmon, chicken, and lean cuts of pork and beef. my carbohydrates consist largely of legumes, lentils, potatoes, brown rice, oats, tons of veg, and a couple servings of fruit daily.
This. And my doctors all consistently tell me that the biggest impact on HDL is exercise.0 -
I found eating lower carb while also losing weight caused my numbers to go in the "bad" direction after a year. So it seems like, as with most things, it depends on the person.
the types of fat also seem to be relevant, some people with a high intake of sat fat see LDL cholesterol increase markedly but can bring it down by changing to more unsaturated options.
Whether it matters is another debate altogether.0 -
I need to have mine checked again. I had it done in June 2014 and got:
- LDL = 113
- HDL = 140
- triglycerides = 66
All of those are in the ideal to optimal ranges per various sources. When I calculated my total cholesterol (because the results didn't come with it), however (LDL+HDL+(tri/5)) I got 266, which is bad. So...I don't really understand what's going on. Or at least what was going on back then. It's been long enough that my numbers could be totally different.0 -
I need to have mine checked again. I had it done in June 2014 and got:
- LDL = 113
- HDL = 140
- triglycerides = 66
All of those are in the ideal to optimal ranges per various sources. When I calculated my total cholesterol (because the results didn't come with it), however (LDL+HDL+(tri/5)) I got 266, which is bad. So...I don't really understand what's going on. Or at least what was going on back then. It's been long enough that my numbers could be totally different.
Holy HDL! Interesting that it's so high, and no wonder your total reads as bad, although did your doctor actually say he was concerned? With ratios like that, I wouldn't think the total would matter.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »blood serum cholesterol is far more complicated than fat or no fat or carbs or no carbs...to that end, genetics and heredity play a massive role.
I eat a well balanced diet that includes plenty of carbs, lean sourced protein, and healthy fats and I took my LDL from the 160s down to 92. I also exercise regularly to include both cardiovascular work as well as resistance training and I lost about 40 Lbs. I have an uphill battle as I am genetically predisposed to high LDL but eating a well balanced and highly nutritious diet along with regular exercise and losing some weight seems to have been the key for me.
i get most of my fats from things like avocados, nuts, cooking with avocado and olive oil, etc...i keep my intake of saturated fats at or below the RDA and most of my protein is lean sourced...i eat a lot of cod, salmon, chicken, and lean cuts of pork and beef. my carbohydrates consist largely of legumes, lentils, potatoes, brown rice, oats, tons of veg, and a couple servings of fruit daily.
This. And my doctors all consistently tell me that the biggest impact on HDL is exercise.
The biggest impact on a high HDL is exercise? Mines a little low, probably because I don't exercise =(
All the more reason I need to start I guess.0 -
I need to have mine checked again. I had it done in June 2014 and got:
- LDL = 113
- HDL = 140
- triglycerides = 66
All of those are in the ideal to optimal ranges per various sources. When I calculated my total cholesterol (because the results didn't come with it), however (LDL+HDL+(tri/5)) I got 266, which is bad. So...I don't really understand what's going on. Or at least what was going on back then. It's been long enough that my numbers could be totally different.
Holy HDL! Interesting that it's so high, and no wonder your total reads as bad, although did your doctor actually say he was concerned? With ratios like that, I wouldn't think the total would matter.
Lol, I had the same reaction when I first read the results and info sheet. I work at a university and our health center did the test. The NP who went over my results thought it was great. I never went over it with my doctor.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »blood serum cholesterol is far more complicated than fat or no fat or carbs or no carbs...to that end, genetics and heredity play a massive role.
I eat a well balanced diet that includes plenty of carbs, lean sourced protein, and healthy fats and I took my LDL from the 160s down to 92. I also exercise regularly to include both cardiovascular work as well as resistance training and I lost about 40 Lbs. I have an uphill battle as I am genetically predisposed to high LDL but eating a well balanced and highly nutritious diet along with regular exercise and losing some weight seems to have been the key for me.
i get most of my fats from things like avocados, nuts, cooking with avocado and olive oil, etc...i keep my intake of saturated fats at or below the RDA and most of my protein is lean sourced...i eat a lot of cod, salmon, chicken, and lean cuts of pork and beef. my carbohydrates consist largely of legumes, lentils, potatoes, brown rice, oats, tons of veg, and a couple servings of fruit daily.
This. And my doctors all consistently tell me that the biggest impact on HDL is exercise.
The biggest impact on a high HDL is exercise? Mines a little low, probably because I don't exercise =(
All the more reason I need to start I guess.
Probably would be beneficial from a health standpoint to start. But yes, exercise does have a large impact on HDL. So does weight.0
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