High fat diet = low cholesterol and triglycerides??
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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
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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 -
I get a full health screening every year so I've been able to compare numbers. All numbers had been pretty consistent (and bad) for several years. But the last two have shown some interesting trends (June 2014, only one month after starting at MFP and September 2015). Having lost 70 lbs in that timeframe, I wasn't surprised to see just about every number improve with most now in the normal range. The exception was my LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol which actually increased by 30%. When I talked to the dietician about it, she asked to see my food diary. I eat a lot of cheese, so I guess there's the culprit. Still, she's not concerned. She said the ratios of HDL:LDL and HDL:total cholesterol are the most important. Did you get the breakdown of your cholesterol?0
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I'd heard that the greatest impact on HDL was the type of fats. Exercise definitely helps, but you can't out train a bad diet. But I'm sure genetic predisposition plays a huge role, especially in regard to how your body processes/tolerates carbs.
OP -- I think what you're experiencing is really common for people that take a lower carb, higher fat approach (not just the keto people) especially if they're focusing on good fats (monounsaturated, medium changes and more omega-3s rather than omega-6s). I know when I was cutting I fell into this group (but not low enough to be keto -- but lower carb) and my HDL was awesome and my triglycerides were really low. My total was a little high -- but it was because my HDL was so awesome. Had my HDL been in "normal" ranges, my total cholesterol would have have been normal rather than slightly elevated.
When I got down to my target weight/body comp, I could tolerate a lot more carbs in general and my cholesterol still stays pretty good. Not quite as awesome as it was, but still in the ideal range.
My doc said that views on cholesterol are changing. That total is not nearly as important as the bigger picture -- the biggest factors being (1) ratio of HDL to total, (2) low level of triglycerides and (3) non-HDL cholesterol below a certain point (130 or lower is ideal).
I'm sure there are other ways to get great cholesterol and other factors that play into it -- genetics seem to be a big issue in particular and, of course, healthy weight and exercise. But, what you're seeing on a high fat lower carb diet is very common for many of us and I think has been discussed quite extensively in such ways of eating.
Here's a little blurb from the Mayo clinic that discusses it: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol-ratio/faq-200580060 -
brightsideofpink wrote: »Still, she's not concerned. She said the ratios of HDL:LDL and HDL:total cholesterol are the most important. Did you get the breakdown of your cholesterol?
200 total.
137 ldl
48 hdl
She said I need to increase my hdl by eating more healthy fats like avocado and nuts =(0 -
missblondi2u wrote: »
Doctor said he wasn't too concerned because weight loss can mess with your numbers
That's a good point. The biological function of lipoproteins like LDL is to shuttle fatty materials through the blood. When you are losing weight, your body has to move a lot of fats through the blood to be metabolized. That can cause temporary worsening of cholesterol in some people. You really need to see what it's like in maintenance.
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brightsideofpink wrote: »Still, she's not concerned. She said the ratios of HDL:LDL and HDL:total cholesterol are the most important. Did you get the breakdown of your cholesterol?
200 total.
137 ldl
48 hdl
She said I need to increase my hdl by eating more healthy fats like avocado and nuts =(
I'd generally agree with her on that. An omega-3 supplement may also help. Do you know what your triglycerides were?
When I was going through this, my HDL was 90, my LDL was 110, triglycerides 39, total 208, ratio 2.3. And I was 20 - 25 lbs heavier than my ideal weight.
When I got down to my ideal weight and started eating more carbs, my HDL and triglycerides stayed pretty much the same, but my LDL rose slightly. So my overall and ratio were a little worse, but still in the ideal.
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lindsey1979 wrote: »brightsideofpink wrote: »Still, she's not concerned. She said the ratios of HDL:LDL and HDL:total cholesterol are the most important. Did you get the breakdown of your cholesterol?
200 total.
137 ldl
48 hdl
She said I need to increase my hdl by eating more healthy fats like avocado and nuts =(
I'd generally agree with her on that. An omega-3 supplement may also help. Do you know what your triglycerides were?
When I was going through this, my HDL was 90, my LDL was 110, triglycerides 39, total 208, ratio 2.3. And I was 20 - 25 lbs heavier than my ideal weight.
When I got down to my ideal weight and started eating more carbs, my HDL and triglycerides stayed pretty much the same, but my LDL rose slightly. So my overall and ratio were a little worse, but still in the ideal.
Triglycerides were at 102, looks like I still have work to do.
I've been considering taking omega 3s in addition to my men's daily multivitamin.
Maybe after my next 70lbs, I'll be spot on, we'll see!0 -
Losing weight is usually the best thing you can do to improve those numbers. So not surprising.
How much diet matters varies person to person. My dad improved his numbers by reducing sat fat. I don't eat enormous amounts of sat fat, but mine (total numbers and ratio) have always been good, whatever my diet.0 -
Genetics play a huge role for some people and sometimes don't have anything to do with weight. 10 years ago (and 34 lbs ago) I weighed 104 lbs and my triglycerides were almost 800. Now I'm on 3 medications and within normal range even though I've been gaining weight. Hoping that as I lose weight and keep my numbers under control that I'll be able to get off some of the meds.0
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brightsideofpink wrote: »She said the ratios of HDL:LDL and HDL:total cholesterol are the most important. Did you get the breakdown of your cholesterol?
I've always read that it's the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (tc/hdl) that was important, though some doctors seem to be going away from that to non-hdl levels.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol-ratio/faq-20058006
How important is cholesterol ratio?
For predicting your risk of heart disease, many doctors now believe that determining your non-HDL cholesterol level may be more useful than calculating your cholesterol ratio. And either option appears to be a better risk predictor than your total cholesterol level or even your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol level.
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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.
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.
The triglycerides jumped and the HDLs went down... Basically every marker went in the wrong way! And I would say the biggest difference was I added back in more red meat and more eggs (and cut down on the overall carbs, my fiber was woefully low, and that might be what would have made the difference for me). Lost weight, started running again. No matter when it came to my poor blood. *Sigh* I probably just tipped the scale too far with saturated fat, though my saturated fats were less than 1/3 of my overall fat.
I'm not trying to dissuade people from trying low carb at all. I loved it. Just giving that tiny bit of nagging that genetics still plays into it (like many people on this thread mentioned).0
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