How to reduce cholesterol

Oatmeal...the traditional cook on the hob kind not the quick nuke for a minute kind.

There are a few ways to go about lowering cholesterol. Getting rid of refined carbs and sugars seems to help many. Some then go high plant matter and others go higher fat and lower carb. Both can work.

I would check what your cholesterol actually is. Was it a total cholesterol? That's not a very useful test. High HDL? If so great. High LDL? That's only a problem if the particle size is small.

Try a book like Cholesterol Clarity, Cholesterol Con, or the Great Cholesterol Myth.

All of the above are great ideas. However, don't be frustrated if you incorporate them and find that your cholesterol is still high. You may be genetically predisposed. My husband was athletic and had very little body fat. He was very conscious of his dietand he still had high cholesterol. He went vegan for a year and a half in order to see if he could affect his cholesterol levels. They didn't budge. Bad genetics. Boy, was he ever happy to be able to nibble a little really good cheese now and then!

mmapags wrote: »

The 2 most effective ways to reduce cholesterol is to reduce body fat and to get vigorous exercise. Trying to eat your way there is the hard way. Most recent studies indicate there is little relationship between dietary and serum cholesterol.

I keep reading that dietary cholesterol doesn't impact the level of cholesterol in the blood. However, I was pescaterian and ate wild caught salmon and eggs. I had a fasting blood test for cholesterol. I then went vegan and 8 weeks later had my cholesterol tested again and my LDL dropped 22%. My exercise and weight and general schedule stayed the same.

So, my personal test showed me that dietary cholesterol did impact my blood cholesterol levels.

hjg0989 wrote: »

mmapags wrote: »

The 2 most effective ways to reduce cholesterol is to reduce body fat and to get vigorous exercise. Trying to eat your way there is the hard way. Most recent studies indicate there is little relationship between dietary and serum cholesterol.

I keep reading that dietary cholesterol doesn't impact the level of cholesterol in the blood. However, I was pescaterian and ate wild caught salmon and eggs. I had a fasting blood test for cholesterol. I then went vegan and 8 weeks later had my cholesterol tested again and my LDL dropped 22%. My exercise and weight and general schedule stayed the same.

So, my personal test showed me that dietary cholesterol did impact my blood cholesterol levels.

Which is why I said "little relationship" and not "no relationship". Also, doesn't change the fact that reducing body fat and increasing exercise are the 2 most effective ways to improve cholesterol and total lipid profile. Or that eating your way there is not the hard way. A 22% reduction in LDL is a positive change but one small factor in a larger picture. Feel free to go to PubMed and review the studies.

hjg0989 wrote: »

mmapags wrote: »

The 2 most effective ways to reduce cholesterol is to reduce body fat and to get vigorous exercise. Trying to eat your way there is the hard way. Most recent studies indicate there is little relationship between dietary and serum cholesterol.

I keep reading that dietary cholesterol doesn't impact the level of cholesterol in the blood. However, I was pescaterian and ate wild caught salmon and eggs. I had a fasting blood test for cholesterol. I then went vegan and 8 weeks later had my cholesterol tested again and my LDL dropped 22%. My exercise and weight and general schedule stayed the same.

So, my personal test showed me that dietary cholesterol did impact my blood cholesterol levels.

for some it does impact our cholesterol levels.for others it doesnt

masaku_88 wrote: »

Cut out animal products.

I eat animal products and lowered mine with a low fat,low cholesterol high fiber diet and meds

jenilla1 wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

I have Familial Hypercholesterolemia(its genetic) for me just losing weight didnt help as I was diagnosed when I was thin. I have to be on a low fat/low cholesterol/high fiber diet,along with meds my cholesterol is now in normal ranges. I had it more than 15 years and everything else I tried didnt work. I tried just low fat/low cholesterol diet without meds, tried more fruits and veggies and less meat with meds,still high. I tried keto(before I knew it was FH) that didnt help either.

for people like me dietary cholesterol does have an impact on my cholesterol levels as my liver produces too much as it is. most people with high cholesterol are misdiagnosed so get tested to see if you Have FH or not. its often misdiagnosed and it can be deadly if not treated properly whether it be diet and exercise or with meds and diet.

My doctor just said I was "blessed" by genetics. I've never been overweight. I'm fit and active in endurance sports and have always eaten a well-balanced diet that is high is fiber and low in cholesterol. I have a 21.5 BMI. I had 280 cholesterol last time it was checked!!! Great blood pressure, great blood sugar, otherwise healthy. My "good" cholesterol was high enough to be a mitigating factor, though, and since I have no additional risk factors, we're not doing meds at this point.

I have found in the past the only time I could get my cholesterol down to borderline (195-210) was when I dropped my body fat down to 25% or below. So I'm working on that. My weight doesn't seem to be a factor, but body fat does. I'm at 28% currently, due to laziness issues, so I'm now working to get that back down and see what happens. I'm expecting the usual drop in cholesterol with the drop in body fat. I just find it a challenge to drop BF when I'm already at my goal weight. Ugh. Recomp is sooo slow.

yeah it may be that you may need to tweak your diet of go on meds at some point. maybe not though. Im about 24% body fat but even when I was 140 lbs(when I was first diagnosed,Im now 166). I was at a healthy weight and didnt have a lot of body fat and still had issues. for me my triglycerides LDL-C and LDL-P were high.They are all at normal levels now. for me I also ended up with fat pads/xanthomas/xanthelasmas ,which are now almost non existent.it sucks having genetic issues.


I didnt have any other risk factors either but having this genetic issue with cholesterol IS a risk factor, left untreated(in my case)it can lead to heart attack/stroke/TIA and I didnt want to risk that so I decided that since diet and exercise alone wasnt working I would try meds. best thing I did. Ive tried all types of ways of eating and this is whats working. hope you can get yours down and find what works the best.

jenilla1 wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

jenilla1 wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

I have Familial Hypercholesterolemia(its genetic) for me just losing weight didnt help as I was diagnosed when I was thin. I have to be on a low fat/low cholesterol/high fiber diet,along with meds my cholesterol is now in normal ranges. I had it more than 15 years and everything else I tried didnt work. I tried just low fat/low cholesterol diet without meds, tried more fruits and veggies and less meat with meds,still high. I tried keto(before I knew it was FH) that didnt help either.

for people like me dietary cholesterol does have an impact on my cholesterol levels as my liver produces too much as it is. most people with high cholesterol are misdiagnosed so get tested to see if you Have FH or not. its often misdiagnosed and it can be deadly if not treated properly whether it be diet and exercise or with meds and diet.

My doctor just said I was "blessed" by genetics. I've never been overweight. I'm fit and active in endurance sports and have always eaten a well-balanced diet that is high is fiber and low in cholesterol. I have a 21.5 BMI. I had 280 cholesterol last time it was checked!!! Great blood pressure, great blood sugar, otherwise healthy. My "good" cholesterol was high enough to be a mitigating factor, though, and since I have no additional risk factors, we're not doing meds at this point.

I have found in the past the only time I could get my cholesterol down to borderline (195-210) was when I dropped my body fat down to 25% or below. So I'm working on that. My weight doesn't seem to be a factor, but body fat does. I'm at 28% currently, due to laziness issues, so I'm now working to get that back down and see what happens. I'm expecting the usual drop in cholesterol with the drop in body fat. I just find it a challenge to drop BF when I'm already at my goal weight. Ugh. Recomp is sooo slow.

yeah it may be that you may need to tweak your diet of go on meds at some point. maybe not though. Im about 24% body fat but even when I was 140 lbs(when I was first diagnosed,Im now 166). I was at a healthy weight and didnt have a lot of body fat and still had issues. for me my triglycerides LDL-C and LDL-P were high.They are all at normal levels now. for me I also ended up with fat pads/xanthomas/xanthelasmas ,which are now almost non existent.it sucks having genetic issues.


I didnt have any other risk factors either but having this genetic issue with cholesterol IS a risk factor, left untreated(in my case)it can lead to heart attack/stroke/TIA and I didnt want to risk that so I decided that since diet and exercise alone wasnt working I would try meds. best thing I did. Ive tried all types of ways of eating and this is whats working. hope you can get yours down and find what works the best.

The words "familial hypercholesterolemia" were not used, so I don't know if I have that. I've had high cholesterol since the first time it was ever checked - at age 28 or so. The doctor just talked about how some people genetically have crappy cholesterol even when they live healthy lifestyles - which I thought was unfair. But now that I've read this, I'm a little scared! My seemingly healthy, not obese, non-smoking great-grandma died of a massive heart attack in her late 50's. I'm probably doomed...probably need to follow up with a doctor to see if that is, in fact, what I have.

yeah it could have been that. not saying for sure but heart attacks/strokes,etc for women in their 50s are common place for those with FH who dont treat it. the only way to find out is genetic testing, unless you have the other issues I have had and know for a fact someone in your family has had genetic cholesterol issues.My kids have a 50% chance of getting it too since Im the only one who has it. if two parents have it then a child born will have it and it can be deadly for a child as well. I was in my late 20s too when diagnosed. but back then you didnt hear about these things. I had no idea I had it until about a year ago.also my liver enzymes were always high too because of it. so thats another symptom.

MommyMeggo wrote: »

@CharlieBeansmomTracey
Dont you have to have genetic testing to confirm FH?
Or they just say "well my dad and his parents always had high cholesterol so I have FH? "
Are hereditary cholesterol issues and FH one and the same?
I cant seem to find an answer to this.

Father is on 2 meds for high chol., his father passed of HA @79 ... My fathers total cholesterol was over 300 prior to meds- but i cannot attest to his diet although Im sure its poor and he is an alcoholic. <A part of me hopes its their lifestyle vs FH>

So my cholesterol is "inherited" from my father's side. My LDL in Feb was 199. Total =290
My LDL has been over 165-197, now 199 ever since I started checking it (within the last 7 years or so)

BP even through 3 pregnancies, triglycerides, and HDL are all stellar.

Im 33 -5'4" and 156 lbs.
When I was 31 and 133lbs it was still high.
My diet can stand to see several improvements as a cholesterol conscious person that I really need to be. But surely overall, its not the culprit of a 199 LDL. I ask myself, are dietary changes and weight loss enough to drop it 99pts?!


Im just curious since Ive seen so many of your posts about this. As my cardiologist said today- if I put in all the work and dedication to alter my LDL (like "lose 30lbs, do an hour of HIIT for an hour daily and be religious about my diet") ...it may still yield a ridiculous LDL. And that statins - or problems by the time im 50yo- are my paths to choose from.

for the most part you do have to have genetic testing unless you have symptoms such as,xanthomas,xanthelasmas,fat/cholesterol pads/deposits around the joint(like knees,ankles.,etc. being alcoholic can cause liver issues of course so Im sure that can have an effect on cholesterol- here is some info that may help https://thefhfoundation.org/difference-high-cholesterol-familial-hypercholesterolemia

diet and weight loss may or may not be enough,if its genetic then you may or may not need meds.everyone is different. sometimes with FH even diet,weight loss and meds arent enough.your cholesterol sounds borderline high, I had cholesterol when I was first diagnosed of over 700 total and 500+ LDL triglycerides were so high they could not even count it.also if you have FH you will have to be tested every 3 months to see where your levels are.

with your father and grandfather it could have been their lifestyle.with FH triglycerides,LDL-C and LDL-p are usually high. my HDL is always good though.But Ive tried doing everything I could not to take meds and it didnt work so I had to resort to meds. best thing I could have done(for me). with FH even being at a healthy weight it can be high, I was at a healthy weight when I was diagnosed(before I got fat). I dont know which one of my parents had it to pass it down as my parents hardly ever went to the dr but I assume it was him as he had a major heart attack at 63. his mom lived to be in her 80s, but his dad died of an early heart attack so yeah(he too had a bad diet and was an alcoholic) so thats a toss up.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

tahira81 wrote: »

My doctor told me I have borderline high cholesterol. Like I'm 'heading in the bad direction'. What foods can I incorporate in my diet that are good for lowering cholesterol?

Simply losing weight will help most people.

I had really high LDL cholesterol when i started. The biggest change I made was eating more veg and fruit and things like beans, lentils, oats, etc and in general just started eating more whole foods. I also eat a lot of fish...hardly ever used to, but I pretty much eat fish at least 5x per week, if not everyday...mostly salmon, cod, tuna, and shrimp. I also eat eggs every day and eat healthy fats from things like avocado, nuts, and I use good cooking oils. I think regular exercise is pretty important as well.

My LDL has been in the low 90s now for about 4 years...

yes it works for most with regular cholesterol issues

MommyMeggo wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

MommyMeggo wrote: »

@CharlieBeansmomTracey
Dont you have to have genetic testing to confirm FH?
Or they just say "well my dad and his parents always had high cholesterol so I have FH? "
Are hereditary cholesterol issues and FH one and the same?
I cant seem to find an answer to this.

Father is on 2 meds for high chol., his father passed of HA @79 ... My fathers total cholesterol was over 300 prior to meds- but i cannot attest to his diet although Im sure its poor and he is an alcoholic. <A part of me hopes its their lifestyle vs FH>

So my cholesterol is "inherited" from my father's side. My LDL in Feb was 199. Total =290
My LDL has been over 165-197, now 199 ever since I started checking it (within the last 7 years or so)

BP even through 3 pregnancies, triglycerides, and HDL are all stellar.

Im 33 -5'4" and 156 lbs.
When I was 31 and 133lbs it was still high.
My diet can stand to see several improvements as a cholesterol conscious person that I really need to be. But surely overall, its not the culprit of a 199 LDL. I ask myself, are dietary changes and weight loss enough to drop it 99pts?!


Im just curious since Ive seen so many of your posts about this. As my cardiologist said today- if I put in all the work and dedication to alter my LDL (like "lose 30lbs, do an hour of HIIT for an hour daily and be religious about my diet") ...it may still yield a ridiculous LDL. And that statins - or problems by the time im 50yo- are my paths to choose from.

for the most part you do have to have genetic testing unless you have symptoms such as,xanthomas,xanthelasmas,fat/cholesterol pads/deposits around the joint(like knees,ankles.,etc. being alcoholic can cause liver issues of course so Im sure that can have an effect on cholesterol- here is some info that may help https://thefhfoundation.org/difference-high-cholesterol-familial-hypercholesterolemia

diet and weight loss may or may not be enough,if its genetic then you may or may not need meds.everyone is different. sometimes with FH even diet,weight loss and meds arent enough.your cholesterol sounds borderline high, I had cholesterol when I was first diagnosed of over 700 total and 500+ LDL triglycerides were so high they could not even count it.also if you have FH you will have to be tested every 3 months to see where your levels are.

with your father and grandfather it could have been their lifestyle.with FH triglycerides,LDL-C and LDL-p are usually high. my HDL is always good though.But Ive tried doing everything I could not to take meds and it didnt work so I had to resort to meds. best thing I could have done(for me). with FH even being at a healthy weight it can be high, I was at a healthy weight when I was diagnosed(before I got fat). I dont know which one of my parents had it to pass it down as my parents hardly ever went to the dr but I assume it was him as he had a major heart attack at 63. his mom lived to be in her 80s, but his dad died of an early heart attack so yeah(he too had a bad diet and was an alcoholic) so thats a toss up.

Thanks for the reply. Yea from what Ive read FH numbers are/can be outrageous! Im not sure if its something I want to pay for at this time. Those who would have passed it to me have not died of early heart attacks (79 isnt really young)
I dont have deposits or anything like that. Only symptom is the damn LDL. Methinks I need to read up on the truth about cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and statins <shiver>. Before I decide to go that route.
Tri-56
HDL-74
LDL-199
My "ratio" is said to be normal- whatever that means.

I looked back over everything I eat (lifelong eating habits- we eat out alot-so what am I really eating) evaluated my weight and body comp, as well as my effort to lose weight... and see that there are plenty of changes I can make.- if any- until my 3mo check up and beyond.
For some, not all calories are created equal.
Time will tell.
Thanks again!

you are welcome and with numbers like that I wouldnt really worry about meds or much else right now. just keep doing what your are doing most of those numbers are within a normal range. the LDL is high but the others are good.they have other meds besides statins but for me thats what works. some statins I took did not much of anything this time its working.

hjg0989 wrote: »

I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.

lots of drs promote statins because again they only know so much when they go through med school. I think they should have to go through like a refresher course on meds and different med therapies in so on because so much is outdated than it was say 5 years ago.Ive had to tell my dr certain things about what she believed and she would look it up just to make sure I wasnt full of it lol.

for some drs they may get kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies. I dont know if you can say that half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL,when it could be a number of reasons they died from a heart attack that had nothing to do with cholesterol at all.

MommyMeggo wrote: »

hjg0989 wrote: »

I have high LDL, but everything else looks good. My doctor tried for years to put me on a statin but I refused. When I pointed out my ratios were good, my family history didn't point to heart disease and my LDLs were of the large, less damaging type, my doctor said she had to suggest statins in case I developed heart disease later (to protect herself from a lawsuit.) My only red flag was high LDL. Half the people who die from heart attacks have low LDL, so that is not a compelling reason to go on a statin. I eat healthy, keep my weight low, exercise a lot and question any medication my doctor suggests.

How do you find out if yours are large- assume you mean the fluffy vs dense - that Ive been reading about...

get a test done.make sure they test for those types of cholesterol