High Cholesterol

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    AngieAsha68 wrote: »
    Need to lower cholesterol, what foods should I eat ? No animal fats I know.. anything else ?

    Losing weight (if you need to) combined with regular exercise is likely going to be the biggest factor.

    I also started eating a more nutritious diet in general...more veg and fruit and high fiber foods like oats, lentils, legumes, etc.

    Mine has gone up and down over the last few years...I have a bit of an uphill battle as most of my family on both sides have/had high cholesterol, so it is likely I will be on medication at some point even if I'm doing all of the other things right.
  • Martha6010
    Martha6010 Posts: 82 Member
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    I take apple cider vinegar pills and flaxseed oil pills from costco and add ground flaxseed and chia seeds to oat meal and my total cholesterol is down from 180 to 165. it works
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
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    Dietary Cholesterol is mostly a Fake News Myth. Take the medicine and accept that genetics left you with high bad cholesterol. I'd like to be taller, but I'm stuck at 5'10" no matter what I eat.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19751443
  • steph2strong
    steph2strong Posts: 426 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Dietary Cholesterol is mostly a Fake News Myth. Take the medicine and accept that genetics left you with high bad cholesterol. I'd like to be taller, but I'm stuck at 5'10" no matter what I eat.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19751443

    I believe you are making some inaccurate assumptions based on the valid findings of this study. The findings of this study "The relationship between dietary cholesterol and heart disease risk was likely largely over-exaggerated" does not negate the fact that Serum cholesterol (blood values) does have a correlation with heart disease risk, and serum cholesterol can be altered through lifestyle modifications. True, dietary cholesterol intake will likely not impact total cholesterol values, BUT like many others on here have already stated, weight loss, exercise and eating more soluble fibre WILL have an impact on lowering cholesterol and lowering heart disease risk. Simply stating its all genetics and there is nothing you can do about it but take medication is grossly false.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
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    Persons with genetic disposition for high bad cholesterol need to be medicated or risk unnecessary cardiac events. touting complex dietary schemes as described in these forums is "much bad medicine." After the first heart attack or surgery, usually folks get the message.
  • steph2strong
    steph2strong Posts: 426 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Persons with genetic disposition for high bad cholesterol need to be medicated or risk unnecessary cardiac events. touting complex dietary schemes as described in these forums is "much bad medicine." After the first heart attack or surgery, usually folks get the message.

    Yes persons with genetic predisposition to high bad cholesterol usually need to be medicated. The most common form of hereditary disposition to high bad cholesterol is called Familial Hypercholesterolemia and occurs in about 1/500 people. Those people continue to have impaired cholesterol values despite lifestyle modifications. However, the vast majority of people do respond to lifestyle modifications, or are at least helped by them. ALSO, people with hereditary conditions DO need to make lifestyle modifications, they don't get a free pass. NO ONE should JUST rely on medication, that is extremely foolish. Weight loss, exercise and diet should be part off any medical treatment plan, any doctor who says just take a pill and forget the rest isn't worth seeing again and is neglecting treating the person as whole and is instead just chasing a number, which isn't good medicine. The point of the article that was quoted was to dispute the fact that dietary cholesterol intake was a significant factor in heart disease risk, it did not dispute every other lifestyle modification out there.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    fernt21 wrote: »
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Persons with genetic disposition for high bad cholesterol need to be medicated or risk unnecessary cardiac events. touting complex dietary schemes as described in these forums is "much bad medicine." After the first heart attack or surgery, usually folks get the message.

    Yes persons with genetic predisposition to high bad cholesterol usually need to be medicated. The most common form of hereditary disposition to high bad cholesterol is called Familial Hypercholesterolemia and occurs in about 1/500 people. Those people continue to have impaired cholesterol values despite lifestyle modifications. However, the vast majority of people do respond to lifestyle modifications, or are at least helped by them. ALSO, people with hereditary conditions DO need to make lifestyle modifications, they don't get a free pass. NO ONE should JUST rely on medication, that is extremely foolish. Weight loss, exercise and diet should be part off any medical treatment plan, any doctor who says just take a pill and forget the rest isn't worth seeing again and is neglecting treating the person as whole and is instead just chasing a number, which isn't good medicine. The point of the article that was quoted was to dispute the fact that dietary cholesterol intake was a significant factor in heart disease risk, it did not dispute every other lifestyle modification out there.

    Agreed. My dad was put on statins, but had side effects with all the ones they tried. He has lowered his LDL a bit and raised his HDL substantially by losing a few pounds, increasing his daily activity, and eating more fiber (specifically eating oats daily). There does seem to be a genetic predisposition at play as well, so he might end up back on medication, but it has given them some breathing room to find the right med and dosage now that his numbers are in a better place.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
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    For the vast majority of persons (not one in 500) diet has absolutely nothing to do with high LDL leading to CVD. Sorry to persist, but it is fake news like this that gets people dead. Of course a balanced diet, healthy weight and exercise are good for a person's general health. So is wearing a seat belt. But, elevated LDL numbers portend CVD and should be medicated.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024687/
  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    For the vast majority of persons (not one in 500) diet has absolutely nothing to do with high LDL leading to CVD. Sorry to persist, but it is fake news like this that gets people dead. Of course a balanced diet, healthy weight and exercise are good for a person's general health. So is wearing a seat belt. But, elevated LDL numbers portend CVD and should be medicated.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024687/

    Changing diet should always be the first move. IMO.

    Obviously if levels are very dangerously high, action needs to be taken. But I personally believe non-medicated avenues should be explored first.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    For the vast majority of persons (not one in 500) diet has absolutely nothing to do with high LDL leading to CVD. Sorry to persist, but it is fake news like this that gets people dead. Of course a balanced diet, healthy weight and exercise are good for a person's general health. So is wearing a seat belt. But, elevated LDL numbers portend CVD and should be medicated.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024687/

    That study isn't about all dietary factors, though, unless I'm missing something. It's about dietary cholesterol. And yes, it seems that avoiding high cholesterol foods is unnecessary for most people. That study does not in any way suggest that "diet has absolutely nothing to do with LDL leading to CVD", it suggests that dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with it.

    I don't see anyone here saying not to take medication. But dietary and lifestyle changes that can lead to a person avoiding their LDL getting that high in the first place, or reducing it to the point you can get off medication should be part of the plan. Prescription drugs cost money and have side effects.
  • steph2strong
    steph2strong Posts: 426 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    For the vast majority of persons (not one in 500) diet has absolutely nothing to do with high LDL leading to CVD. Sorry to persist, but it is fake news like this that gets people dead. Of course a balanced diet, healthy weight and exercise are good for a person's general health. So is wearing a seat belt. But, elevated LDL numbers portend CVD and should be medicated.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024687/

    I am also sorry to persist but I think you are completely misreading what I am saying... I have AGREED with you that dietary cholesterol is not a large contributor to serum LDL or heart disease, however obesity is and lack of exercise is the major contributor to HDL (the good cholesterol) being low. HDL:LDL ratio is a very important factor and no medication on earth will raise HDL only exercise will. Eating a diet high in soluble fibre is a proven method of lowering LDL. Lifestyle modifications should always be included in a medical treatment plan, and many people can improve their lipid profile with lifestyle modifications alone. Those who can't will require medication.

    So just to make it clear, I don't think anyone here has disputed the fact that dietary fat/cholesterol intake is a significant contributor to serum LDL increase or heart disease. BUT obesity and a sedentary lifestyle sure are.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited July 2019
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    fernt21 wrote: »
    . . . .

    So just to make it clear, I don't think anyone here has disputed the fact that dietary fat/cholesterol intake is a significant contributor to serum LDL increase or heart disease. BUT obesity and a sedentary lifestyle sure are.

    The problem seems to be syntax.

    You interpret the above quote for me, please. It sure sounds to me as though you are saying exactly what I thought you said, i.e. that it is diet that is the "significant contributor" which it is not.

    And, of course, naming all the ingredients that others have above as having reduced cholesterol leads a casual reader to exactly the wrong conclusion i.e. that high bad cholesterol is a problem, but with dietary restriction, it can be neutralized, which was good theory 40 years ago but which was based upon now completely discredited "research."


    Just consider for a thoughtful moment, the OP's question:
    Need to lower cholesterol, what foods should I eat ? No animal fats I know.. anything else ?

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