Is anyone trying to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol with diet?

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  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
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    My LDL dropped 51 pts in 8 months.It is now only two points above the recommended leve. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and lean chicken breast. I cut out junk food (like chips, Little Debbies, cookies, dips, etc). I splurge on ice cream sometimes. I don't take any supplements (except iron) and I don't eat flax seed or chia seeds or anything like that. I didn't try to stick to any diet (like Mediterrean or South Beach), just tried to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meat.

    Good luck. You can do it.
  • CnocNaCu
    CnocNaCu Posts: 536 Member
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    I was told to start taking cholesterol meds and refused until trying to lower LDL with diet.
    Has anyone done this successfully?
    I saw a dietician and she said I need to limit saturated fat to 11g per day and calories to 1500 so I lose a few pounds.
    Thoughts?

    I get blood work done today and hope to be below target now. Weight loss, good food and daily exercise brought mine down significantly. Maybe you want to check my profile. It's worth it, believe me. I do NOT have to take statins and my doctor is happy for me :bigsmile: s
  • slambiase
    slambiase Posts: 23
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    I succeeded. Results from most recent blood test:

    LDL - 58
    HDL - 71
    Triglycerides - 35
    Total Chol - 157

    Some things I've incorporated into my diet that researchers have said may correct cholesterol levels:

    Raw unsalted nuts - mostly walnuts but almonds and pecans too
    Milled/ground flax seed. Don't use the whole seed - it needs to be ground.
    Avocado
    Salmon and Tuna (stay away from high sodium prepackaged stuff though)
    Chicken or turkey breast - stay away from the fatty thigh meat
    Oatmeal
    Veggies
    Berries

    I don't eat much red meat eat or eggs, and can't have cowmilk or wheat due to problems with my digestive system. (Just figured this out within the past few months.)

    Raising HDL is supposed to help lower LDL, too. Exercise is known to raise HDL.

    I got a lot of tips on how to control cholesterol from my doctor and from www.realage.com. <-- if you sign up for their email tips they'll send you links to short articles daily with info on topics you select (like cholesterol, weight loss, exercise, etc)

    That is fantastic! Congrats! I need to schedule my follow up blood test, however the results of my calcium test and carotid artery tests showed I have zero calcium deposits on my arteries and zero blockage or narrowing, so I am not planning to take any meds.
  • marthauchino
    marthauchino Posts: 9 Member
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    My niece, who inherited high cholesterol, said she has had good results with niacin capsules. My husband is taking them now. Luckily for me, my cholesterol is in a healthy range.
  • Mompanda4
    Mompanda4 Posts: 869 Member
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    My husband was taking cholesterol and high blood medication, until I started the south beach diet. He had to eat what I made ( kind of like collateral damage). Similarly, I had surgery that year, and he was forced to get off the couch and walk with me so I don't fall with my crutche. Part of my therapy included walking to strengthen my leg muscles.

    To make a long story short, he reaped the benefits and have been off his cholesterol and high blood medicine since 2008. He is still going to the gym 3-4 times a week and maintained his good eating habits. Good luck!
  • Buckeyt
    Buckeyt Posts: 473 Member
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    For me meds would not be an option.

    Based on all the research i've done, Statins (Lipitor being one) have not been proven to increase life expectancy execpt in men under 70 and with pre-existing heart.

    They didn't even do a study on women so why are women taking this drug when there is no proof it makes them live longer. they sell a false sense of security that they've lowered your cholesterol. But lowering your cholesterol, unless you fit into that group of men with preveious herat conditions, it won't make you live any longer and isn't that the point
  • 40in9
    40in9 Posts: 5
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    Flaxseed and walnuts are really good for you and will make your oatmeal taste great and also fill you up!
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
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    Dietary cholesterol from foods have almost no impact on your cholesterol levels. But saturated fats do. High cholesterol has more to do with:

    Being overweight
    Being sedentary
    Smoking
    Genetics.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    OP, read this and take heed.
    I have taken statin drugs, Omacor (prescription fish oil) and cholesterol-lowering medications. Not to be too anecdotal here, but in MY case, weight loss, smoking cessation, and regular exercise has done more for me in the last six months than all those medication has for the last 10 years.
    That said, I am still on a statin until we can determine the significance of the genetic factor.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I did lower my LDL cholesterol 60 points by diet. I did this by going mainly vegetarian and eating fish. Since then I have stopped smoking and drinking and added a organic boneless skinless chicken to my diet and every once and a while, a steak.

    Statin drugs are poison.
  • mixdouble
    mixdouble Posts: 41 Member
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    Glad to see so many people succeeding on lowering that cholesterol with diet. New doc will likely want me on statins as my life has changed significantly in the last 2 years; +20 lbs, high stress, low exercise.....
    I'll be visiting here again.
  • slambiase
    slambiase Posts: 23
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    For me meds would not be an option.

    Based on all the research i've done, Statins (Lipitor being one) have not been proven to increase life expectancy execpt in men under 70 and with pre-existing heart.

    They didn't even do a study on women so why are women taking this drug when there is no proof it makes them live longer. they sell a false sense of security that they've lowered your cholesterol. But lowering your cholesterol, unless you fit into that group of men with preveious herat conditions, it won't make you live any longer and isn't that the point

    I totally agree with you. Unless you have high LDL and low HDL and bad triglycerides and high blood pressure, etc - most things can be managed better by improving diet and regular exercise
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    Losing weight alone helps to improve your LDL some, but the biggest thing you want to try to limit is saturated fats. That said, genetics have a lot to do with your cholesterol levels more than food from what I've come to understand.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Anisima
    Anisima Posts: 16
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    My cousin with similar problems told me that he found on http://cholesterol-lower.info/ the help for his problems.I heard the tips from here are very goo to combat cholesterol problems.
    I hope this helps.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    Watch your carbs! Carbs are what make triglycerides high. That's the new research out. It's not about fat.

    This. High glycaemic carbohydrates are about the worst thing you can put in your body next to trans fats.

    http://www.njmonline.nl/getpdf.php?t=a&id=10000756
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    My partner lowered his cholesterol from very high to normal levels. He exercised 3-4x a week (up from zero times) and lost 40 pounds, we cut out all fast food, we eliminated bacon and limit eggs to 2-3 a week. He is a huge dairy lover, but he switched to soy milk, veggie cheeses, and eats the occasional yogurt. He added fish oil, almonds, oatmeal for breakfast, high fiber products (bread, pasta, cereal, etc.), but used minimal carbs, regular fish, and olive oil. We no longer use butter, margarine, processed crackers, chips or sweets and we limit red meat. It took about 8-9 months, but he did it through lifestyle instead of pills.

    Note-neither one of us smokes or drinks, but cutting those out will help too.
  • slambiase
    slambiase Posts: 23
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    Good news update! I just had my bloodwork done again and got my LDL down to 100 from 145 with no drugs, so I am no longer considered to have high cholesterol! Yippee!! So, I have answered my original question - YES it can be done with just diet and exercise.
    Thanks for all the comments, tips and info! I am excited.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    I intermittent fast for this type of reason.
    Bad cholesterol runs in my family.

    Well...not with me.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Good news update! I just had my bloodwork done again and got my LDL down to 100 from 145 with no drugs, so I am no longer considered to have high cholesterol! Yippee!! So, I have answered my original question - YES it can be done with just diet and exercise.
    Thanks for all the comments, tips and info! I am excited.


    :flowerforyou:
  • Nerple
    Nerple Posts: 1,291 Member
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    Good news update! I just had my bloodwork done again and got my LDL down to 100 from 145 with no drugs, so I am no longer considered to have high cholesterol! Yippee!! So, I have answered my original question - YES it can be done with just diet and exercise.
    Thanks for all the comments, tips and info! I am excited.

    Congrats!
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    Did your doctor do a small particle LDL test? These are the dangerous part of LDL. The other portion of LDL is relatively harmless. Also, many tests are not really testing for the LDL cholesterol, but are a formula to determine LDL from your HDL and cholesterol numbers (maybe triglycerides too?).

    It just helps to get the most accurate info about health that you can :)

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