What is the TF regimen for lowering cholesterol?

[yaM yaM]

I believe that good fats from things like butter and coconut do not contribute to high cholesterol but I'm confused about what does. I think I've heard that grains/sugar can do it but I'm not sure if that's accurate.

Please tell me what you know about how high cholesterol occurs and how it can be lowered. Thank you.

[kl5]

Two links outlining the WAPF position on "high" cholesterol:

http://www.westonaprice.org/moderndi...s_cholest.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyour...ol-friend.html

[AJP]

I don't believe that "high" cholesterol is in itself the risk factor that conventional medicine says it is. Persistently high levels might indicate a problem (like over 300 total), because the body responds to many different kinds of stress by making cholesterol, but just lowering blood cholesterol (by whatever means) doesn't fix the problem, and may in fact make it worse if the body needs that cholesterol, because it's a repair substance. Addressing the underlying problem can take many forms, depending on where the physical, psychological or emotional stress is coming from. Too much nutritionally-vacant food, especially refined carbs and highly-processed fats, can be the root of such stress, but so can a nearly endless list of other things.

[nicolelynn]

I, too am at a loss as DH was just diagnosed with high LDL. He is only 25. He is also 5'10 and only 150 lbs. Most people consider him "skinny"...he just has a small amount of fat around his abdomen. He is also one of the most stress-free people I know.

He eats everything healthy I give him. Infact, our diets are identical and I have low LDL.

So I get that high cholesterol is not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't know how to go about finding the underlying cause. He is healthier than me (I have digestive issues and am underweight). So I don't get it.

The only thing I know right now is to not stress about it too much. He did lower his egg intake...I eat and he used to eat 2 eggs per day (14/wk) so now he eats about 6 pr wk. Still more than his MD recommended 2 per week. Breakfast is usually oatmeal for him...still with butter. Haven't lowered meat or fat intake though his Dr told him to haha.

The other main thing is we both have desk jobs and are not very active, so we are trying to get good about exercising. I know that will help his cholesterol and my digestion, among other things.

[tamagotchi]

My DH had high cholesterol and we had to lower it in order to get a better life insurance rate (we wouldn't have been concerned otherwise).

While we were trying to get it down, if I'm remembering right... he didn't restrict anything else he normally eats (like butter, eggs, meat etc.) but just made a point of eating oatmeal every day, walnuts and almonds and nut butters, avocado, and more fish than usual.

It did help with the numbers and we were able to lower our rate. We haven't paid any attention to cholesterol since then.

[Metasequoia]

Originally Posted by AJP

I don't believe that "high" cholesterol is in itself the risk factor that conventional medicine says it is. Persistently high levels might indicate a problem (like over 300 total), because the body responds to many different kinds of stress by making cholesterol, but just lowering blood cholesterol (by whatever means) doesn't fix the problem, and may in fact make it worse if the body needs that cholesterol, because it's a repair substance. Addressing the underlying problem can take many forms, depending on where the physical, psychological or emotional stress is coming from. Too much nutritionally-vacant food, especially refined carbs and highly-processed fats, can be the root of such stress, but so can a nearly endless list of other things.

I agree with this.

The idea that carbs cause high LDL makes the most sense to me...

[yaM yaM]

Thanks for the replies. I read the links you shared, kl5.

Wow, I'm learning so much and it is startling, the misconceptions about cholesterol. From what I am reading, it looks like stress reduction is very important to having healthy cholesterol levels and that the body's high cholesterol response is an effect, not a cause, of the things that really trigger ill health.

[at-home]

I found The Great Cholesterol Con by Anthony Colpo to be very informative regarding this whole question. It is very detailed in exploring the reasons for heart disease (and eating saturated fat is not a cause). He sites such things as handling stress, regular exercise, proper sleep, regulated blood sugar and whole foods as being some of the keys to heart health. You could see if your library has this book or do as I did and order it at Amazon. There is another book called The Great Cholesterol Con by Malcolm Kendrick (also available from Amazon) which I have not read, but it looks like it is similar information. With my cholesterol rising and heart disease in my family, I needed to get a handle on this and the book helped.

[rayo de sol]

I read Protein Power after it was recommended here on MDC, and it really made sense that it's sugars, sweets, starches--carbohydrates--that cause high cholesterol. Good Calories, Bad Calories reiterates the same point but with more scientific research cited.