Another cholesterol thread

[greenmom4]

This may need to be moved to Health and Healing, but I thought it was appropriate to start here...?

I had my cholesterol checked for the first time on Tuesday and it came back "borderline." Total: 213, HDL: 39.5 LDL: 147 Tri: 133. Doc says low fat diet, but (of course) I'm skeptical - it was the first time I went to the dr and we...do not see eye to eye. It looks like my Tri's are normal, is that right? Are these worrisome results?

[Eresh]

I can't help you with specific numbers but I do want to say that I've been reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes and it's been eye opening for me. I'm only part way through the first half but one thing that he points out is that almost all cholesterol studies have been performed exclusively on men and that those few that have included women have not demonstrated any real correlation between cholesterol and mortality in women. I have not actually looked at any of these studies for myself but I think it's worthwhile looking into. Yet again we find that women are not just "little men".

Sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck!

[witchygrrl]

Your Tris are normal, but they could be better. I'd be more concerned about your HDL being on the low end, but not horribly so. And it's more about your HDL/Tri ratio than your LDL.

I would read heartscanblog.blogspot.com and high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com for more info on ways to improve cholesterol profiles.

[serenbat]

I would be first concerned that you fasted the correct way prior to the test- some people do not and levels can be off.

Simple things can effect levels not just cholesterol.

They sent a "cholesterol" blood check every time my husband gives blood (he does this after he eat lunch!!) it's not even close to being right yet it is sent every time!!

as said you have to look at all levels first and I would wait 6 months and do the test again, get a baseline and go from there-tests are not always perfect

and in the 6 months----READ READ REA----good calories/bad- you will be glad you did!

[newcastlemama]

[QUOTE=witchygrrl;15600596]Your Tris are normal, but they could be better. I'd be more concerned about your HDL being on the low end, but not horribly so. And it's more about your HDL/Tri ratio than your LDL.[QUOTE]

I had a total cholesterol of 249 but my tris were in the 60s and my ratio was good so I am not concerned. Tris have to do with blood sugar more than anything...excercise and carb reducing could help that.

[JMJ]

LDL's are deceptive since some are bad and others aren't so bad. The bad ones are the ones that have a strong negative correlation with HDL, so I would find your borderline low HDL to be something to work on. It may mean that your LDL may have more of the "bad" kind. To tell you to fix this with a low-fat diet is unwise since the resulting increase in carbs is likely to raise your triglycerides and bad LDL, and you need fat to increase your HDL. Monounsaturated fat (like olive oil) will help raise your HDL. Saturated fat will help raise your HDL and good LDL, and carbs and hydrogenated fats will increase your triglycerides and bad LDL.

I would recommend increasing good fats, eating higher on the glycemic index (which can be helped by adding protien and/or fat to carbs), avoiding HFCS, and being careful about all fructose consumption (including fruit). Fructose does not raise blood glucose levels, but it has to be metabolised by the liver into triglycerides. It monopolizes the liver so that glucose (and starches) consumed at the same time stay in the blood (regardless of blood insulin levels) until later. In excess, this causes glucose damage to the body and increases insulin resistance.

Source: Good Calories, Bad Calories