Low carb dieters, as a rule rather than an exception experience a reduction in their cholesterol levels.

Two questions come to mind:

Do high carb diets raise cholesterol levels?

Does eating food that is high in cholesterol elevate our own cholesterol levels? Example: Shrimp is high in cholesterol. So, restating the second question; Does eating shrimp while on a low carb diet raise cholesterol levels?

Cajunboy47

Others here may tell you different... but what I've researched is that eating cholesterol don't raise cholesterol. Things that do increase LDL cholesterol synthesis are:

Trans fat
Excess calories
Refiend carbohydrates
Saturated Fat (except stearic acid)

Omega 3 improves total Cholesterol/HDL which is important, and lowers tryglicerides (most important factor in heart disease I believe). But new studies show that high cholesterol isn't AS bad, it's only if the small dense LDL particles get oxidized causing athersclerotic plaque... and inflammation is a big factor here.

To Whoa182:

Sounds like you did some homework. I've read the same things and probably not from the same source as you.

Do you have any experience that would provide an answer or opinion?????

Indirectly, I understand you're saying that high carbs are responsible for high cholesterol.

We're all experiments of one. I was on a strict Atkins Diet and my cholesterol went to 280. If carb is the culprit, it suggests I was making excess carb through gluconeogenesis. When I switched to the Zone Diet my cholesterol dropped to 160.

Comparing the two diets, Atkins allowed real gluttony on my part. The Zone was pretty strict about what I could eat and how much. It allowed less food than a CR diet would. At 180 pounds (81kg) I ate less than 1000 calories per day. The Atkins diet had a lot of fat in the meat I was eating. The Zone diet had little meat and what it allowed was extra lean.

Both doctors designed their diets with cardiac patients in mind. Atkins says keeping carbs low is key. The Zone says balancing lean meat with carbs at every meal is the key.

Let's see if I understand what you've said. You switched to a diet which let you have a few more carbs, but a lot less calories and that brought your numbers down.

Three questions:

Are you taking any cholesterol medications?

How many more carbs do you consume on the zone diet, compared to the Atkins diet??

In your experience, what do you contribute your reduced cholesterol reading to???

Actually, Atkins says eat till you feel satisfied not stuffed. I think gluttony borders on stuffed.... sorry, my warped attempt at humor, not trying to be sarcastic..... I am in limbo right now. I have been reducing calories and carbs, finally losing weight, but I discontinued my cholesterol meds on my 3rd week of this diet and I am getting complete blood work next month, so we'll see what my experiment will produce.

Ahem! Saturated fats do NOT raise cholesterol levels unless you are also eating sugars and starches. To the contrary, sat fats improve cholesterol levels.

Unfortunately Whoa182 is not a low carber and has some mistaken belief that saturated fats are bad. They are not.

Rosebud

Saturated fat raises both LDL and HDL cholesterol, this is a fact. Can you show me some evidence that this is not the case with 1) without a reduction in calories 2) < 5% carb diet, or any amount of carb diet.

I think I do have a say in how to lower cholesterol if thats what one wants. As my total cholesterol is 109mg/dl. Whether you think this causes all sorts of problems I don't care... but I know what does and what doesn't raise cholesterol for me. And complex carbs certainly do not. My Triglycerides were also at 35mg/dl.

I have shown you such studies in the past, but you choose to ignore those that do not suit you.

I just wanted to make it clear to any newbies who may be reading this, that a healthy diet can indeed include saturated fats without needing to worry about it causing harm.

As for your low cholesterol, Whoa, I think you really should worry, as it is so low that it may well reduce your life span.

Rosebud

Worry that I have low cholesterol? Thats absurd. CR in any animal produces low cholesterol. so what!? - it certainly does NOT reduce lifespan thats for sure. I can't re-call the study right this moment but there was one where those with cholesterol around 120mg/dl lived the longeset (was cited in the okinawa book I believe).



ok... looking for them =/

But you also ignore okinawa centenarian data who had virtually no heart disease and they had cholesterol of around 150mg/dl and errr didn't have short lifespans . Masai tribes = low cholesterol 120mg/dl and virtally no heart disease too. Eskimos have really low heart disease and their cholesterol is around 130mg/dl.

Keep your choleseterol under 150mg/dl and be at extremely low risk of heart disease.

here it is:

page 428 okinawa program

"there has also been some concern that low cholesterol levels might increase the risk of cancer or other causes of death, as more cancer deaths were reported among low cholesterol groups in some early studies. Several large interventional studies have since negated these fears as lower all cause mortality has been found in groups with the lowest cholesterol levels. In fact, the longest lived people of the 300,000 plus poeple in the MRFIT study had very low cholesterol (in the 120-130 range). Martin, M.J., et al. (1986). Serum cholesterol, blood pressure and mortality: implications from a cohort study of 361,662 me. Lancet 2:2933-36. For a good discussion of this point, also see Miller, M., and R. Vogel. 1996. The practice of coronary disease prevention. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, page 42.



Did you read all that rosebud?

High carb diets do indeed raise cholesterol levels...in some people. Some folk just plain don't have high levels no matter what they eat.

But eating high cholesterol foods does not usually raise cholesterol.

I do think it's worth noting at this point that cholesterol does not have the clear cut connection with heart disease that the medical community would have us believe. Have you heard of The Cholesterol Myths? You can read more info about this here: http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/cvd_index.html

HTH

Rosebud

See this study:
Low cholesterol, mortality, and quality of life in old age during a 39-year follow-up
http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/c...pe2=tf_ipsecsha

RESULTS: Cholesterol was clearly reduced in survivors during follow-up, except in the lowest baseline serum cholesterol group. Baseline cholesterol predicted 39-year total mortality in a graded manner (p < 0.0001), and a value ≤5.0 mmol/l was associated with a 25% reduction in total mortality. In old age, the physical component summary score of RAND-36 was significantly (p = 0.02) higher (better) in the lowest baseline cholesterol group; no difference was found in the mental component summary score (p = 0.51).

CONCLUSIONS: Low serum cholesterol level in midlife predicted not only better survival but also better physical function and QoL in old age, without adversely affecting mental QoL.

also

Cholesterol and mortality. 30 years of follow-up from the Framingham study.

From 1951 to 1955 serum cholesterol levels were measured in 1959 men and 2415 women aged between 31 and 65 years who were free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Under age 50 years, cholesterol levels are directly related with 30-year overall and CVD mortality; overall death increases 5% and CVD death 9% for each 10 mg/dL. After age 50 years there is no increased overall mortality with either high or low serum cholesterol levels. There is a direct association between falling cholesterol levels over the first 14 years and mortality over the following 18 years (11% overall and 14% CVD death rate increase per 1 mg/dL per year drop in cholesterol levels). Under age 50 years these data suggest that having a very low cholesterol level improves longevity. After age 50 years the association of mortality with cholesterol values is confounded by people whose cholesterol levels are falling--perhaps due to diseases predisposing to death.

Also


Serum Cholesterol in Young Men and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content...aa0645a6e1b515d

To Rosebud:

Any good lawyer already knows the answer whenever he asks a question. Such being the case, I already have answers, just looking for confirmation that supports my beliefs or could change or alter my beliefs. Thank you for your input. I agree that saturated fats in combination with high carbs results in high cholesterol levels and I also agree on a low carb diet, saturated fats do not raise cholesterol.

To Whoa182: Experiences are shared here everyday and I want to know how can you persist on saying saturated fats do raise cholesterol in and of itself when people here who low carb diet continually talk of their improved cholesterol levels, even their HDL improves on high fat diets.

You're young, catch up to my age and talk to me then about your cholesterol levels and your weight and whatever other health conditions you will encounter by then. I bet a dollar to a donut that when you have tried everything medical science tells you and it isn't working, you will turn to a place such as this and try to learn from other people's experience.

I will repeat myself again. You are young engough that if you listen to people and learn your science and put experiences and education and imagination to full use, you might be the person that finds a cure for things..........

Challenging me or anyone to defend an opinion is a disservice to the purpose of this site. Rosebud, as the forum moderator is well within her rights to say what she has said.

Why are you here? to save us all? The medical community failed me and only when I took matters into my own hands did my health improve. If you're all for traditional medicine, you're in the wrong place to practice it, as many of us, if not all of us here are doing much that is opposite of traditional medicine.

............................

Cajunboy47

I'll be ok. I'll never be overweight, I'll never have diabets, I'll never get a heart attack... and I'll live until the universe ends, seriously! I'm really that healthy



erm OK?



Yes hopefully, going to medical school next year.

I agree. And here's my personal story.

I had a low cholesterol at age 40, around 105. At age 45 it had almost doubled to 205. By age 48 it was almost 400. At that time I first had triglycerieds, LDL, HDL, etc done. Triglycerides were "too high to count", HDL was 28, no LDL because Tri's were too high. Doc put me on a statin, which dropped my total to under 150 and my HDL even lower. I had several side effects and finally stopped them on my own. My doc has suggested another med, but I've refused. After stopping the statins all my numbers went back up to pretty much where they were prior to taking the statin.

I went low carbing about 18 months after stopping statins and my HDL increased within 3 months to 38 and my total dropped to around 250 (no idea what LDL was) Tri's were under 150. I then added coconut oil and started eating more beef and being more generous with butter. These are the foods I prefer to eat, and they're allowed on low carb, so I enjoyed. Within 6 months my HDL had gone up to 68! Tri's were under 100. Total was up, over 220, and doc wasn't happy with the LDL, but I'm continuing my plan.

My numbers are pretty much stable. The total goes up a bit and down a bit, but my HDL is hovering around 70 and my Tris are consistenly low. Also my blood sugars are below 85 fasting and last A1c was 4.2.

I've not had any evidence or heart disease. I do not have high BP, although it had increased dramatically over the years. It's now consistenly under 110/. My family history is very strong for diabetes, but there is no history of heart disease. I recently had a CT scan of the lungs and it showed no signs of calcification in the heart or any of the surrounding blood vessels.

Even my doc, a firm believer in the low fat diet, admits that "whatever you're doing, it works".