Tue, Jan-27-15, 14:55
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Senior Member
Posts: 1,635
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Plan: Primal/Paleo Atkins
Stats: 197.5/126/132
BF:19.4%
Progress: 109%
Location: Baltimore, MD
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Hi Patricia-
I'm the buddy that Liz mentioned earlier. I've been away from the computer most of the day, so just saw her post.
I agree that the science is not settled. I once worked for one of the top cholesterol specialists in the U.S. and have watched the "best and latest" information change repeatedly.
Initially, docs focused on TC alone. Then a changing cascade of information came along re: LDL, HDL, ApoB and triglycerides. Over time the ranges considered normal and those considered dangerous also changed.
When the VAP test came along, many considered it the latest and best because it gave you your particle size. The theory is/was that even if LDL is elevated, if the LDL particles are of the large "fluffy" variety they do not pose the danger that small sticky particles do as those are able to infiltrate the artery wall. This, however, is no longer the leading edge thinking.
Many researchers now think that what truly contributes to CAD is the number of particles one has. Dr. Thomas Dayspring and Dr. Peter Attia (both of whom you can listen to on YouTube and whose articles and/or blogs can be accessed online) plus a # of leading cardiologists take this position. Their explanation is thus: LDL particles are the carriers of cholesterol&fats. Picture them as little boats moving thru your arteries. It matters not how much cholesterol is in each boat -- but HOW MANY BOATS THERE ARE, because the more there are the greater risk of their bumping into artery walls and causing damage. Dayspring (a top cardiologist) has said repeatedly that he considers ones particle number to be the best tool for assessing a patient's cardio health.
I lost my excess pounds by doing Atkins, but also found that my TC & LDL went up. On the good side, my HDL was excellent for the first time in my life and my trigs dropped to the basement. My VAP showed that my LDL particles were of the large, fluffy variety so I said no worries, right?
But after reading Dayspring, etal I learned of patients who had felt safe with a profile like mine but turned out not to be, so I had an NMR done. My first particle count 1493 but bounced higher on repeated tests. Then, in an effort to lose a few more pounds, I focused on going "keto", raising the % of fat in my diet and also introduced coconut oil. Subsequent testing done at Health Diagnostic Labs (1 # of docs think they are the best), gave particle number values of 2131 and 2843, this BTW also accompanied by rises in TC, LDL, & ApoB. Scary.
Luckily I read on another site of a person's similar experience after adding liberal quantities of coconut oil to their diet & have since found a few more similar accounts. So I eliminated the coconut oil and stopped being so liberal with butter & olive oil. I skimmed some of the fat off of broths and soups. I just stopped operating as though high fat is the answer. I know many people think it is, but it isn't for me -- and that doesn't mean I've become a lowfat person by any means -- just not as wildly liberal as I once was. And guess what -- the next test had my particle count down to 1155! All other values improved remarkably as well. My HDL stayed optimal and trigs stayed low b/c I still eat relatively low carb. In maintenance I find I can eat 100 g or so of carbs but when I was actively losing I had to keep them much lower.
So carefully assessing your dietary fat might make a difference.
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