What actually causes cholestrol?

[sof5ia]

I have recently heard from two sets of different people that it is no longer thought that fats such as cream, butter and full-fat milk cause cholesterol. Is this so or just wishful thinking?

[sandybrown]

Google may offer you answers!

Hidden sugar, free sugar in food and drinks are the real problem for human today.

Regular exercise, eating fresh veg and fruits with portion control on LCHF food can help to control blood test numbers.

[simonsimon]

Nobody needs to ask what causes cholesterol and should just celebrate that there liver is working and producing and regulating cholesterol when needed.Food has hardly any effect on cholesterol..so go tell ten people today and make there lives better....stop f.....g worrying about cholesterol...never listen to your doctor..as he is just a salesman/woman for the pharmaceuticals...he is trained to dispense not cure that way you never get better ..you just keep needing more prescriptions..its not there fault its the training...

[Anna1974 in reply to simonsimon]

Hi Simon,

I have never had high cholesterol. However I can tell diet has made an effect on my cholesterol levels in a surprisingly short time. I know everybody is different but I'm just telling my story:

OCTOBER 21/2015

Total cholesterol: 3.3 mmol/l

HDL: 1.4 mmol/l

Trygliceride 1.2 mmol/l

LDL : 1.4

Cholesterol to HDL ratio 2.4

Non fasting Glucose: 6.5

NOVEMBER 23/2015

Total cholesterol: 2.59 mmol/l

HDL: 0.63 mmol/l

LDL : 0.8

Cholesterol to HDL ratio 4.11

Non fasting Glucose: 5.0

As you can see there is dramatic change is less that a month. What I did? I'm overweight (BMI 30) and want to lose 3 stones of weight so I joined the Cambridge Plan diet. The result above is the result of only 3 weeks into this diet. I'm not promoting fasting diets here or advocating neither I'm a sales person of Cambridge products, just want to tell people what happen to me. I was surprised as my lipid doctor was surprised too.

In case you are wondering, my intention was not to lower the cholesterol but just get rid off some weight (I managed to lost about 1 stone in 1 month) I'm in this forum because I have a predisposition to have a 3rd type of cholesterol that is not regularly measured and its called Lp(a).

So in summary, yes, a low carb diet and excersice have had a big and dramatic impact on my cholesterol levels

[simonsimon]

Ok...i hear you ..your circumstances were unusual and you had a condition that needed to be addressed but i am talking in general..most people don't need to know anything about cholesterol and should just enjoy there lives...natural fats are so good for you and have hardly any impact on your cholesterol...eat half a pound of butter and your cholesterol will go up by 0.001%

[Gardengnome1942]

Three people known to me have had strokes this past year. One was 44 yrs, one 51yrs and my brother of 68 yrs who had a TIA. The first 2 died; they were apparently fit, healthy, didn't smoke or do any of the things they shouldn't do and were found not to have had high cholesterol or hypertension either, yet they had massive strokes and died.

I do agree with simonsimon that drs are trained to dispense not cure. Patients are at fault too for not questioning their diagnoses.

[simonsimon]

Hello again

I don't think cholesterol has anything to do with strokes..only that LDL is found in abundance at the part of the artery that has narrowed...why has it narrowed..because usually irritated by substances we put into our body Etc..chlorinated water..food additives and chemicals etc..etc..everything finds it way into the blood stream..sun cream..never use it..same story...LDL is trying to repair your artery so don't blame it when its doing its job...

[Hidden]

please refer the following I am not sure it may be hep something or not ? Think yourself healthunlocked.com/diabetes...

[sandybrown in reply to Hidden]

Very interesting read.

Would it be possible to answer the question " What actually causes cholesterol in human?"

Food, sugar, drinks,inflammation or gene or what?

Thanks.

[vincend in reply to sandybrown]

How I understand it is this: Some peoples' livers produce more cholesterol than others, and some livers react to foods differently as well. It has been thought, and still is by many people, that saturated fats encourage higher cholesterol levels. Personally I don't believe this to be the full truth, as you have to distinguish between LDL(Bad) and HDL(Good) cholesterol, and both these measurements need to be considered in relation to the risk of high cholesterol. Sometimes saturated fats result in an increase in HDL, rather than LDL. So, this could not be considered bad.

MY LDL cholesterol levels are high, and cannot be reduced by dietary changes, so my liver is just overproducing the stuff.

Now, the next question is "Does high cholesterol cause heart problems due to plaque build up?" Some research suggests that it does, but with other research, you can only say that people with heart problems have high cholesterol. This is different from saying that high cholesterol causes heart problems.

So, in my case I think its down to my genes. I do know other people who have changed their diet (reduced fat), and seen a dramatic drop in cholesterol.

[sandybrown in reply to vincend]

Thank you.

I do regular blood test as part of NHS service but I have not gone on medication but tried stating for three months and gave up because my total cholesterol came down to 2.8 !!!

I know one day I am going to go, I want to enjoy quality of life rather than length of life. I will soon be 69. Only time will tell.

As I am getting older some blood test numbers are changing. I go for regular exercise to gym, have control of my food and drinks intake. some time I do eat what I want with out any control.

[DakCB-UK in reply to vincend]

Yes, I'm one who changed my diet to reduce saturated fat and saw a dramatic drop in cholesterol. I have a hereditary problem too, so the drop is still not sufficient and I'm still searching for a treatment that works without intolerable side-effects.

[sof5ia in reply to vincend]

Thank you for your replys. I am actually a type 2 diabetic which managed to control by diet alone for 15 years. I am usually still very active and attend dance aerobics three days a week.

I now take metformin for the diabetes and 10mgs of simvastin for the cholesterol at night. I also take a Plant Sterol Capsule a day which helps control cholestral via the liver in a different way from the simvastin. I buy three packs for the price of two at Boots. Plant Sterols or Stenols are in Benneccol or Pro -active Flora. (I find the "buttery" one tastes better) which I usually use instead of butter. The last three check-ups I had I was expecting to have bad results as I had been quite indulgent but my results were very good.

As I have also been taking turmeric paste I double-checked out what else it is alleged to help. (I take it currently for arthritis pains which has helped amazingly). As many of you may know, turmeric has very strong ante inflammatory properties and evidently it can help diabetes, and can help memory (so Michael Caine says).

About statins - They have helped my cholesterol levels but some people wont take them as they believe they can affect their mood quite radically. I know a few people can't take them as they seriously suffer physically if the do take them.

[sandybrown in reply to sof5ia]

Turmeric paste, where do you buy this and how do you take this?

Type 2 diabetic, Do you have blood tests every six months for HbA1c numbers? Are these numbers within limits?

I have been on a life style change, regular exercise, food and drinks intake control to lower cholesterol number and HbA1c numbers for the last four years, slowly getting there.

I do go for eye checks once a year.

Any other tips to lower HbA1c numbers?

Thanks.

[sof5ia in reply to sandybrown]

Yes I have twice yearly checks and yearly eye checks.

Turmeric root is quite hard to find except at some Asian shops. I get mine currently from a Thai shop, which is rather expensive. I put mine into an old electric coffee grinder to make a paste. Some people just grate it and put in a drink. Sometimes I put it in my tea. Buying Haldi (turmeric )powder from most large supermarkets is an easier way of taking it in a drink but probably not so strong as the root.

[1Joseph1]

Since this is such an important subject you need to verify that More than 150% then let me know.

[vivbr]

Thankyou concerned for solutions that need to be seriously looked into and tried.

I read the book "Cholesterol Con" recently and hence have given up testing statins for my doc. I had too much pain in my bones and decided they werenot for me.

I'm trying Garlic supplement, 300 mg /day but am dubious, still wondering if I need to lower total cholesterol (7.6 gmol), if it's really a problem or not. I eat very healthily, exercise every day. Still wonder if I'm doing the right thing about refusing statins and doc. pharmaceutical remedies.

[Anotherview]

Genetic disposition is the one factor that trumps all others. Hence diet and ecercise do not explain everything.