Hi everyone I’m new question I’ve always had cholesterol 4.2 now 6.1 shocking as I really dnt eat a lot. I’m under weight my dr said she awaiting good and bad cholesterol results to work out my cholesterol I really dnt understand I’m always in the go I never drank and no in hertance I excerice wen I can I’m eating loads off fruits I’ve never ate before as I’ve always ate loads off veg the thing is I dnt wan to loosed weight wat safe to eat help thanks
What safe to eat: Hi everyone I’m new... - Cholesterol Support
What safe to eat
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Tinkbell
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Almost all cholesterol is produced in the body and for a reason. The brain consists of cholesterol and all hormones need cholesterol for healthy production. Also blocking cholesterol impairs the production of VitD - and if that is less than 100 then all sorts of illness follows.
There is no such thing as good and bad cholesterol - HDL and LDL - cholesterol is a chemical so cannot be both good and bad. HDL and LDL are protein carriers - transporting cholesterol in and out of the liver.
I would read around the internet - there is even research showing that people dying in hospitals had low cholesterol 
Statins do not prevent heart attacks.
Maybe you have LOW B12 - in which case you may have raised Homocystiene - a protein that is rarely tested in the NHS. When Homocysteine is brought down to a good level with B vitamins and Betaine HCL your cholesterol will also lower.
Cure one thing and you cause another problem .... so do read as much as you can. As cholesterol is produced in the body - foods have little or no effect on levels. The food Industry made BIG bucks producing foods to lower cholesterol - sadly.
Thank you for ur reply yes I agree I have a good look on internet
Cholesterol is not a chemical. Cholesterol is a lipid (fat) carried by lipoproteins (proteins that carry fat) which transport it through our blood stream to areas of inflammation. In the absence of collagen, cholesterol is used by the body to repair damaged blood vessels and cells. In order to produce collagen, the body requires higher doses of vitamin C - at least 3,000 mg per day, along with an amino acid called 'lysine'. When collagen is produced in plentiful supply, the liver produces less cholesterol.
Small and very low density LDL particles (VLDL) damage the endothelial wall of our blood vessels which triggers a cascade of the body's immune responses that results in the formation of an atheroma (plaque). HDL helps remove LDL particles from the body, that's why it is called 'good cholesterol'. Dietary sugar and simple carbohydrates increase triglyceride levels and this increases the amount of VLDL particles (a sub-fraction of LDL) which do in fact damage our arteries and that's why it is called 'bad' cholesterol.
Ideally, you want to increase your body's supply of vitamin C so that collagen is the repair tool of choice rather than LDL cholesterol. You also want to ingest foods that are high in antioxidents such as berries, certain spices, greens and green tea in order to help the body repair damaged cells.
Dietary and lifestyle modification are the best ways to give your body the tools to remain in good health. I agree that statins provide more harm than good. However they do provide pleitropic benefits beyond reducing LDL cholesterol. These benefits though can be achieved with daily exercise and a healthy diet instead.
Excess iron (ferritin) in the body essentially results in damage to tissues and cells. Think about how rust destroys metal surfaces. Antioxidents provide protection.
Iron is found in large quantities in red meat, in animal protein in general, and seafood (shrimp, lobster, crab). This is why it is important to limit quantities of these things.
Men are especially susceptible to iron overload which accumulates over a lifetime. Since women menstruate, they eliminate iron regularly. Men though, do not, and must monitor their ferritin levels especially after the age of 50. Regular blood donations are a good habit for keeping iron levels in check.
Turmeric and milk thistle also help to remove iron from the body, so they should be taken in the form of supplements daily.
Good luck to all.
scienceofcooking.com/choles...
Thank you for your Reply. Having attended two Conferences in the UK - I have listened to Dr Malcolm Kendrick deliver two presentations. I have my notes on my desk. He clearly said that Cholesterol was a chemical and could not be both good and bad 
Perhaps he was simplifying things for the audience .....
The remainder of your reply was indeed informative. Have you had your thyroid checked - ??
Yes going dr in a hr I will hav all my results there including b12 thyroid vitamins k ect will let u no wen I get bk
I think at this point we are down to semantics and context. From a scientific perspective most substances are chemical compounds, but not all chemical compounds are substances. Technically cholesterol is a compound, and has a molecular formula. From that vantage point Dr. Kendrick is accurate. That point however, is irrelevant.
When we discuss cholesterol, we actually aren't discussing cholesterol, we are discussing the lipoproteins that carry it around our blood stream. That's because as a lipid (fat), cholesterol is hydrophobic (it repels water) and it needs to bind to a protein in order to move throughout our blood stream which is water-based.
Cholesterol carrying proteins are called lipoproteins.
Lipoproteins have different functions.
In an oversimplification - LDL is a type of lipoprotein that carries cholesterol to areas of inflammation for cellular and tissue repair, while HDL is a type of lipoprotein that carries cholesterol to the liver for excretion by the body, engaging in 'reverse cholesterol transport'.
So the terms 'bad' and 'good' cholesterol are not referring to cholesterol itself, but to the function of two different lipoproteins, both of which are carrying cholesterol.
The small, dense LDL particles are the most atherogenic, while the large buoyant LDL particles are not. VLDL is part of the measurement of Triglycerides. More VLDL results in more LDL circulating in the blood stream. Oxidized LDL is what damages the endothelium.
This is why sugar and simple carbohydrate consumption affect the total cholesterol volume of the LDL measure.
Hence, limiting sugar and simple carbohydrates reduces VLDL volume as well as LDL volume.
I believe this discussion began by your response to Tinkbell to reduce her anxiety over her cholesterol measure, implying that it isn't important. Knowing your cholesterol value IS important because it is a symptom of inflammation.
High LDL cholesterol levels imply that the individual's diet and lifestyle (including stress levels) are damaging to their body. It also implies that they are not ingesting sufficient levels of vitamin C since greater vitamin C levels produce more collagen. With more collagen, less cholesterol is required for tissue and cell repair.
Utilizing statins to reduce cholesterol may not be the best solution as it affects the body's immunity responses, but utilizing dietary and lifestyle modification to do so keeps the body's immune system in balance.
Hi bk from dr littel fed up all ten test thay done ie thyroid full b c. B 12 v k. Ect all normal but wen I ask for my good and bad cholesterol readings and thyglicen. I think I spelt it wrong. Are not bk so long story short I’ve got to hav a nother blood test cause thay never did the h l. Also discuss my diet. Bp normal weight normal bmi normal all blood normal so got repet fasting Thursday await the results but plenty ff. vitamins c. Coming my way
Well if your BP, weight and BMI are all normal, then your primary issues are one of stress and potentially the need to set aside 30 minutes per day for a walk. The walk will serve two purposes - helping your heart - but also helping your mind and reduce stress.
Triglycerides I believe is the word you were looking for. You also want to know the HDL and LDL cholesterol values.
Good luck.
Yeh I couidett speed it I’m going for new bloods on Thursday I now walk 30 min a day plied do 40 min work out in my room with YouTube also up and down stairs all day with my daughter cooking cleaning as I do but I do feel a bit drained not sure if I eating enough enough I’ve started eating turkey and loads off fruits but no sugar or biscuits need to find som more proteins I think feel empty
I check my thyroid at each blood test. It appears to be normal each time.
I have already achieved an optimal blood profile including cholesterol levels and sub-fractions.
My only remaining issue is Lp(a) which I have been successfully reducing but am not quite in the safe zone yet.
Sadly normal is an opinion and not a result ! Do you know what was actually tested ? Like cholesterol there are many tests needed for full clarification of the thyroid. The NHS rarely do the FULL Profile and just do the TSH - a Pituitary hormone.
You will also need results for T4 - T3 & Thyroid Anti-bodies TPO & Tg. TSH needs to be around 2 or under and T4 & T3 in the upper part of the range. Very few GP's have good thyroid knowledge - there are 76,000 members on Thyroid UK here on HU where I have been a member for over six years - so read daily of the struggle to obtain the correct testing and a diagnosis.
Thyroid hormones need OPTIMAL levels of B12 - Folate - Ferritin - VitD - in order to work well in the body. Low Thyroid and raised cholesterol have long been linked.
You may be interested in the book - Thyroid and Heart Failure - on Amazon. Research papers where Endocrinology & Cardiology come together for the first time. T3 or Liothyronine - is the star of the show...... I have the book.
Every cell in the body has a receptor for T3 - so if levels are low then there is not enough to go around. Rarely tested in the NHS.
Morning marz I not sure on all the test thay done or number s. I no thyroid was checked as it very high in my family vitamins b12 vitamins k f bc. Dibectic was checked cholesterol but only cholesterol not all the cholesterol checks. Em really nit sure wat other test was but I’m going to moz for a cholesterol and h l and the t word to be tested so I will ask the nurse to do a print out off last test and wen the new lot com bk I will get a nother print out and put it on here
You are legally entitled to copies of all test results. Please can you not type in text-speak - as I find your posts difficult to understand. Thank you 😊 Put your results with ranges in a NEW post so more people see them and can comment ....
Marz
Thanks for the info. I live in Canada. We too have a public health care system, but with more flexibility than the UK's, based on what I've gathered from reading the posts on this forum.
My TSH was last tested in October and was 1.43 mIU/L. As previously noted, I don't have high cholesterol, or high BP or any other condition that may be related to my thyroid function. Since my triple bypass 3 years ago, I changed my diet and lifestyle, which resulted in my achieving optimal weight, blood pressure, glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol values among other biomarkers.
I take B12, Vitamin D, and folate supplements daily along with Vitamin E, B3, B6, Turmeric, CoQ10, and Omega 3 fish oil. I also take Lysine, proline and high doses of vitamin C as part of the Linus Pauling Therapy. I do not have any indication of inflammation as my CRP and MPO levels are in the low risk range. My fibrinogen and homocysteine are also in the low risk range.
I have also done an NMR Lipoprofile that shows my LDL particle number, density, and size are all in the low risk range. I'm also Insulin Sensitive which means that my pancreas is functioning normally.
I have documented my journey over the last 2+ years on this forum and if you're interested, you can read my posts here:
healthunlocked.com/user/sos007
Best wishes.
Wow. You have done so well you must be very proud and very healthy. I’ve read and received a lot off advice on this page some I understand and some I don’t but all still very interesting I’m slowly introducing good foods ie fruits and white meats I could be a vegetarian as I’ve never been a big meat person. I’ve just got to rember to forget sugar and don’t eat food with large levels off bad fats I think
@ Tinkbell - Thank you for the kind words. The most critical thing is to cut out sugars and simple carbohydrates. The fat is an issue primarily from the perspective of calorie density, not cholesterol.
So good you are seeing the results of your efforts to find wellness - it certainly can be done. Currently your TSH is a result in keeping with a healthy person - but it is not the full story as previously mentioned ! Thyroid Stimulating Hormone - TSH - is from the Pituitary and it is often perceived that when high in range that the thyroid is struggling to produce T4. T4 then has to convert into the Active Thyroid Hormone T3. Every cell in the body has a receptor for T3. So without the last two tests being done it is impossible to say if the thyroid is in a good state or not. The T4 and T3 both need to be towards the top of the range.
Also the most common thyroid condition is Hashimotos - so without testing the anti-bodies TPO & Tg how would anyone know that they suffer with an auto-immune condition ? There is also Central Hypothyroidism rather than Primary - where the TSH - FT4 & FT3 are all low in range.
I appreciate you have done your homework so am posting for the benefit of other readers too - and you may be able to help others around you. Information is power !
Wishing you continued wellness ....
Everything is ‘safe’ to eat - I decreased my cholesterol level by increasing the amount of fats I eat - coconut oil for cookinge or avocado oil, add olive oil don’t cook with it, cut out added sugar and reduce carbs to about 10% of diet.
Statins work as much by reducing inflammation than anything else - but come with chemical side effects!
As Marz says - your body produces cholesterol and homocysteine indicates inflammation, induced by infections or allergies, stress hormones or irritants somewhere in your body. Reduce inflammation by avoiding all processed foods, eating well, sleeping well and moving.
Live by the 4 Pillars of nutrition, sleep, relaxation and exercise - the best chance we can give ourselves in living well - and stop stressing over what is ‘safe’ food.
Thank you for ur advice ur very kind sleep and stress I get loads of stress not much sleep I’ve got a aurtic 15 yr old so I’m always on my feet I never use any oils my sugar in tea was a lot I’ve stoped that dwn to one I liked one or two dark chocolate digestives stop them and started eat fruit I dnt really eat meat may be little lamb chop on one stoped that and rice pudding I’m scared to eat that I just eating fruit veg porrage toast bean thank s.
Oh Tinkbell it sounds as though your stress level is through the roof!
Dark choc = good as long as not too much.
A good general guide to nutrition is the wellness plate which is really easy -
60-70% of your plate should be veg, especially leafy greens, 25-30% protein & fat from - fish, occasional meat, pulses and beans, nuts, eggs, avocados etc small handful of fruit per day - berries are best, 10% carbs - bread, cereal, sugar, starchy veg etc.
Every meal and snack should have some protein, some fat and some carbs.p in roughly the proportions above.
So have a little of your rice pudding occasionally, maybe after a chicken and avocado salad. A little bit of what you fancy does you good.
Change one thing at a time as sometimes it can be too overwhelming but planning ahead really helps - something I’m not good at!
Mindfulness exercises - which can be just a few minutes per day - help to reduce stress and improve sleep.
I’ve just bought the Dr Chatterjee’s book The Four Pillars and found it very sound, simple, rather old fashioned overview but backed with good science and practice.
Very best wishes CD.
Hi thank you for ur advice I’m a bit complicated as I dnt eat chicken eggs beef fish nuts on the positive I do however eat every green veg and every veg I’ve started eating lots off fruits ie blueberry avocado grapes apples popograntes bananas bean on toast ham sandwich but only bit off ham I walk twice a day do a 30 minit wrk out in my bedroom to the internet I drink but more water and I’ve gon from 3 sugars in t to half sugar I just worry if I loses weight as I’m just under 8 now I should b hever I need to get the meal balanced but thank u so much for replies I take all on board. Kind regards tink
Some way of increasing your protein & fats - lentils, beans, pulses etc would help. Milk if you can tolerate it, cheese etc or are you veggie / vegan? If so do watch your folate & B12 levels as it doesn’t sound like a balanced diet.
Best wishes
Hi not a veg or vegan I’ve always just stuck to cornflakes or porrage then toast sandwiches for lunch veg and chop littel lamb one and may be a pudding then few biscuits snacks and toast or sandwiches b 4 bed. Quite boring really I hav now stopped eating a sauge I use to hav that with mash in stead off chop there the only two meat I ate probably the worst never do curry’s I’m not really adventurous I bit old school stick to wat I no I won’t do nuts ect due to my 15 has loads off allages tink
Cornflakes likely have too much sugar, most breakfast cereals do.
If you eat dark chocolate make sure it has at least 70% cocoa and ideally even more. The more cocoa, the better it is for you and the less sugar it contains. No more than 2 squares per day. If dark chocolate doesn't specify cocoa content, then it is probably just 50% which will have too much sugar.
CDreamer - homocysteine is not a measure of inflammation. General inflammation in the body is measured in a blood test called CRP or C-Reactive Protein. Arterial inflammation is measured in a blood test called Myeloperoxidase.
Homocysteine is an amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of protein). When protein is metabolized it sometimes leaves elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood stream due to a dietary deficiency in certain vegetables and fruits. This is detrimental because it increases the risk of blood coagulation which leads to the production of blood clots. Blood clots are what cause heart attacks and strokes.
Homocysteine levels are elevated when there is a dietary deficiency in B6, B12 and B9 (folic acid). B9 is the most critical of these and is found in dark leafy greens as well as legumes (beans, chick peas, lentils) and broccoli (among other vegetables), and citrus fruits.
Since most people do not consume a well-balanced diet, it is important to supplement with a B-complex vitamin to keep homocysteine levels down.
Good luck.
Yeh I thought so that y I will replace fruit for sugar and go from white bread to brown Sam with rice or pasta I’m due to see dr Tuesday to get all my results b12 Tyrone’s good and bad cholesterol level s ect. I get it right and balanced at least by bmi. Bp full blood check are normal so need to get this food right oh I’ve clicked on ur sugar page it won’t load for me tink
Thank you I’m very appreciative to ur time and comments dreamer just a quick question if u was me wat wouid u eat fir main meal instead off potato every day wat wouid u replace bread with please
Thank your both very kind and helpful wen u say fruit loaf is that like the malt lofe. And I brought sweet potato yesterday I boil them to day with may b pork and veg
Wow baked beans now I thought thay was healthy thanks for ur grt advice on everything I’ve asked
sos007Ambassador
One of the best strategies is the 'whole foods, plant-based' diet. This means avoiding packaged foods, making your own meals from fresh vegetables, legumes, fruits, as well as fish and lean chicken in moderation.
In general, the body needs lots of fiber to dispose of cholesterol so that means legumes - beans, chick peas, and lentils. It also means greens like spinach, arugula, kale and broccoli.
A good, low or no sugar 'all-bran' cereal with fresh blueberries, on a daily basis, will also help.
Vitamin C has an inverse relationship with cholesterol. Assuming your iron levels are normal or low, you can safely take as much as you can tolerate. Try 1,000 mg with every meal for a total of 3,000 mg per day.
Make a habit out of walking at least 30 minutes every day.
By the way, cholesterol has several components and when you post questions you should clearly label each value. Total cholesterol is of little relevance to assessing cardiovascular risk. LDL (so-called 'bad' cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol) should be separately noted as well as triglycerides. Triglycerides are fat molecules in your blood caused by the ingestion of sugar and simple carbohydrates. Your focus should be on keeping the triglyceride value as low as possible as this will affect the LDL value.
Typical simple carbohydrates are white flour products such as white bread, white pizza dough, and pasta. Other simple starches to avoid are white rice and white potatoes. Whole grains are acceptable and so things like brown rice, whole grain bread, and spelt pasta are good in moderation. Quinoa has a similar consistency to rice yet is a seed which contains protein so you should consider trying it.
Its very easy to add liquid sugar in the form of soft-drinks and fruit juices (a small glass of fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning should be fine, but no more than that). Alcohol should be limited to a 5 oz glass of red wine once per day.
There are lots of good recipes on the internet for healthy eating. You can start here:
npr.org/sections/thesalt/20...
You can also check out: pritikin.com
Good luck.
Thank you so much appreciate all that feed bk and yes I see my gp Tuesday I should have all numbers and I wil let u all no I’ve got to say the reposes to my concern is amazing from everyone on here so happy I joined thanks so much
Keep in mind that much of the advice you get on this forum is unconventional and you are unlikely to find your GP supportive. Doctors are well-trained, intelligent people, but they are part of a system that is effectively run by pharmaceutical firms and limited government resources. Your doctor is there to serve you, not the other way around.
Ask for your Lp(a), CRP, fibrinogen and homocysteine values to be tested for in your next blood test. The most comprehensive blood test for cardiovascular risk is the 'NMR Lipoprofile'. It is not covered by government insurance so you'll have to pay for it yourself, but it is worthwhile.
Good luck.
Ok no problem I ask any idea how much it is
sos007 will not have seen your reply - as you technically replied to yourself - easily done
Oh no I’m silly
sos007Ambassador
Dottie there's no doubt that animal proteins provide vital nutrients to the body, not the least of which is B12 and other key amino acids required for muscle maintenance and growth.
That said red meat as well as shell-fish, provide the highest levels of heme iron to the human body. While we need some iron, iron accumulates in our tissues over a lifetime. Due to menstruation, women's iron levels are periodically depleted, however not so for men. For many men, iron accumulation begins to reach detrimental levels in their 50s and 60s. Excess iron in the body is referred to as iron overload or hemochromatosis and this causes oxidation (like rust on metal) of tissues - damaging our organs (including the heart) and accelerating the process of aging, or restated, reducing our life expectancy. This is why, generally speaking, women live longer than men.
It is generally recommended that men (and post-menopausal women) make periodic blood donations (phlebotomy) in order to reduce their iron stores. The frequency of blood donation depends on a person's accumulated iron levels which can be measured as 'ferritin' in a blood test. It is safe to donate blood once every 2 months. Depending on one's diet over their lifetime, iron storage levels may be adequately reduced with just one or two phlebotomys per year. However, until you test specifically for ferritin levels, you won't know the optimal number required each year.
Blood donations are not only good for the donor but are also good for those in need. It helps everyone.
Animal protein is calorie dense - for this reason, it is best to limit animal protein to no more than 3 oz. per day (according to Linus Pauling). As you know from your reading, societies where the main source of nutrition is plant-based (but not exclusively vegetarian), tend to have increased longevity and a lower incidents of heart disease.
The bottom line is, the frequency of consumption of red meat and shell-fish, or animal protein in general, should be based on your need for weight loss and your body's ferritin levels. If you're trying to lose weight, it is better to reduce animal protein consumption due to caloric density. If you're a male or post-menopausal female, it is best to consume red meat infrequently.
One last thing, ham is often consumed as a cold-cut which means the use of excess sodium and nitrates as preservatives, neither of which are beneficial to our body in excess. Certainly you wouldn't want to consume cold cuts daily for these reasons.
Good luck to everyone in their battle for good health.
Thay are only my cholesterol was up I’ve got to go bk again Thursday and redo my cholesterol hi lo and that t word I dnt think I’m eating enough may be
Yes that what was done and was told all ten was normal but the cholesterol was 61. The dr want s me to hav the h l and t don Thursday as that wasent done I didn’t no I could hav a copy off the test but I will definitely request it wen the last blood test com bk and I put it in here
Ok I sort it thanks
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