Cholesterol & high protein connected ?

[wynne7]

I have lost 3.5st and have low carb & low fat diet. I eat fibre, loads of fruit and veg and protein including fat free quark. Went fir blood test & told my cholesterol is high (6+) Don't want to take statins as I'd prefer to bring levels down by lifestyle. Any advice please ???

[Whatagame77]

Well done losing the weight. Suggest you look at WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED way of eating, plenty of info on the web.

[Zest]

Hi wynne7 ,

This is some information from NHS Choices (which this forum is connected to) about lowering cholesterol:

nhs.uk/Livewell/Healthyhear...

There is also another community in Health Unlocked called 'Cholesterol Support' so you could also re-post your query there, if you want to get more replies.

I would suggest discussing your health with your GP or medical practitioner too - to make sure that any advice is pertinent to your individual health needs.

Zest

p.s. A link to the 'cholesterol support' community is here:

healthunlocked.com/choleste...

[Zest]

Hi again wynne7 ,

Regarding your query about cholesterol and high protein, there is an article here about that subject from Livestrong, that you might find helpful, in addition to the other info and replies you've had:

livestrong.com/article/4540...

Zest

[andyswarbs]

Research shows that cholesterol issues often go hand-in-hand with a low-carb diet. That's the problem. This will put you at various health risks including athersclerorsis.

Never worry about protein. If you can identify ONE person in the UK with protein shortage issues I will eat my hat! Whereas you could walk down any street and someone will have similar health issues to yours.

The advice of Whatagame77 says a whole food plant based lifestyle is spot on. If you followed this advice your body would normalise your cholesterol - probably with no further medical intervention.

Back to my original point I cannot think of a single reported case of someone on a whole-food plant-based diet that has any cholesterol issues. If anyone reading this can find one then please report it here.

[BadHare in reply to andyswarbs]

Mine was high (0.1 over whatever the happy level is) before I realised there was issues with my thyroid hormones. My GP's practice nurse nurse was surprised when I told her what I eat. There can be other health related issues other than diet, though fat is not the issue as long as it's healthy fat from unprocessed sources: avocado, seeds, olives, nuts (but not peanuts).

All my friend's family have genetically high cholesterol, her sisters are very high, as were her parents. She manages to keep hers lower with a WFPB diet, & a lot of raw food.

[wynne7 in reply to BadHare]

Recent bloodtest showed an abnormal thyroid function, no treatment but they plan to do follow up test in a year. Meanwhile they prescribed statins for Cholesterol, but I don't want to start meds without understanding reasons & trying to control naturally. Perhaps I should chase for more details of the thyroid test results instead.

[BadHare in reply to wynne7]

My thyroid tests are within normal range, my symptoms completely otherwise. GPs & endocrinlogists are a bit dim when it comes to thyroid issues & hormones, I'm afraid. Once statins are started, they can't be stopped due to side effects, so I'd suggest trying every dietary related option to see what happens first, & join Thyroid UK's forum for more information. You could ask your GP to try you on levothyroxine, which may benefit you more generally, than the statins. No harm asking!

Get a copy of your blood test results & post them on TUK. The admins & folks on there are really incredible!

[andyswarbs in reply to BadHare]

Yes, I am very interested in the nuances of when a standard (whatever that is) WFPB diet is insufficient. My angle is not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. Looking at myself both nightshades and oils are an additional issue. It is interesting to compare and contrast the various plant doctors who each have their own spin on a WFPB. McDougall emphasising starch, some allowing nuts in different proportions. Some even allowing refined sugar & salt in small amounts.

My only conclusion thus far is it is for each person to work out what's right for them. Sometimes plant doctors can help guide to what foods to add/remove etc. Often discovery of what is right it can be damned hard work, and that was my experience when I isolated oils.

[BadHare in reply to andyswarbs]

Of everyone I know, she's the most meticulous with regard to her nutrition intake. It does have a positive effect on her cholesterol compared to her siblings.

I tried excluding nightshades, along with several other potentially reactive foods but found it made no difference, & I felt better for eating tomatoes & aubergines, kefir, & swapping to sourdough. I just keep my potato & other starchy food intake to smaller portions. It's important to try as many things as possible, though in my case, my dietary experiments would have been successful several years sooner if it wasn't for my fondness for tofu & soy bread, & my consultants' refusal to acknowledge the branch cause of the health issues I've been living with since the 1970's.

[TheAwfulToad]

You really shouldn't be doing low-fat AND low-carb; all that really leaves you with is protein, which is not a good situation at all.

There are very few things you need to eliminate to keep the weight off. Sugar, white bread, pasta and white rice would be top of the list. Potatoes best avoided while you're trying to lose weight. Substitute those things with more vegetables. If you're a meat-eater, get used to cooking fatty cuts again. If not, try adding coconut oil and avocados to your diet: these are excellent non-meat sources of fat.

Having said that, don't take too much notice of the cholesterol test. There is NO correlation between total cholesterol and heart disease risk. However, there is a very significant correlation between the government's ever-reducing target for cholesterol and the drug companies' profits.

[wynne7 in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Thanks fir your response. I think everyone's input is helping me to stop worrying so much and put things into perspective. Couldn't agree more on drugs companies profits !!!

[Penel]

Congratulations on your weight loss and welcome to the contentious issue of cholesterol levels!

The total cholesterol level you have been given is not a particulaly useful indication of any problems. 6+ is not a particularly high level.

You need to know HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels etc to give you more of an ideas of possible problems with your diet. Your age and sex can also affect levels, a post menopausal woman can have naturally higher levels than a man, without necessarily having any potential health problems. Aiming for very low cholesterol levels can be potentially as damaging as having too high a level, and may only be necessary if you have additional heart / circulation problems or family history of strokes etc.

Very high cholesterol levels can be genetic and can be identified by a blood test.

Finding the diet that works for you can take some time. I eat a lowish carb, but not low fat diet, without any detrimental effect on my cholesterol levels, BP etc.

[wynne7 in reply to Penel]

Thank you for your response. I was given HDL (+5.6) LDL (+4.5) & Overall (+6.07) Triglyceride wasn't mentioned by nurse, who TBH didn't seem to be able to answer anything & just pointed me to nhs choices website & said come back in 6 months for a bloodtest when I said I didn't want to just go onto statins without better understanding.

[BadHare in reply to wynne7]

I've just read a post on TUK that inositol, a B supplement is supposed to help lower cholesterol.

[Penel in reply to wynne7]

The recommended level for HDL is around 5, the level for LDL is 3 or under, so your LDL could do with being reduced somehow. NHS guidelines say that a dietary approach should usually be tried before statins are prescribed, but many GPs seem unaware of this.

Cutting back or changing the type of protein may be something to consider, perhaps try including something like salmon which would give you some Omega 3 or include more plant protein? You’re already eating high fibre, which is one suggested way to lower LDL, perhaps add some oats if you aren’t already eating them, or other soluble fibre? If you need to lose more weight this could affect your levels. If you can exercise, this may also help with reducing levels.

BadHare’s advice to investigate thyroid levels sounds like a good idea, as they can adversely affect cholesterol levels. Some people swear by supplements but I’ve never tried them.

[andyswarbs]

I would recommend taking a look at Mic The Vegan's take on how industry twists research to suit its needs with cholesterol studies designed to show cholesterol is good for you by design.

youtube.com/watch?v=vBtfzd4...(Not working as expected?)

He sums his argument up with comparing the effect of smoking on cancer in say smoking over 20-30 years vs 30-40 years. Which would normally conclude little difference, and so one such research could conclude smoking "does not cause cancer".

[Zest]

Hi wynne7 ,

Just came across this article today, which you might also find interesting:

healthline.com/health/heart...

Zest