Am I lacking cholestrol

(Bob M) #16

Me too - about the troll part anyway.

(Joey) #17

So are we all in agreement … if the OP indeed has a challenge on her hands, it’s not likely to be a cholesterol deficiency? :nerd_face:

(Ian) #18

No.

Cholesterol is essential for so many functions in the body that your liver makes enough every day and makes way more than you eat. I think the dietary contribution is around 20%.

This is one of the reasons the Ancel Keys hate on for cholesterol was so bogus.

#19

Meaning fat calories? Or meaning you’re ONLY consuming olive oil? I don’t see how it’s possible to only get cholesterol from Olive Oil eating keto… or any WOE.

(Joey) #20

I’ve read similar reports of the 80/20 proportions. Nonetheless, wouldn’t concerns re: potential lack of dietary cholesterol pale by comparison to the challenges of starvation (and olive oil poisoning)? :wink:

#21

I would think the percentage wildly varies, it would make sense… It’s clearly 0% from dietary cholesterol for people who eat zero cholesterol… And why would my body makes 80% when I eat 14 eggs on a fine day (okay, that’s my personal record, my average is maybe 7 since at least a decade)… But I am quite unsure about the latter, I just would think no need to make cholesterol if my diet has plenty…

(Joey) #22

I guess what I’m confused about is how one could survive on a zero cholesterol diet… Wouldn’t that imply a zero fat and/or zero protein diet? And wouldn’t that lead to starvation and death? :thinking:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #23

It is possible to eat a low-cholesterol diet. In particular, if you eat mostly plant foods, you won’t find any cholesterol in them, though they contain plenty of other sterols. But a low-cholesterol diet is fine, as long as we get enough saturated and monounsaturated fat. There are plenty of plant sources of protein, although you have to mix and match them properly, in order to get all the necessary amino acids in the correct proportions. (That’s why eating meat is so much easier.)

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #24

Olive oil has zero cholesterol. I presume that’s the gist of the OP question if the only fat she consumes contains no cholesterol will that have a negative impact on her estrogen and/or other hormones. She mentioned here that she has other issues, which I think are symptoms of protein deficiency.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #25

A diet high in polyunsaturated fats has been shown to lower serum cholesterol, but olive oil is mostly monounsaturated, with very little polyunsaturated fat. It should be fine, I think.

However, more and more I begin to think that meat and very little plant food is the proper human diet.

(Joey) #26

Low cholesterol, for sure. I thought that typically goes hand-in-glove with a low-fat diet. Is it possible to eat zero cholesterol and survive?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #27

The body makes cholesterol from saturated and monounsaturated fat, particularly the former. That is why Ancel Keys was not concerned with dietary cholesterol, because it has so little effect on serum cholesterol levels. He blamed saturated fat for high serum cholesterol, and hence coronary heart disease (which we know was justified solely because he cherry-picked his data).

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #28

For anyone interested, this is a very detailed description of all phases of cholesterol metabolism from beginning to end.


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#29

No not at all

#30

Yes fat calories. And I eat mostly chicken for protein.

(Joey) #31

… and you are therefore getting plenty of cholesterol. :slight_smile:

(Allie) #32

So what you posted about only getting calories from olive oil isn’t true. Perhaps you should edit your post to make it more accurate?

#33

Depends on the chicken, if it’s breasts not so much. Even if it’s skin on thighs that’s gotta be a lot of chicken.

(Joey) #34

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I was thinking of a well-endowed chicken vs. a sickly olive tree in a shady grove.

#35

I think the body can make the cholesterol it needs…

In 2019 I went on a plant-based whole foods near zero fat diet (Forks over knives - all whole pant foods, no meats, no oils, no avocado even). My Total Cholesterol went to 138 from 161 at my year prior labs but interestingly my HDL went up 45 from 35. That was actually the first time my HDL ever got above 40. I haven’t gotten tested since being keto for the past 15 months or so…I’m hoping HDL is higher

Obviously I didn’t find that diet sustainable but it was interesting to experiment. I have been eating more olive oil - my garden is in season and with summer weather I have felt like eating lots of salad greens and at this point i simply drizzle with decent olive oil.

I think olive oil is one of the healthier fats based on the preponderance of the evidence - but opinions very. Clearly it is not carnivore for example. I think you might want to round things out with some other high quality fats though. Grass-Fed (eg Kerrygold) butter is a solid saturated fat choice, pastured eggs, grass fed beef/lamb/bison, maybe some fancy pork from fire in a bottle…

I’m becoming more skeptical of processed pork fat (grain fed pork bacon and sausages and other processed meats) and even grain fed beef and tend to stay clear of fatty chicken