Cholesterol concerns

(Sheryl) #1

I have been on the keto lifestyle since May 2017. I started keto after developing knee pain and swelling in knee. Pain has diminished and swelling gone. Had my overdue physical check up and blood work included. I was hoping to see great cholesterol numbers given keto lifestyle. However my numbers showed otherwise:
Total cholesterol went from 236 to 363
HDL. 72 to 92
LDL 151 to 249
Trig 63 to 110.
Chol/HDL 3.9
Very LDL 13 to 22

So physician thought I should cut out coconut oil, start statin and drop red yeast.

So keto friends, I have read article on cholesterol within forum, but still concerned. I like my bullet coffee in the am, but should I stop this first?

Thanks for your input.

#2

You’re not alone, Sheryl. We’ve been taught a certain dogma on cholesterol for so long, it’s hard not to ignore it when we start eating keto, and get blood work done.

I think I read somewhere else, “the best thing to do when eating keto is to NOT get your cholesterol checked”. :grin:

So, from what I’ve read, your trig/hdl ratio is the major factor in determining CVD. Yours is 1.19 (better than mine 1.52), and anything under 2 is considered safe. Whenever someone posts their cholesterol numbers, that’s the first thing I look at.

I don’t want to demean your doctor, but many out there are working off of debunked information, and/or they’re just interested in prescribing a pill. I WOULD NOT take a statin, if I were you. They do bring your cholesterol numbers down, but not in a good way, and the side effects alone are enough I’d take my chances with the cholesterol numbers.

So, I’m glad you’re concerned, because you need to research this and understand this issue better than most doctors do.

Here are some excellent links @daddyoh posted in another thread, that I highly recommend. Can’t say enough good things about Dave Feldman’s Cholesterol Code website. He’s got a report tool you can plug your numbers in and get information, based on his work, about your own numbers.

So, other than all that, my advice to you: Keep Calm and Keto On.

(less is more, more or less) #3

Can you get a second opinion, hopefully from a doctor with a more up-to-date nutritional understanding? Also, check this out:

The study includes the results of 1.3 million people. Not a trivial sample, at all.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #4

Watch this video with Dr. Thomas Dayspring and Gary Taubes talking about fats and heart disease. Also if you have lost a bunch of weight, yea the total chol. can go high, but it will come down as you get to your goal weight.

(Sheryl) #5

Thanks for your encouragement.

(Bob M) #6

You have an HDL of 92?!! Wow, that’s high. (In a good way.)

I personally would not be concerned about coconut oil.

#7


Useful resource on cholesterol and heart disease from a sceptic doctor.

(Bob M) #8

In my opinion, Dr. Kendrick has the best theory for what causes heart disease, but it’s “outside the box” thinking and LDL-lovers won’t like it.