High Triglycerides on low carb

(David ) #1

I just had blood work done last week and my T.G.s when up nearly 100 points (252) since my last blood work 6 months ago (147), so I am scratching my head wondering what is going on.

I have been doing high protein / low carb for a year now.

I was pescetarian for nearly 9 years and ate a lot of complex carbs as a filler, mostly rice and potatoes. My T.G.'s then were always around 120. However, my A1c was getting high (5.7).

About 14 months ago, I did keto and since then have been eating nothing but meat, eggs and fish. I limit my carbs to roughly 30 grams per day, it any.

Since changing my diet, my A1c immediately dropped to 5.4 for the past year. However, my T.G.'s have gotten worse.

Also, I have been intermittent fasting for over 2 years. I eat my last meal at 6 pm and then my breakfast at 10:00 am. So roughly 16 hours between.

I have been extremely athletic all my life, and very muscular and lean. I started lifting weights and doing martial arts at age 13. I am now 55 and still do these things, as well as ruck sacking, jumping rope and treadmill.

I do eat A LOT, as I am always hungry with a fast metabolism. As far as food, I have been eating up to 2 pounds of meat a day, plus 5 eggs and a can of tuna.

Any thoughts?

#2

The longer you go without food, the more stored energy must be released to fuel you, the more trigs in the bloodstream. Did you do your tests during that fasting period?

The add in a high metabolic rate, so you’re breaking that stuff down and running on it faster than most. Then add in on top of that you’re eating a lot of food, mostly fat, and that’s a perfect answer to why your trigs look like that.

#4

I can’t see it very much food (unless it’s extremely fatty meat), just a lot of protein but you may need it, who knows?

I am not interested even in my own numbers so I can’t say anything to that. If I feel right, it’s enough for me.

(Edith) #5

According the Dave Feldman, the longer you are outside the 12-14 hour fasting window (in either direction) for having your triglycerides tested, the more likely they are to be high. Maybe these articles will help?

(Bob M) #6

Do you drink coffee? You could be one of those folks where coffee affects their trigs. This person only got into the 140s for trigs when drinking coffee, though:

(Joey) #7

Not sure I fully follow or agree with some of this…

Lipid tests are almost universally taken with an overnight fast. So it’s unclear how trigs could be determined without fasting unless you showed up at the lab having eaten recently.

In any event, an overnight fast wouldn’t likely serve to boost trigs to such levels as reported by the OP above.

I don’t believe that eating high fat would boost serum triglycerides on a strict carb-restricted WOE. (Although it might get in the way of weight loss, assuming that’s a goal.)

On the other hand, when limiting carbs as described above, eating high protein - with insufficient fat - might be more prone to boosting triglycerides as the body converts and breaks down excess protein.

Although I can’t offer any other insights as to why trigs are so elevated (assuming the diet is a described). Eating “nothing but” (solely) meat, eggs and fish is a strict carnivore diet.

Question: Have other carnivores on the forum experienced elevated trigs of this order? Also: Has the OP been losing a meaningful amount of weight, as that can be elevating trigs for the time being.