Cholesterol

[kustard (Simon)]

So I had to go get a blood test as part of now being over 40 and the results whilst good said I have elevated cholesterol as part of a genetic trait (thanks a lot parental units!).

Anyway, I have to say good bye to full cream milk The doctor said skim but I might start with light milk instead of that while coloured water called skim...

Cholesterol is quite common so I was wondering what kind of diet regimes do people follow in order to keep their levels down.

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

Hi Simon,

That's a bugger....sorry, I don't have any tips for you.

Does that mean you will have to change your screen name too....?

It all helps I s'pose...

Cheers

Chris

[kustard (Simon)]

Originally Posted by Screwdriverone

Hi Simon,

That's a bugger....sorry, I don't have any tips for you.

Does that mean you will have to change your screen name too....?

It all helps I s'pose...

Cheers

Chris

Hahaha, I hope virtual online projections are non-fattening The doc also said I'll need to do some *gasp* exercise! Of all the things to say!

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Try the UHT skim milk. It has more flavour than the fresh.

[pgc hunter]

My cholesterol is off the charts. Genetic and had a very unhealthy diet and used to eat heavily right up until midnight. Maybe cut down on snacks / soft drink/ meats if you eat alot of those, but not sure if that would help. No late night binges, that's for sure - you'l want to give your body time to digest the food.

One thing I won't ever give up is full cream milk. Skim milk is not milk, it's more like liquified pecker-cheese that tastes like water mixed with a curdled egg that someone spat on.

[tonybarry (Tony)]

Simon, you may wish to try the Flora ProActive (butter replacement). It does work. Not Magic, but worthwhile. Dropped my cholesterol from 7.2 to 5.7. No other changes in diet or behaviour.

Regards,
Tony Barry

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

Skim milk is not milk, it's more like liquified pecker-cheese that tastes like water mixed with a curdled egg that someone spat on.

Don't hold back now, tell us what you really think!

You paint a.....well......quite awful picture, thanks......

Cheers

Chris

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

........One thing I won't ever give up is full cream milk. Skim milk is not milk, it's more like liquified pecker-cheese that tastes like water mixed with a curdled egg that someone spat on.

Too true!
IF you drink a lot of milk or eat tons of dairy (I don't) you should probably switch to "liquified pecker cheese" and stear clear of high-fat, stuff.
However, I managed to drag out of my Cardiologist (a skinny nervous guy who's hands shook), that taking 1/2 an aspirin, eating more veggies and doing regular, sweaty exercise, will help counter-act the effects of serum cholesterol.
I smoke, I drink, I eat crap, I have type II diabetes, damn near everyone in my family has croaked because of one of the above, yet every time I go for a physical, my arteries are clear, my ECG is spot-on, I have the lungs of a 30 year-old marathon runner, my pulse is 50 bpm and my BP is 110/60 ( thank God!!!).
I also do about 4-6 hours of hard labour a day.
We are animals. We are very physically able and adapted - we can run further than any other creature on the planet - and using that ability is the main way to keep us healthy.
Break a sweat for an hour or more a day, stear clear of Mars bars and you should stay pretty sound.

[MrB (Simon)]

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

I also do about 4-6 hours of hard labour a day.

And that there is the 'secret'

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by kustard

So I had to go get a blood test as part of now being over 40 and the results whilst good said I have elevated cholesterol as part of a genetic trait (thanks a lot parental units!).

Anyway, I have to say good bye to full cream milk The doctor said skim but I might start with light milk instead of that while coloured water called skim...

Cholesterol is quite common so I was wondering what kind of diet regimes do people follow in order to keep their levels down.

If it's hereditary you'll likely need medication... Yeah drop the full cream milk. You'll get used to skim anyway. Bit of Olive oil, lots of fish, bit of wine in moderation, exercise, sensible diet and watch your weight. Nothing new you'll say just common sense.

[gregbradley]

I get very good results with red rice yeast. Its a natural product but is the raw material statin drugs are made from.

I was told you can't take it all the time as it can affect your liver. I believe that is the same situation with statin drugs or at least the liver needs to be checked from time to time to see how it is coping with it.

More salads, less fatty food like dairy, fatty meats -, drink more water, more exercise, lose weight etc etc. The normal usual health advice.
As Marc said more fish (of the right type, some types of fish can increase mercury, predator fish have higher levels as they pick it up from their prey and it accumulates).

Greg.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Go the veges, reduce the meat. We buy better quality ( less fat ) but eat smaller portions. A more mediterranean diet is the answer. Salads can be very flavoursome with balsamic and Haloumi, nuts, roasted capsicums. oven roast chips and veges. Plenty of options. I've actually found more variety going towards a heathier life style than on the 'mandiet'. Doesn't stop me enjoying a good beer or three, good wine, dining out. In fact I look for wide options than I used to and you appreciate good cooking more. Japanese cuisine is excellent. Stir fries on the BBQ.

Don't look at it as a problem, it's actually an opportunity to find new dishes.

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by kustard

So I had to go get a blood test as part of now being over 40 and the results whilst good said I have elevated cholesterol as part of a genetic trait (thanks a lot parental units!).

Anyway, I have to say good bye to full cream milk The doctor said skim but I might start with light milk instead of that while coloured water called skim...

Cholesterol is quite common so I was wondering what kind of diet regimes do people follow in order to keep their levels down.

I haven't met anyone yet who has had that blood test and not been over the recomended level. The medication supplied under prescription I believe is the worlds biggest seller to the pharmaceutical companies.

My parents and grand parents etc some fat some thin all lived into their 90's without knowing what their cholesterol level was. Some were vegetarians some were omniverous and some were gluttons. It did not seem to have affected their life spans or well being.

Incidently I take medication for it but that is only to keep the doctor happy!

Barry

[kustard (Simon)]

Good advice guys

I've grabbed some low fat options from the shops today and like a few people have said, it's pretty much common sense.

[CraigS]

To the best of my knowledge, no reputable study has ever come anywhere near to proving that serum cholesterol is the direct cause of artherosclerosis.

Within 'normal' lifestyles, ingested cholesterol has little to zero direct effect on serum cholesterol. Where it seems to have an indirect effect is on the calculation of the LDL (or so-called 'bad cholesterol'), figure. Serum triglycerides are usually factored into the formula used to calculate LDL. To the best of my knowledge, (others may be able to confirm this), the LDL figure pathologists report, is rarely a directly measured figure. As a result, if your triglycerides are up, due eating saturated fatty foods, your LDL 'figure' will go up in a way defined by the formula. This doesn't necessarily mean that your LDL has increased.

Exercise reduces the triglycerides and thereby, shows up in a reduction in the LDL figure.

Remember, for those without diagnosed artherosclerosis, 'elevated' cholesterol is only one of about five or six 'risk factors. In my case, I've found that GPs rarely consider the other factors, before reaching for the prescription pad.

It is still possible that 'elevated' cholesterol is a symptom of artherosclerosis but not necessarily, the cause. Statin therapy would then only be an attempt at treating the symptom .. and it carries risk.

If you have a confirmed, diagnosed case of artherosclerosis, or have other risk factors going against you (genetics, high blood pressure, diabetes, low measured HDL, high percentage body fat, etc), then the risk of statin therapy is probably outweighed .. so take the pills.

Statin therapy should be considered alongside the other risk factors and should not be the single dependent factor. I recommend having a careful look at the reputable information you can get your hands on eg: National Heart & Kidney foundation reports, etc .. before making the decision.

I have found numerous GPs, who don't seem to be following the wording of the NHF NKF, etc recommendations/material, in detail.

(My 2 Cents worth).

Cheers

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

Chia seeds. High levels of omega3 and cholesterol lowering ability. You can buy the seeds from health food shops and some bakeries are now adding to some of their breads.
I am over weight my diet is atrocious but my cholesterol is 5.1 when last checked.

Adrian

[blindman]

How high is your cholesterol?
Garlic helps, also Cinnamon also helps.
Level of normal cholesterol levels has been deliberately lowered to make more profit for pharmaceutical companies.
With medication you will most probably stuff your memory, make some research on internet.
You mention drinking milk? Why would someone drink milk, if not sick? :-)
Milk diluted with water (what they sell here) should be banned as product.
Cheers Nev

[Spanrz (Brett)]

Add my 2 cents.

For 2-3 years, my doc said my Cholesterol was climbing, and threatened to put me on Lipitor.
I watched my diet and all, I suppose it wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst.
My wife has very good results with Cholesterol, it's kinda weird, cause she can eat worse than me and still have a low reading (around 4)
Mine was creeping from a 5 to a 6.8 to 7

I changed my diet in to 3 levels, in other words, I ate healthier then healthier again, for a while and it just kept skyrocketing up...WTH
I was eating porridge with 2% or less fat Milk, and fruit during this time.
Doc "never" believed me that I was eating healthier.
So I changed my diet again and was put on lipitor. Small dose. Then a few months after another test, came back higher, so she kept me on Lipitor and upp'd the dose to 80mg (by memory?)
I was WTH and the Doc still never believed me I was eating healthier, the wife had to come and give evidence to prove I was eating different stuff. Crazy I tell you.
I read what Lipitor can do to you and I went off it. (My preference)

Anyway, I got the ****s. And said not doing testing for a while, I'll prove it to the doc.
After a year, I got sick bad enough for a visit to the Doc. I was told, no test for a long time, naughty boy, said I got the poops with your "non-believer" attitude.
So I did the test, results came back down to 5.5..... Lol and my diet hadn't changed since the last test. And no Lipitor pills either.
She asked me what I changed, and I said nothing major, maybe minor things, but had this diet for 2 odd years. She was gobsmaked to say the least.

The biggest thing I changed, was my milk. From normal milk to the 1-2% fat stuff. Normal Milk carries 4% fats, so I halved my intake of milk fats and vola.
My butter/margarine has been "olive grove classic" for over 3 years. I did used to have butter (oooohhh that western star stuff), but hadn't had real butter in many years.

After a while, the doc believed me and started to realise that I may have a hereditary cholesterol, which I do know of some high readings in the family. Only took 2-3 years for the Doc to realise, that I was obeying her orders.

So, before you go hammer and tongs on Lipitor, read about it. Blood tests need to be done after starting Lipitor, to check for damage or the medicine to affect the liver (something about the enzyimes).

And start using the less than 2% milk for a long time. It will take about 6 months for things to change.

[DavidTrap (David)]

Originally Posted by kustard

Good advice guys

I've grabbed some low fat options from the shops today and like a few people have said, it's pretty much common sense.

It may seem like common sense, but my best advice would be too see a dietician. They know far more about food that most doctors (and I say that as a doctor). I saw one a couple of years ago on the advice of my GP when I wanted to lose some weight. When I followed her suggestions, the weight fell off. It seemed like I was eating more, but it was in the right proportions. She was very clever at making menu plans around my lifestyle & work. The advice they can give you about the right foods to eat is gold.

Ask your GP for a referral to a dietician.

DT

[CraigS]

Folks;

I have recorded 11 cholesterol readings over some 20 years of 'normal' and intentionally strict cholesterol diet controlled living.
Yes, that's right .. I've been pursued by GPs for over 20 years about this issue and I've never had any even near cardiac events nor a single high blood pressure reading.

My cholesterol readings have been all over the place, from 5.6 to 8.0, and there's never been any correlation between my readings and dietary changes. Neither has any doctor been able to establish one. I've been through all these cutbacks on milk, butter, fatty meats, etc, etc. I have never taken pills for it.

No dietary change, no matter how severe, (yep .. been there, too), has had any effect, whatsoever.

And, as I said in my prior post, no reputable double blind, clinically controlled, medical trials have ever established to any statistical significance, a cause/effect relationship between ingested (eaten) cholesterol and blood serum cholesterol.

Talk to your GP. All the honest ones I've had, confirm that dieting has virtually no effect on blood cholesterol. Any correlations you may observe between your readings, and your diet, are pure chance, or are simply a result of the way they calculate the LDL (bad cholesterol) figure.

Don't believe me. Research it for yourselves. Read the clinical trial papers and their results. Read the reputable institution recommendations. You'll see what I mean.

Cheers