Total cholesterol means nothing in terms of health. Just as many people have fatal heart attacks with low total cholesterol as high, and there are additional health risks if it is too low. Flipping a coin gives you just as good data. I have seen people whose total cholesterol is high but who seem to have little risk. There may also be a genetic component to the baseline total cholesterol number that defies easy changes.
The main relevant and meaningful cholesterol number today is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (over 5 is not good; lower means lower risk). This means that, if you have high total cholesterol but your ratio is good, your HDL number is high and that makes you better protected than someone whose HDL is low. Routine blood screenings now tend to include this important number. Homocysteine is another number that indicates your risk of inflammatory conditions affecting the brain and cardiovascular system.
Hello, still confused about how to measure cholesterol.
ReplyDeleteIf my total cholesterol is 204, Triglycerides 68, HDL 89, LDL 101, and homocysteine is 6.5 please help me to understand the results. Also curious, what dietetic theory you would apply?
Thank you!
Your triglycerides are fine and your HDL is extremely good. Your homocysteine levels also appear to be healthy.
ReplyDeleteYour LDL is a tiny bit high, but your HDL is almost double what a healthy number would be.
The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is perhaps the most important measure, and your ratio of only 2.3 (204/89) is far below the accepted level recognized as conveying a heightened health risk (over 5).
In my experience, the most important components to healthy cholesterol maintenance are genetics, avoiding low-fiber, high sugar, or processed foods; exercise; moderate alcohol consumption; certain vitamins; and antioxidants to prevent oxidation of cholesterol.
Besides fiber, healthy oils may also help.
Thank you, your response was extremely helpful!
ReplyDeleteIf you wouldn't mind one last question, from your experience and knowledge, will consuming 2 to 4 ounces each of lean red meat(grass fed & local) and chicken per weak contribute to high cholesterol?
I am still undecided as to knowing if science has proven saturated fat as the culprit to high cholesterol or is it a high sugar and processed diet.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Thank you, your response was extremely helpful!
ReplyDeleteIf you wouldn't mind one last question, from your experience and knowledge, will consuming 2 to 4 ounces each of lean red meat(grass fed & local) and chicken per weak contribute to high cholesterol?
I am still undecided as to knowing if science has proven saturated fat as the culprit to high cholesterol or is it a high sugar and processed diet.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Probably not. There's no real data linking moderate cholesterol consumption to high serum cholesterol, and most of the circulating cholesterol is made in the liver in response to signals from the body that it's needed. Low antioxidant intake is one possibility. Increasing dietary fiber during those meals also may help to remove cholesterol from the body.
ReplyDelete