Dietary Choices & Cholesterol Levels
Navigating dietary choices can sometimes lead to unexpected health insights. I'd like to share my personal experience with a low-carb diet, which, while effective for weight management, had an unintended effect on my cholesterol levels.
Before starting a new protocol, I always take blood tests to understand the before and after effects. My cholesterol was at 180 mg/dl before I began the diet. After shifting to a low-carb diet and increasing my protein intake to 110 grams a day with protein supplementation, I tested my blood again three months later and discovered that my cholesterol had unexpectedly spiked from 180 to 260 mg/dl. This was a wake-up call to reassess my dietary strategy, as high cholesterol levels are considered to be 240 mg/dl or above.
Even if a diet is widely considered healthy, and even if we’ve been on that diet before, we can’t just take that information at face value. We should rigorously test, or insist on testing, with our doctors and insurance companies.
In response, I've reintegrated a balanced amount of healthy carbs into my diet, especially focusing on timing them around workouts to optimize energy levels and metabolic responses. This tweak is part of my broader effort to not just manage weight but also maintain a healthy cholesterol level.
I investigated deeper and learned the following:
1) Increase in LDL Cholesterol: Some individuals may experience an increase in LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol. This increase could be due to higher consumption of saturated fats, which can sometimes be a part of low-carb diets.
2) Increase in HDL Cholesterol: Low-carb diets often lead to an increase in HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which is known as "good" cholesterol. Higher levels of HDL are generally associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
3) Changes in Triglycerides: Low-carb diets are typically effective at reducing triglycerides, which are a type of fat found in the blood. High levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease.
4) Individual Variation: The response to a low-carb diet can vary widely among individuals. Some people may see improvements in their cholesterol profile, while others might experience a rise in LDL cholesterol.
For those interested in understanding this phenomenon better, I recommend exploring resources like the fascinating blog Cholesterol Code, which dives deep into how diet affects cholesterol and other metabolic markers (and the writer is often his own guinea pig!).
To your vitality,
Lizanne