Statins / Ketogenic diet

[cooked]

I have been googling around this subject since I got a reported 126mg/dl blood sugar result last Friday. The guy gave me statins and as many know, statins have been receiving a bad press recently As far as I can work out, statins reduce the blood sugar levels but don't cure the underlying problem, as well as inflicting all sorts of problems on the patient. I don't want to start down that road.

So much reading and viewing has led me to the Ketogenic diet as a possibility, which promises to lower blood sugar levels, lower LDL and raise HDL.

For the time being I am now on this diet, which basically is a low carb, high fat diet and exercising (age 70... going for a dawn run every day). I plan to by a blood sugar meter.

 

Anybody else have experience with this regime, which I had never heard of before Monday? I'm supposed to be going back to the hospital in January, which won't be happening as I won't have been taking the statins.

 

 

[BB1958]

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-regenerate-coenzyme-q10-coq10-naturally/ This and many others backed by real science...

[Oxx]

I think you may be confused.  Statins are prescribed for high cholesterol levels - not high blood sugar levels.

 

Your blood sugar level is high, but just within the normal range.  Given your age, medication is probably unnecessary, as is an extreme diet.  Perhaps just cut back a bit on the carbohydrates and eat more vegetables.

[Sheryl]

Yes, there is some confusion. Either what you got was nto a statin, or it was given for a different reason e.g. high triglyceride or LDL cholesterol.

 

To be clear, post the name of the medication you were given and also your triglyceride, LDL and HDL results.

 

For a fasting blood glucose of 126, simple lifestyle measures will usually suffice, at least for a while. These would be increased physical activity and improved diet.

 

Diet: No need at all for going to an extreme like a keto diet (and may be a very bad idea if, as the medication given suggests, you also have elevated lipids). Just avoid/minimize processed carbs, eat less starches and more vegetables, switch from white rice to brown and white bread to whole wheat etc. 

 

Increased physical activity: while a regular exercise program is ideal many people just can't stick with it.  Recent studies have found that even small amounts of moderate activity are beneficial. The best exercise regimen is the one you can actual stick with over the long term. If you can jog or work out regularly great, but if not anything that has you up and moving more is good. It can be as simple as taking the stairs rather than elevator, getting on and off the BTS one stop before your usual one, etc etc. I walk up and down my 80m driveway 6 times each day at a brisk pace and that simple measure has made a big difference. Whatever works for you, but don't feel like it has to be regular gym workouts or nothing.

[cooked]

Thanks Sheryl!

He spent most of the consultation talking about borderline diabetes so although I spent a few days on google I didn't register the fact that statins are for cholesterol.

Anyway:

HDL  50

LDL  160

Triwatsits  161. 

These are my results from 18 months ago so I assume things have worsened since then, he didn't give me a copy of the lab last time.

Medicament: Xarator 40 mg tablets, Atorvastatin.

 

I think I'll carry on with the Keto for the time being, seems like fun, but will switch to a low carb diet. I never eat white bread but really miss my potatoes/

God bless.

 

 

[FracturedRabbit]

Appalling that you should be given statins; they seem to have replaced antibiotics as the default drug to throw at patients. As far as I have read, they will nothing to reduce your triwatsits. Also terrible that you were not given a copy of your results so you could make your own choices.

 

For what it is worth, I have been on a keto diet for the last year. In my case it is part of my strategy to deal with cardiovascular disease (I was also given statins, threw them out). My trigs are down to 63 and my HDL is 89.  My blood sugar is 81, 2 hours after a meal.  

I enjoy eating this way, have lost weight, and feel fantastic; but adaption is a hard couple of weeks and you really have to want to do it (and give up potatoes!).

[JAS21]

3 hours ago, FracturedRabbit said:

Appalling that you should be given statins; they seem to have replaced antibiotics as the default drug to throw at patients. As far as I have read, they will nothing to reduce your triwatsits. Also terrible that you were not given a copy of your results so you could make your own choices.

 

For what it is worth, I have been on a keto diet for the last year. In my case it is part of my strategy to deal with cardiovascular disease (I was also given statins, threw them out). My trigs are down to 63 and my HDL is 89.  My blood sugar is 81, 2 hours after a meal.  

I enjoy eating this way, have lost weight, and feel fantastic; but adaption is a hard couple of weeks and you really have to want to do it (and give up potatoes!).

And your LDL is ...

Edited October 20, 2018 by JAS21

[FracturedRabbit]

4 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

And your LDL is ...

211

LDL tends to rise with keto; but it's not a concern (to me).

 

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/6/e010401

 

 

 

 

[JAS21]

19 minutes ago, FracturedRabbit said:

211

LDL tends to rise with keto; but it's not a concern (to me).

 

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/6/e010401

 

 

 

 

I have previously read that study ...unfortunately I am classed as high risk and have been on Statins since 1993 ... yep my body aches somewhat but thereagain do others of my age have the same problem ..at least I'm still alive ...can swim 1Km each day ...play golf but of course always let my wife win ...????

 

Enjoy ...

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, cooked said:

Thanks Sheryl!

He spent most of the consultation talking about borderline diabetes so although I spent a few days on google I didn't register the fact that statins are for cholesterol.

Anyway:

HDL  50

LDL  160

Triwatsits  161. 

These are my results from 18 months ago so I assume things have worsened since then, he didn't give me a copy of the lab last time.

Medicament: Xarator 40 mg tablets, Atorvastatin.

 

I think I'll carry on with the Keto for the time being, seems like fun, but will switch to a low carb diet. I never eat white bread but really miss my potatoes/

God bless.

 

 

Your LDL is high and your triglycerides are borderline high. Hence the statins but you can certainly try diet and exercise first.  Reduced processed carb intake should help with both lipids and blood sugar. 

 

Within the keto diet, try to steer more towards the unsaturated rather than saturated fats e.g. fish, avocados. Some saturated is OK but some people on keto diets way overdo it.

[Kohsamida]

For anyone on a ketogenic diet, you probably appreciate the benefits of using MCT oil as a healthy source of dietary fat that enhances ketosis and also provides fuel directly to the brain since it readily crosses the blood brain barrier.  If you're doing Keto and not familiar with it, you should be!

 

Truth is, it's good for any type of caloric-restriction diet since it will greatly minimize metabolic slowdown.

 

What you may not realize is that many brands of MCT Oil are really only coconut oil even though the label may be worded as "MCT Coconut oil". 

 

Most brands of coconut oil predominantly contain 50% C12 (Lauric acid) which is the least healthy of the four main medium chain fatty acids, and current research correlates C12 with raised LDL cholesterol levels.

 

The healthiest medium chain fatty acid (and most effective for keto) is C8 (Caprylic acid), and it's really hard to find MCT Oil that is 100% C8 here in Thailand...but I found it (with the help of ThaiVisa moderator, Sheryl), and I just received it today.  It is 100% Caprylic acid (see label).

 

You can order it from Healtholicious.  Here is product picture and nutritional label:

  

Edited July 4, 2019 by Kohsamida

[FracturedRabbit]

If you are over 50, and otherwise metabolically healthy (high HDL, low trigs), then having a high LDL means you are less likely to die! Why would you want to lower it?