Triglycerides

[Aussieroaming]

After losing my 20 plus kgs in the last year I just had my cholesterol and trigilcerides checked, the latter result coming in at 869. Suffice to say I was a tad annoyed to have a result like that.

Can anyone suggest the best natural foods that I can take to bring the triglicerides down to a more acceptable Level.

I am still exercising but am a bit wary of over exerting myself incase I induce a heart attack.

So ideas of good oils and foods that will help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[JHolmesJr]

Curious about this…..did you lose those 20kg on a low carb high fat (and protein) diet.

I saw a guy do that for a month in a documentary called Cereal Killers….he was frying bacon in butter for breakfast almost every other day.

At the end of it he lost a lot of weight but his cholesterol was up…..heres the interesting part…..they measured the particle size of his cholesterol and said that none of them were "small particles"…apparently those are the ones that jam the arteries. He was, like, ohhh I'm so relieved.

I have no idea what all this means but i just can't see an upside to eating bacon fried in butter everyday.

Edited October 11, 2015 by JHolmesJr

[Sheryl]

Before getting too tied up in knots over this you might want to consider a repeat test. Lab errors do happen. What was your prior result?

If your triglycerides are truly elevated despite diet and exercise, and if your cholesterol levels are normal, you may have familial hypertriglyceridemia. This is genetic and will not respond to diet or exercise, it requires medication. Suggest you consult an endinocrinologist specializing in dyslipidemias. But do get the repeat check first unless your prior levels were also in that high a range.

[Aussieroaming]

Thanks Sheryl, my triglyceride and cholesterol results were both elevated on repeat tests.

For the previous poster, I lost the weight simply by exercise, avoiding fried foods and stopping alcohol, so no weird diets. I was above 115kg a year ago and today weighed 89, which on someone 6'1" is reasonable without being skinny.

Last December I had my cholesterol taken and it was normal,hence my surprise that it is now elevated.

I have been eating a lot of bread this last 4 months that was previously not in my diet and I was wondering if that might have upset my internal chemistry.

[DogNo1]

Well, recent research has shown that high cholesterol levels are caused by eating a lot of carbohydrates, not fat. Eating fat usually causes higher HDL levels, which is considered good. There are loads of references online. See the Time magazine issue with the cover that says "Eat Butter." There is a book on Amazon entitled "The Big Fat Surprise." You can also reference videos from UC San Francisco on YouTube. There are also the websites of Dr. Schwarzbein and the site with a huge amount of information, spacedoc.org. Personally, I keep my intake of fat moderate because of my arthritis, not for heart health reasons. Dr. Schwarzbein, a diabetes specialist, found that her patients got better when they ditched their low-fat diets. Foods marked "low-fat" are to be avoided because of the chemicals, sugars, transfats and unhealthy oils that they often contain.

But don't take my word for it. Read the research and reports. BTW, my triglyceride levels have been moderately high all of my life (130-150) and no kind of diet will lower them but 869 is a terribly high number. You may need special medication. Or maybe just ditch the bread. Good luck!

[Srikcir]

"eating a lot of bread"

Was that bread whole grain or "white" bread?

This from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/can-carbohydrates-raise-cholesterol-5983.html

Whole grains are a source of unprocessed flours that contain dietary fiber, and fiber is a carbohydrate that is indigestible in your small intestine. Fiber slows the entire process of starch and sugar digestion, as well as glucose absorption and its subsequent conversion through glycolysis to acetyl coenzyme A. For this reason, it is important to include unprocessed whole-grain carbohydrates in your diet in place of refined grain and sugar products. Consuming a diet rich in complex carbohydrates and indigestible fiber from whole-grain and other plant-based sources will lower the likelihood that you will develop a high blood LDL cholesterol level and cardiovascular disease.

[h90]

Curious about this…..did you lose those 20kg on a low carb high fat (and protein) diet.

I saw a guy do that for a month in a documentary called Cereal Killers….he was frying bacon in butter for breakfast almost every other day.

At the end of it he lost a lot of weight but his cholesterol was up…..heres the interesting part…..they measured the particle size of his cholesterol and said that none of them were "small particles"…apparently those are the ones that jam the arteries. He was, like, ohhh I'm so relieved.

I have no idea what all this means but i just can't see an upside to eating bacon fried in butter everyday.

Just to add when I ate no carbs (as low carbs as possible) only fat and protein, my triglyceride levels were complete normal and OK. So obviously it didn't elevate it.

So the logic thinking that eating more fat causes more fat in the blood does not work.

[h90]

Thanks Sheryl, my triglyceride and cholesterol results were both elevated on repeat tests.

For the previous poster, I lost the weight simply by exercise, avoiding fried foods and stopping alcohol, so no weird diets. I was above 115kg a year ago and today weighed 89, which on someone 6'1" is reasonable without being skinny.

Last December I had my cholesterol taken and it was normal,hence my surprise that it is now elevated.

I have been eating a lot of bread this last 4 months that was previously not in my diet and I was wondering if that might have upset my internal chemistry.

Most probably you know and my posting is useless.....

After your last meal your triglyceride levels are elevated for some time, so it is important that you didn't eat anything a long time before they take your blood. Don't know how long 6 hours? 10?

[jmd8800]

I'll toss out something that really surprised me living here in Chiang Mai. I generally eat a western style breakfast of eggs and bacon or some variation of an omelette and toast. The rest of the day is mostly Thai food. Usually rice based dishes as I cannot digest noodles well anymore. I rarely eat in western restaurants. Most of the time I eat in small Thai places that walk up to the local market to buy their ingredients.

After 3 months of eating this way and an increase in walking (as I no longer drive a car), my combined cholesterol dropped 30 or so points. I think this is probably due in large part to fresh, unprocessed foods.

[loppylugs1]

Doc put me on combined fiberate/statin regime fair while ago,stopped the statin just went on fibrates,worked well

[h90]

I'll toss out something that really surprised me living here in Chiang Mai. I generally eat a western style breakfast of eggs and bacon or some variation of an omelette and toast. The rest of the day is mostly Thai food. Usually rice based dishes as I cannot digest noodles well anymore. I rarely eat in western restaurants. Most of the time I eat in small Thai places that walk up to the local market to buy their ingredients.

After 3 months of eating this way and an increase in walking (as I no longer drive a car), my combined cholesterol dropped 30 or so points. I think this is probably due in large part to fresh, unprocessed foods.

Depends on which Thai places...here some, fry the rice in palm oil...it is soaked in oil. If I eat it, it stays like a stone in my stomach....

While obviously others cook good.

[Aussieroaming]

Thanks for the replies...my understanding is that some oils are good, so I was scoffing black olives with that bread and cooking with olive oil to. Not too sure if that was the cause.

I fasted for about 12 hours before the blood test, so I am pretty certain that I was clear in regards to the fasting component.

Anyway I think my big concern is a sudden heart attack due to clogged arteries. I've had an ECG and a separate stress test ECG and the heart is fine, so I'm hoping I can turn this back around by dropping my weight down to 80kg or so, at least that's the new target.

Cheers again.

[Sheryl]

Thanks Sheryl, my triglyceride and cholesterol results were both elevated on repeat tests.

For the previous poster, I lost the weight simply by exercise, avoiding fried foods and stopping alcohol, so no weird diets. I was above 115kg a year ago and today weighed 89, which on someone 6'1" is reasonable without being skinny.

Last December I had my cholesterol taken and it was normal,hence my surprise that it is now elevated.

I have been eating a lot of bread this last 4 months that was previously not in my diet and I was wondering if that might have upset my internal chemistry.

I thought it was only the triglycerides that were now elevated?

Could you list the actual results, with dates, for triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol? starting from before you lost the weight until now. That will help to indicate if the current results are plausible. And also what type of dyslipidemia (if any) you may have.

[Aussieroaming]

Sorry Sheryl, my total cholesterol was 360, I can't find my specific LDL and HDL results but when I looked at them they were both flagged as out of range, with the HDL being too low and the LDL being too high. The strange thing being that 10 months ago my cholesterol levels were within the normal range and I tested again in April and the cholesterol was slightly above normal, then last month the result was ridiculous. So it's really since April that the cholesterol seems to have spiralled out of control. Luckily this year I have had four work medicals, so have been able to see it rise from normal range to the present.

[Aussieroaming]

Hi Sheryl

Results from November 2014

Total cholesterol - 230

Triglicerides - 130

results from April 2015 were

HDL - 45

LDL - 195

Triglicerides - 374

Total - 278

And as I said the one from September is 869 for Triglicerides. I have asked work to send me another copy of my other results from the latest tests, but all indications is that for some reason my cholesterol is ramping up this

Cheers

[lgking]

I just yesterday happen to catch this short video on cholesterol.

For what it's worth...

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/optimal-cholesterol-level/

Edited October 13, 2015 by lgking

[NickJ]

Cholesterol.......Is only found in animal products. It makes up a very important part of our cell walls. Your body can overproduce it and you can test off the charts without any dietary ingestion.....If this is indeed your case you need the right Dr to prescribe the correct medicine in the correct dosage.

[Sheryl]

Hi Sheryl

Results from November 2014

Total cholesterol - 230

Triglicerides - 130

results from April 2015 were

HDL - 45

LDL - 195

Triglicerides - 374

Total - 278

And as I said the one from September is 869 for Triglicerides. I have asked work to send me another copy of my other results from the latest tests, but all indications is that for some reason my cholesterol is ramping up this

Cheers

I take it your fasting blood sugar was normal?

Are you taking any type of medication regularly?

Alcohol consumption? (can rapidly raise cholesterol and triglycerides)

Smoking?

In terms of dietary intake the biggest culprit for a dramatic spike in triglycerides is not usually fats bit rather carbohydrates (inlcuding alcohol, bread, pastas, sweets etc). Suggest you cut out the bread and all other processed carbs and then repeat the labs after a month or two of that. Also cut out all alcohol except for maybe a glass of wine a day.

[Tolley]

You might want to add fish oil and/or a tablespoon of cold pressed organic flaxseed oil to your daily routine.

[JHolmesJr]

Of course the benefits of unprocessed coconut oil to control LDL cannot be understated since it contains medium chain triglycerides (as opposed to the long chain variety).

Worth reading up on the subject.

[Aussieroaming]

Cheers again all, I'll follow relevant advise, cut out the problem foods and try and add some good oils to my diet. This could be closed now, I think I've got the information I need.

Thanks

[WitawatWatawit]

There are reputedly some natural products that can help to reduce cholesterol. I have tried two of them (Kuding tea and moringa tablets - taken every day) along with oats (3-4 times a week), and this regime seems to be working better than statins (I had to opt out of them because of the physical side effects).

I say "seems" because I have only had one test since I began this course and the blood test result was the best in a year (HDL 56, LDL 75, trig 121, overall 164). While on the statins, I was outside the limits continually (but I was not eating oats for breakfast).

Which one of the three - Kuding tea, moringa, oats - is doing the trick, I can't say - I'm still experimenting, but clearly the oats are a major factor - I also have a strong feeling (and that's all it is at this stage) that the Kuding tea is a very big help.

[Sheryl]

Increased fiber (as in oats) is known to help.

[h90]

Increased fiber (as in oats) is known to help.

I read apples also help...but never verified the information...so don't trust without checking.

[ronz28]

Sounds like there me be an excess of sugar in the body from surprising sources like one can of Coca-Cola, etc. http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/2015/07/30/coca-cola-effects-body/30876263/ I suspect most fruit drinks from sidewalk vendors, etc. have sugar added to them too. Cooks may also throw in a little sugar to cut the super spicy standard jar of curry or other Thai spice, etc. when serving someone who wants a lower spice level.

[Thailand J]

I have reduced my triglyceride level from 372 to 180 in one month, Aug 14 to Sept 15, by taking 300mg gemfibrozil every other day, instead of the recommended 600mg everyday. I should get another test soon. I felt very mild side effects only at the start: nausea, muscle ache. I hope I wont get gall stone from this.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Thailand J

[Aussieroaming]

Thanks, I've never heard of gemfibrozil

[Sheryl]

It is one of many drugs used to treat elevated blood lipids which do not respond to dietary/lifestyle measures.

I do not recommend self-prescribing this. See an endocrinologist specializing in metabolic syndrome/dyslipidemias.

[Thailand J]

Gemfibrozil/ Lopid is a type of fibrate. Statins and fibrates are the only two meds for cholesterols that I know of and their side effects can be terrible. It was given to me by a doctor at Banglamung hospital with a recommendation of 600mg per day. I went to see another doctor who thought 300mg per day was enough, so I started taking 300mg every other day.

[rott]

What are the side effects of statins? I have been taking them for five or six years and my "bad" cholesterol is down from 166to 70 but I do keep reading about side effects.