Hi

I've been following this WOE to the letter the last two months or so, and have nearly hit my target. I feel great. I'm planning on having my cholesterol checked at the three month point.

I've read a few posts here lately (and on other newsgroups) from people who've had their cholesterol go up instead of down. I have a long running problem of heart disease in my family, and I kind of looked at this as a sure fix, along with the bonus of the weight loss. I can say that I've honestly been scared the last week or so from some of these posts, and some of the stuff the media has put out. I read one report that said that cholesterol will go down, but then up again??? I'm loving the results when I look in the mirror, but get a bit nervous when I eat an egg.

Maybe I haven't done enough research...does this really work for the majority of people (as far as heart disease and diabetes is concerned)?? I know it does for weight loss. I just want to feel confident again that what I am doing is as good for my health as for my waistline.

Thanks for any encouragement...

Jen

Jen:

I'm one of those people who got a positive result from low-carbing--around 160 cholesterol now, with HDL and triglycerides both coming in at 70. The current thinking is that a 1:1 ratio of HDL:tri is just wonderful! However, it's just the current thinking, and may be dead wrong. According to Ravnskov and others who have researched the medical literature, there is precious little evidence that cholesterol levels can predict heart disease at all. In women over 65, for instance, the lower the cholesterol levels, the greaterthe risk of heart attack--not a piece of information that the popular press tells us, eh? Most of the cholesterol in your blood is manufactured by your liver, in any case, and does not come from the foods you eat.
Further, no matter what the correlations between any blood work number and any health result, there is no way to know if that number somehow causes the result. Correlation is not causation. In other words, I'd advise you not to fret. If you feel good on LC, stick to it.

As to eggs...if you buy organic eggs from free-range chickens, there is still cholesterol in them, but the ratio of omega 3:6 fatty acids is actually better than the ratio of those fatty acids in farmed salmon! (source: USDA data base) Again, as far as they know now, this ratio can tell you how heart-healthy the fats in any food are. If you continue to worry, you might want to read the new Protein Power Life Plan or Emig for info about healthier fats, but in general, the advice is to eat more vegetable fats (avacados, olive oil) and organic eggs and free-range meat.

Jen.. ditto what razzle said.. plus.. I was worried also since I did not have mine checked recently prior to LC. BUT posts I have seen show peoples levels rise and then overtime drop!!! I think (my opinion only) high chloesterol has to do with how the body uses High Carb and High Fat at the same time...ie if your body is using your carbs as fuel. .it is storing your fat in your body.. arteries and blood.. So during the transition.. I imagine there might be a spike high.. and then normalization after you have eaten LC for a while...

Take care

Ramona