When I started Atkins my total cholesteral was around 240 it has dropped to 144. I was very happy and excited about this intill I started reading articles on the dangers of low cholesteral. Read this article and let me know what you think.http://vanderbiltowc.wellsource.com...tent.asp?ID=389

I'm not sure I'd buy that right off the bat. The Cancer can be attributed to an excess intake of Plant Linoleic Acid. Linoleic Acid lowers Cholesterol. Vegans [who eat alot of Plant Linoleic Acid and Carbohydrates] tend to have very low total Cholesterol [<160,] so it seems to reason in my mind that there may be some connection between an excess intake these foods and the problems associated with Low Cholesterol.

I don't place too much faith in the medical establishment's ability to discern cause and effect. Remember these are the same folks that concluded Dietary Fat causes Diabetes and Obesity causes High Cholesterol. They all too often mistake the symptom for the cause. A symptom of an unhealthy [Hi-Plant LA/Hi-Carb] Vegan diet is very low cholesterol. So, it stands to reason that the cause may in fact be an excess of these two items.

Non-Dairy Creamer [and a number of other Vegan foods] contain Trans-Fat which significantly lowers HDL. Grain also lowers HDL. Very Low HDL, even with low total Cholesterol is bad for you. Plus these folks tend to consume an excess of Sodium.

My theory is that the diet that normally brings about such low cholesterol readings is an entirely unhealthy one...and that the medical establishment may well be mistaking the symptom of low cholesterol for the cause.

My cholesterol has always been very low. The highest it has ever been was 177 and that was when I weighed 330 lbs and was very unhealthy. It is currently 122 and my diet is mostly saturated fat, with at least 4 eggs per day, lots of red meat with all the fat, lots of butter. I have read from several other sources that low cholesterol causes these problems, but I have no idea how to raise them. I am definetaly a case where dietary cholesterol has no effect on blood cholesterol. I am concerened about this but dont know what to do about it. My doctor thinks my levels are great. I did have a problem where my HDL levels were too low, but after I eliminated hydrogenated vegetable oils from my diet, those levels came up to an acceptable level. I doubt that there has been any research about how to raise cholesterol levels by the medical comunity.

I've always had a low cholesterol level (135) and I'm healthy, as far as I can tell. Since I'm eating healthy meats and veggies, I won't worry about a number.

thanks Im not going to worry to much about it either.

I also have very low cholesterol (110-135)
Its actually surprising since my family tends towards high cholesterol.
I used to read up about it to see if it was harmful
I found it is linked to clinical depression supposedly.
I am not sure if I believe everything in that article. I will read up some more about it.

The article suggests fish and fish oils to raise your numbers. Have you tried these? They would be allowed on Atkins and it might be enough to bring your levels up to an acceptable range. BTW...are you having any anxiety or depression or any of the problems mentioned? If not, I probably wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying over it. Congratulations on your success! Way to go with the weight loss!

I'm not sure there is anything to worry about there.
By the way, did you notice the article in the "related articles" section on healthy cholesterol.
If you read it, it states HEALTHY total cholesteral levels are less than 160! The site is contradicting itself. I don't think either article was written by a medical dr. either.

I take atkins essential oils,I have been taking them from day one. Im not going to worry about it. Maybe I will eat more fish and see if it helps a bit.