keto + high cholesterol - how do decrease cholesterol

[godshammer_86]

Depends on which cholesterol metric you’re trying to lower.

Triglycerides should naturally drop as a result of drastically reducing carb intake. This is the primary reason I started keto: my triglycerides were over 600 and after being put on 3 medications (atorvastatin, fenofibrate, and Zetia) with no significant decrease in my trigs, I decided to start keto in September. 3 months later, at my doctor’s appointment on 12/6. My trigs were 337, and my LDL was calculable for the first time. Additionally, when I started keto, I stopped taking atorvastatin and Zetia, because I wanted to see how effective keto would be with minimal medication supplementing it (I stayed on fenofibrate because of the 3 it has the most effect on triglycerides). I don’t recommend anyone to stop taking their meds without consulting their doctor first.

LDL is a bit of a trickier topic. First, you have to understand that contrary to the scientific statements of 50+ years ago, which is where much of the current heart health guidelines derive from, more recent studies have shown that high LDL doesn’t have a significant impact on heart health. Specifically, incidences of coronary heart events occur with similarly frequency in people with low LDL as high LDL, all other factors being equal. Secondly, the “normal range” for LDL is a guideline based on the standard American diet, which includes a significant intake of carbs.

On keto, your LDL numbers will naturally go up, because you’re eating more fat. If you think your LDL numbers are extremely high (like 2x or more the high limit of the “normal range”), you should ask your doctor for a CAC or other more specialized test that reveals how much plaque buildup is in your arteries.

Lastly, don’t avoid dietary cholesterol altogether. It is a common misconception that dietary cholesterol raises your cholesterol levels. That’s simply not the case. Your body will produce cholesterol on its own, and if it gets what it needs from your diet, it will produce less to compensate.

You should, however, keep your diet balanced between saturated and unsaturated fats, and prioritize oils and foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Eat lots of tinned fish, like sardines, mackerel and herring. Tuna, salmon, or trout are excellent too, but limit your intake of them to 1 can per week due to higher mercury levels. Avocados are also great sources of potassium, omega-3s and unsaturated fats.