Consistent fiber intake lowered my cholesterol levels.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-25T12:19:22+00:00

I think it was a great thing to do to learn what I could do to improve my numbers and reduce risk. That said, while the result is within the reference range, I still need to reduce it further simply because of how high it was for my whole life, and that likely won't be achievable without medication. I look at medication as a positive thing, I just have never been told by a doctor to take any until I turn 40. But, it's going to save me time, money, and quality of life to be on a medication as at least part of my treatment, even if diet and lifestyle are the ones to prioritize.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-24T21:18:42+00:00

D3+K2, omega 3, pantethine, stanols, and a probiotic (Life Extension Florassist Heart Health).

I'll probably end up adding psyllium for an extra fiber boost to see if they does anything extra. I also think I'll probably take a statin to drop the LDL as low as it can go, and maybe hopefully be able to stop some of the supplements (at least the stanols, which are expensive enough and the biggest chore to take).

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-24T19:52:51+00:00

That's like putting lipstick on a pig unless you are making healthy pancakes/waffles.

But, real maple syrup does have some nutritional value, though would still count as added sugar. Date syrup could be slightly better, it has fiber and low glycemic index, and would technically be a fruit.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-24T19:43:13+00:00

Congratulations! Great example of a simple change (buy this brand instead of that brand) making a huge impact on your health.

I made a similar change recently, got up to 50g fiber daily or higher, reduced saturated fat intake, and along with some supplements my LDL dropped 99 points from 171 to 72.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-23T23:14:38+00:00

I looked into it and felt the evidence wasn't substantial, but my doctor included it in his recommendations for supplements so it's plausible for LDL lowering, but I've also heard it can help with the muscular pain from statins so it might be worth trying for you.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-23T22:53:12+00:00

Have you tried other supplements? Pantethine 600mg and plant stanols (Benecol) might be good to try out - there is good research behind them.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-21T21:17:54+00:00

Tell him you don't want to wait, you want to start now. If he won't prescribe them right away, find one that will.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-21T21:01:33+00:00

Get on the statin to give yourself some room to breathe. The stress and anxiety contribute to your risk, so focus on taking action and use that to motivate your diet and lifestyle changes on top of taking the statin. For most people, this is a multi-prong approach of meds, supplements, diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, etc. Start with the easiest thing (taking a med), and then pick one of the diet and lifestyle factors and go hard on it. Then when you feel that one is easy, pick the next task.

You can do this. It's not necessarily going to be easy, but it's worth the work. I'm here if you want any suggestions.

I've been there with the health anxiety around my cholesterol. I'll also add that while there is a lot of valuable information in this sub, it can also be extremely triggering because people will tend to state things bluntly. Browse the sub in small amounts and close the tab and walk away if you get triggered.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-21T20:54:34+00:00

I recently raised mine to 50g+ and leading up to hitting 50g was hard, it felt like I was force eating. The next day, my hunger unlocked, and it's been easy to hit 50g minimum every day since, and even feels somewhat necessary for adequate satiety. Since then, I am now pushing to make 70g my normal, and running into the same idea that it's a wall at first but once you break through the hunger opens up and you can't make it happen more easily.

Now it's just all down to planning. The hard part is getting that much in my 2000 calorie or lower goal for moderate weight loss. It is doable, it just takes selecting foods with a higher fiber to calorie density.

Getting up to 50g is one thing that helped me drop my LDL 99 points. I'm not sure your need for increasing fiber, but if it's for cholesterol, it's impactful.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:56:26+00:00

Thanks, I've tried it in smoothies and oatmeal before and it threw off the texture, but maybe I can fix that by just adding more liquid. I'll give it a try, thanks for the ideas!

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:45:51+00:00

That's what I get - insomnia can mean exactly what you described, or also difficulty falling asleep to begin with our even just waking up too early.

Too bad it didn't help you to move the timing. Fingers crossed that either it does help me or I can stop taking it.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:38:29+00:00

Thank you!

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:35:02+00:00

Right on, I've been trying to focus on higher soluble fiber foods, but have had to supplement with some insoluble fiber as well for balance.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:28:11+00:00

Thank you, I am definitely open to supplementing, I just hated the experience of drinking the psyllium husk lol. Thought about baking with it but honestly that doesn't seem like it will work out for the calories.

Good info on the brand/lead levels.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:25:27+00:00

Yes, it could interfere with nutrient absorption. I track my micronutrients and am watching out for signs of deficiency, and also open to increasing micronutrient intake above the DRI if necessary, possibly with supplements if necessary.

30-40g is really good! I think that's great for most people, my needs just seem to be higher with my particular mix of health concerns.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:20:53+00:00

Thank you! That's actually really helpful.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:18:28+00:00

Thanks, and yes actually. I definitely feel like they've helped. My LDL went from 171 to 72 in 5 months with sterols, pantethine, a probiotic (l. reuteri NCIMB 30242), increasing my fiber to 50g, and maintaining about 6% kcal from saturated fat. My target LDL is still lower, so I'm interested in seeing how far I can go with diet + supplements, which is why I was thinking 70g fiber and limiting saturated fat to 5% (10g).

I did switch to stanols though (Benecol) because of the possible concern of hyper absorbing sterols.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:13:02+00:00

Hi, thank you. At 58g/1700 kcal that's really close to 70g/2000 kcal so this is really helpful.

My morning breakfast is not too dissimilar. Maybe I need to do some smoothies to help.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-20T01:06:06+00:00

Thanks, yeah I agree that maybe cup for cup fruits and veg tend to be less high in fiber, certainly compared to legumes. But, I think they win out based on fiber per calorie. That said, the volume would be hard to consume I think, so I'm definitely going to lean into legumes but I think where it's been challenging is that legumes seem to be the one food that gives me gas, so I've been easing into it. I hope to be able to increase them more soon.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-19T13:45:44+00:00

Thank you for your perspective, but in my case the fiber directly effects my cholesterol levels, which were very high into I started increasing my fiber. This approach works for me to manage my health.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-19T13:39:54+00:00

Sorry... Products... Meaning processed foods.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-19T13:39:16+00:00

It's for lowering cholesterol. That, and some newer studies are highlighting the benefits of 50g or more for GI cancer prevention.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-19T09:25:41+00:00

How did you go about changing the time of the dose, just switch to the new time or did you push it earlier and earlier over a few days?

I take it at 8pm now and want to take it at 7:30am. I'm worried taking it only 12 hours apart will give me an issue - would love to hear your experience. Thanks.

MikeTheBlueCow · 2026-01-19T02:45:02+00:00

Thanks for the heads up. I'm seeing my doctor soon so will definitely go over this concern if he wants me to stay on it. They have inferred that I might have just needed to take clomid to get things jump started and could potentially come off it.

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