Atkins Diet and Cholesterol: Facts and myths
* First my apologies that Pinnacle Studios screwed up the audio – video sync at the end (7:40). I tried redoing the video three times, but the same out of sync happened each time.*
In this video, I deal with another one of the myths that Atkins Diet increases one’s cholesterol level due to its saturated fats. This misconception has been proven false over and over in many different studies. At very least, here is my anecdotal evidence.
My Cholesterol (Starting to Now)
Total Cholesterol – 198 to 153
LDL cholesterol – 148 to 95
HDL Cholesterol – 35 to 58
Triglycerides – 135 to 43
What’s Good and Bad?
http://cholesterol.emedtv.com/hdl/hdl-ldl-ratio.html
“It is the ratio between the level of HDL-”good” cholesterol and total cholesterol that we need to be concerned about. Therefore, in adults, the HDL-”good” cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio should be higher than 0.24 (just divide your HDL level by your cholesterol).
Generally speaking, the higher the ratio, the better (the lower your risk of a heart attack).”
Mine – .61
This popular medical belief ignores however that all LDL molecules are not necessarily created equal.
“It appears common for people with high triglycerides to have low HDL’s, and these same people also tend to have high levels of clotting factors in their blood stream, which is unhealthy in protecting against heart disease.
Therefore, in adults, the triglyceride/HDL-”good” cholesterol ratio should be below 2 (just divide your triglycerides level by your HDL). Or more precisely, the triglyceride/HDL ratio:
2 or less is considered ideal
4 – high
6 – much too high”
Mine – .74
It is now believed that the triglycerides/HDL ratio is one of the most potent predictors of heart disease.
A Harvard-lead study author reported:
“High triglycerides alone increased the risk of heart attack nearly three-fold. And people with the highest ratio of triglycerides to HDL — the “good” cholesterol — had 16 times the risk of heart attack as those with the lowest ratio of triglycerides to HDL in the study of 340 heart attack patients and 340 of their healthy, same age counterparts.
The ratio of triglycerides to HDL was the strongest predictor of a heart attack, even more accurate than the LDL/HDL ratio. (Circulation 1997;96:2520-2525).”
Other Studies, which prove to healthy nature of Atkins or Low Carb in respect to heart health:
* Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12106620
“The low-carbohydrate group consumed the smallest amount of carbohydrates and the largest amounts of fat, protein. … The mean weight loss was 2.9 kg for the low-fat group, and 4.7 kg for the low-carbohydrate group. … The relative reduction in the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 20% in the low-carbohydrate group and 12% in the low-fat group”
* Effect of 6-month adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program.
Am J Med. 2002 Jul;113(1):30-6.
“Serum total cholesterol level decreased 11 +/- 26 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level decreased 10 +/- 25 mg/dL, triglyceride level decreased 56 +/- 45 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level increased 10 +/- 8 mg/dL, and the cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio decreased 0.9 +/- 0.6 units.”
* Comparison of high-fat and high-protein diets with a high-carbohydrate diet in insulin-resistant obese women.
Diabetologia, 2005 (Vol. 48) (No. 1) 8-16
These observations suggest that the popular diets reduced insulin resistance to a greater extent than the standard dietary advice did. When compared with the HC diet, the HF and HP diets were shown to produce significantly greater reductions in several parameters, including weight loss, waist circumference and triglycerides. LDL cholesterol decreased in individuals on the HC and HP diets.Of those on the HF diet, 25% showed a more than 10% increase in LDL cholesterol, whereas this occurred in only 13% of subjects on the HC diet and 3% of those on the HP diet.
Duration : 0:9:17
May 12 2010 10:00 pm | cholesterol diet
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
@TheMslara26 That’s …
@TheMslara26 That’s what I am here for — correcting misconceptions, and providing my reality to the conversation. People are amazed that my LDL actually dropped 50 points on Atkins.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
interesting info; …
interesting info; had not heard that cholesterol myth before, and i always assumed your cholesterol would skyrocket on the atkins diet.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Fleiva, LDL is not …
Fleiva, LDL is not bad cholesterol. It’s called low density lipoprotein, which is a molecule that carries cholesterol. It is NOT cholesterol.
That’s like looking at a school bus and calling it a child. The bus is what carries the child.
Cholesterol is ONLY good for you. The idea that cholesterol is a cause of heart disease is a complete myth created by Ancel Keys in the 1950s.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Yes, I went from …
Yes, I went from 148 to less than 100 mmol LDL. There is also new research that the Friedewald calculations to enumerate LDL when triglycerides are below 100 actually overstates them as well based upon two studies (Iranian and American), My cholesterol could not be better as of my last physical in December.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
is it true that if …
is it true that if you lower ur bad cholesterol..its easier to increased it fast with bad consequeses..!!
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Not on Induction, …
Not on Induction, but you can add it afterwords. Cocoa and unsweetened chcocolate are allowed, but the cocoa butter even in 86% make it a weight for OWL food item.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Thats great, mine …
Thats great, mine was similar to what your’s was 38 so this is a big inspiration to get to those levels.
Is Dark Chocolate allowed on the Atkins Diet? I usually have like 1 or 2 squares of the 86% Cacao a day for its HDL raising benefits.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I only check my …
I only check my cholesterol annually, so it only took one year to recognize that change. It may have actually happened sooner than that.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Hi, Great video! Do …
Hi, Great video! Do you recall how long it took for your HDL to go from 35 to 58. I am trying to get my HDL up there like yours.
Thanks in advance.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
they cut out simple …
they cut out simple carbs..
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
actually the better …
actually the better question is how does the age of death connect to cholesterol level. low cholesterol levels are also associated with increased cancer risk. i don’t dismiss high cholesterol as potentially a sign of something wrong, but saying that someone will die because of high cholesterol levels (and therefore poison them with drugs) is like saying a person with a brain tumour dies because of the headache it creates. people with “perfect cholesterol levels” have bypass surgery. why?
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
That “50% of people …
That “50% of people that have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels.” is not an argument that supports your claim that there is no connection between cholesterol and heart disease. The interesting correlation is: how common is heart disease among those whose cholesterol levels are high vs low.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
i agree totally. i …
i agree totally. i was referring to cholesterol levels not intake. if we consume lots of cholesterol our liver will produce less. i agree high cholesterol levels are a sign. considering the many roles cholesterol plays in our body, not the least of which is as an anti-oxidant. levels matter, but as you suggest, as a symptom, not a cause. it no more causes heart attacks than headaches cause brain tumours. and thanks for your vids and your honesty. a good dose of motivation for me.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I recognized that …
I recognized that in the video where I questioned the validity of cholesterol tests or which ones were important. Dietary Cholesterol is not the issue, and cholesterol rations (either HDLC ratios or in comparison to trig-) are only symptomatic of the underlying issue.
I am not willing to totally ignore extremely high (275+) cholesterol, but I would hope their doctors would determine the causality of the problem / inflammation.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
try googling …
try googling cholesterol myth… there’s no connection between cholesterol and heart disease. 50% of people that have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
The more stories I …
The more stories I hear about this where ppl are notified only upon deficit or problems to go low carb I am more convinced that the 300g or more most ppl get could be causing a whole host of unrecognized problems.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Good one Kent! When …
Good one Kent! When I went to the doctor for irregular beats, the first thing my doctor said was, cut caffiene (check) and cut the CARBS! (check) He told me its hard on every organ when your body is trying to balance itself constantly from sugar… good thing I was used to low carb anyways! lol
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
My cholesterol on …
My cholesterol on Atkins was fine except for the time I got tested when I ate a lot of whole eggs. The cholesterol in them screwed me up (my LDL went up 40 points!), but I could eat all the fat I wanted and was fine.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I just had my …
I just had my cholesterol checked and I have been on low carb for 4 and a half years. My cholesterol was picture perfect. I eat lots of fat, very low carbs (legal stuff)
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Unfortunately, …
Unfortunately, unless you know a college student who can buy on a campus for a discount, the best you can do for retail software is amazon or ebay, but it sure beats buying at full ripping retail. Looking forward to more vids. Continued success!
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Dr. Atkins …
Dr. Atkins typically recommends getting tested when you start and at minimum 6 months after you start. At this point for you, I might only get tested if I was getting tested or having a physical done for another reason. The only reason I get tested is the annual physical — until you hear differently, I would not start worrying.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Awesome. I turned …
Awesome. I turned 16 recently and have been on this diet for about a year now. So my cholesterol is safe right? When would i have to worry?
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
This one really …
This one really irritated me as I don’t often buy $100+ software, but Studio was supposed to be good or the best. After this video experience, I highly doubt it. I demo’ed Sony Vegas and found it unfriendly.
I might have to go to the Adobe route, but $4-600 is absolutely the next step up.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I use Adobe …
I use Adobe premiere and haven’t had sync issues. Thanks for your videos!