A recent review of almost 50 studies on nutrition suggests that a vegetarian or vegan diet can help lower levels of total and LDL cholesterol. The study found that such diets reduce levels of lipoprotein, which may contribute to heart disease. Plant-based diets have been shown to lower total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels when compared to omnivorous diets. Low-fat, plant-based regimens typically reduce LDL levels by about 15-30%.
A vegan superbowl made with fresh ingredients is a healthy option for those looking to eliminate meat. A vegan diet that’s low in processed foods and high in fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and plant-based oils can provide numerous health benefits, including better gut health and blood pressure.
In clinical trials, a plant-based vegetarian diet lowers LDL cholesterol by 12.2 mg/dL and reduces HDL cholesterol by 3.4 mg/dL compared to control groups following. By making mindful dietary changes and incorporating a variety of heart-healthy foods, cholesterol can be lowered.
While vegan diets contain no dietary cholesterol, people who follow them can still develop high cholesterol levels. Vegetarian diets are low in total fat and saturated fat, and high in fiber, all of which can help lower cholesterol levels. Eating more fiber-rich foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes can also help lower cholesterol levels.
📹 Do Some Vegans Have Naturally High Cholesterol? | Dr. Neal Barnard Live Q&A – Exam Room Podcast
Is it possible to eat a plant-based diet and still have high cholesterol? If that’s you, what should you do? Dr. Neal Barnard has …
Do vegetarians have lower HDL?
Since the 1950s, studies have shown that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is inversely correlated with coronary artery disease. However, there are conflicting data, with higher HDL cholesterol levels found in countries with more prevalent vascular disease. Vegetarian populations have lower HDL cholesterol levels compared to those consuming meat and butterfat. Switching to a heart-healthy diet can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and is often associated with HDL cholesterol reduction.
This can be confusing for patients with low HDL cholesterol levels or those who have read recent articles on HDL cholesterol. It is suggested that low HDL cholesterol in the setting of very low LDL cholesterol does not matter or is less important.
Why is my cholesterol high if I am a vegetarian?
Consuming fried and processed foods high in saturated and trans fats, as well as vegan desserts and cheeses made with coconut oil, palm oil, or partially hydrogenated oils, can increase LDL cholesterol levels. Excessive refined carbohydrate intake and genetic factors, such as familial hypercholesterolemia, can also contribute to elevated cholesterol levels. Physical inactivity, even with a vegan diet, can negatively affect cholesterol levels. Regular exercise can help increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which aids in removing cholesterol from the bloodstream and promoting heart health.
Excessive alcohol and smoking can also elevate triglyceride levels and reduce HDL levels, making arterial walls more susceptible to fatty deposits. Other underlying health conditions, such as hypothyroidism and chronic kidney disease, can disrupt the normal balance and processing of blood lipids. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is crucial for cardiovascular health and overall well-being. Lifestyle choices have a significant effect on cholesterol levels, and adopting preventive measures can positively influence cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of related health complications.
What can I do if my HDL is too high?
HDL cholesterol is not a disease that can be reduced by medications. To lower HDL cholesterol, reduce alcohol consumption and adopt a low-fat diet. Change your medication if you take statins or other drugs that raise HDL levels. Regular blood tests are recommended to monitor cholesterol levels. The frequency of cholesterol screening depends on factors like age, overall health, health history, and heart disease risk factors. Doctors generally recommend lipid panels.
How fast can a vegetarian diet lower cholesterol?
A study involving 20 articles found that vegetarian diets can decrease LDL-C, improve HbA1c levels, and lower body weight within six months. However, there was no significant relationship between plant-based diets and systolic blood pressure. This suggests that incorporating vegetarian patterns into a diet may be beneficial for those at high risk for cardiovascular disease. The study also revealed a clear relationship between a plant-based diet and reduced cardiometabolic risk. Therefore, it may be beneficial for those at greater cardiometabolic risk to try a modified plant-based diet.
Does avocado lower HDL?
Avocados are a rich source of nutrients and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which can improve HDL cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol quality. Consuming two servings of avocado per week can lower the risk of heart disease. Avocados are often associated with guacamole, but can also be added to salads, sandwiches, and raw vegetables. The Mediterranean diet, which replaces saturated fats with MUFAs, is considered heart-healthy.
What lowers HDL levels?
Low HDL cholesterol levels can be caused by various factors such as Tangier disease, familial combined hyperlipidemia, ApoA1 deficiency, metabolic syndrome, obesity, BMI greater than 25, smoking, insulin resistance, and medication use. HDL cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein, is a type of lipoprotein that circulates in the blood and helps transport fats, like cholesterol, to the cells that need them.
Lipoproteins help fats move through the body due to their chemical structure, preventing them from traveling alone. Both HDL and HDL cholesterol are commonly used to refer to these particles and their role in heart health.
Why is my cholesterol still high on a plant-based diet?
A vegan diet is a plant-based diet that is typically low in cholesterol, but some processed foods like faux meats and vegan cheeses, which are high in saturated fat and sodium, can raise cholesterol levels. Vegans can enjoy a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, soy and plant-based dairy alternatives, nut butters, and plant-based oils like olive and grapeseed. However, not all processed plant-food products may be healthy for those prone to high cholesterol. Some vegan processed foods, like faux meats and vegan cheeses, are high in saturated fat from coconut or palm oil, which can raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol levels.
Do eggs decrease HDL?
Research shows that consuming 6-12 eggs per week doesn’t negatively impact total blood cholesterol levels or heart disease risk factors in people with diabetes. Instead, it increases high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is considered good cholesterol as it removes other types of cholesterol from the blood. However, the LDL-to-HDL ratio, a biomarker used to assess heart disease risk, remains unchanged in egg-based breakfasts compared to egg-free meals.
What foods cause low HDL?
To maintain a healthy diet, avoid trans fats, which can increase LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol levels. Shortening foods like cakes and cookies, fried foods, and margarines often contain trans fats. Limit saturated fat in meats and full-fat dairy products. Quit smoking, as it lowers HDL levels and increases LDL and triglycerides. Moderate alcohol consumption, including one drink per day for women and men over 65, is linked to higher HDL cholesterol levels.
Will cutting out meat lower cholesterol?
Plant-based diets have been found to lower total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels compared to omnivorous diets. Low-fat, plant-based diets typically reduce LDL levels by 15-30. Some recommendations for lowering cholesterol include consuming chicken and fish. Cholesterol is a waxlike substance produced by the liver that aids in building cell membranes and producing hormones. It is packed into two types of carriers: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad cholesterol”, is necessary in limited quantities but can increase the risk of a heart attack due to atherosclerosis. HDL cholesterol, also known as “good cholesterol”, helps clear LDL cholesterol from the arteries. Factors that can negatively impact HDL include a diet high in saturated fat, smoking, alcohol intake, obesity, and lack of exercise. To increase HDL, vigorous exercise and adding omega-3 fats may be helpful.
How do you lower HDL naturally?
Cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance found in all body cells, is essential for proper functioning. However, excessive levels can narrow or block arteries, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease and other heart diseases. Cholesterol is produced by the liver and travels through the blood on lipoproteins, with one type, LDL (bad cholesterol), leading to a buildup in arteries. The other type, HDL (good cholesterol), carries cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver, where it is removed.
To lower LDL and raise HDL cholesterol levels, lifestyle changes such as limiting saturated and trans fats, aiming for a healthy weight, engaging in regular physical activity, managing stress, quitting smoking, and getting good-quality sleep are recommended. By maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, individuals can lower their risk of heart diseases.
📹 How to Lower Cholesterol Without Meds – My Blood Results As 20+ Yr Vegan
I finally get my test results back for my cholesterol after following a strict no oil no salt vegan diet. Is it possible to lower your …
HI ALL- Coconut oil was pushed when it first hit market as “healthy” ok no, only change I made was that- my cholesterol shot up..I relaized quit it, it went down. TWO FRIENDS so far, told me chol. high I asked re: coconut- both were using it alot, both CUT IT OUT, chol went DOWN. USE IT on skin and hair not to ingest much.
Something to keep in mind is familial hypocholesteralemia, if anyone here is frustrated as a WFPB person with higher than they are comfortable with cholesterol levels, they should be checked. The doctor is right, most cases are driven by diet but not all and I wish they would speak to that instead of making it feel like it’s our fault. It’s like making a Type 1 diabetic feel guilty for having diabetes! When I was diagnosed I was able to bring it down 100 points but not low enough for my comfort levels, but it’s what brought me to the community. I’m not accidentally eating coconut oil or some other slip up- I’m very educated on what the WFPB truly is. … So I decided to take a 10 mg statin to put me in the heart attack “free” zone. I credit my diet to helping me take the minimal dose and hopefully avoid side effects. Others in my family with the same condition are on 80-90 mg statin. There IS a genetic component, but you can still mitigate that as best as you can on WFPB.
My husband and I are both vegan and have been for many years. We discovered that consuming coconut oil raised both of our cholesterol. Without coconut oil, both of us have cholesterol levels of about 150. If we add coconut oil in that number goes up close to 200. So now we’re coconut oil free vegans.
My husband has been vegan for 15 years, he’s an athlete, thin and muscular. In his 60’s. His diet is excellent, no alcohol – fresh organic plants and plant protein, and low sugar. His blood pressure is excellent. Yet a few weeks ago he had a blood panel done and his cholesterol is 250 and LDL 160 both high. He’s shocked. How would someone who is so healthy and eats a plant-based diet have high cholesterol, and how to lower it?
Robin wife here question for Dr. Barnard . I have very high Lipoprotien a . I follow Dr. Esselstyn’s plan. No nuts no oil no avocado tofu rarely. Dr. Barnard mentions using Benevol product for lowering cholesterol . It has canola oil, Pam oil and palm kernel oil in it and contains milk on label ? Seems it is not what I would want to use. I Would really appreciate him responding on this . Thanks and love the show!
Thank you both for making a difference in our lives! I healed from Thyroid and Cholesterol. I’ve had Hypothyroidism for yrs after my pregnancy. After going plant based, taking Ashwagandha and Optimox 12.5 mg of Iodine, I got off meds. perusal Dr Barnard and other great Doctors on the Documentary What The Health…it changed my life! I still struggle with Cholesterol; however, after cutting oils, processed vegan foods, my cholesterol dropped to 150 and Triglycerides to 98. Thank you so much—May God continue to Bless you both and everyone you touched ❤
I have FH (familial hyerpcholesterolemia) in the 400 range with family history of heart disease. I once followed the Dean Ornish diet and after 6 months lowered it to 280, which is amazing for me! Sadly I fell off the wagon but I’m getting back on. I do take a statin which cuts it in half but there’s no doubt to the benefits of also eating the plant-strong way.
Check out Simon Hill podcast The Proof. LDL is not the only marker to consider. I believe the new studies are pointing to ApoB. It takes years for new science to reach clinical practice! I’m asking for these additional tests from my doctor now. I also believe that the microbiome is part of the puzzle here. (Dr. B). Light fasting like time restricted feeding, and exercise will also affect overall health! Down 10 pounds over 6 months, with 10 to go. In no hurry, as I’m building a lifestyle!
In recent bloodwork, a functional medicine specialist I go to said my LDL of 65 is too low! They said they like LDL to be closer to 90 to 100 since the brain needs fat to stay healthy (and I agree about that). I’ve been WFPB for 25 years and am the only person in my family, and in our generation, with naturally low cholesterol. I also had a cardiac calcium score CT scan 2 months ago, and my score was 0. And I’m almost 64. I do eat nuts, seeds, and avocados, with very little added oil.
I have FH (familial hypercholesterolemia – abnormally high levels of cholesterol due to a genetic mutation) and I’ve been plant based for over 23 years, I’ve been fine-tuning my diet a lot lately since just eating plant based and not as careful with the oils as I should have been when away from home, has not been enough. I am now strictly whole food plant based, and treat oil like my kryptonite so not a drop of it for me whereas before I avoided it but would have vegan restaraunt food etc when I was away from home. I also stay away from nuts and flour products as well. Dark chocolate is another kryptonite due to the saturated fat content, but I have used a little of the fat-free wonder cocoa in my banana nice cream on occasion. I do have a family history of early heart attacks, as well as I had a scary carotid scan a few months ago. I also went through the McDougall 12-day program last month. I used to use the Just Eggs and Morningstar Farms every so often, however they are pretty processed with oils, and the MF products contain egg whites. So that has been eliminated as well. My cholesterol is slowly going down, very slowly since it is familial/genetic and very stubborn.
if you just have to have peanut butter, only buy natural peanut butter without any added oil. As a rule of thumb only get the peanut butter that has a layer of oil on the top or is more viscous and liquidy, that usually means there’s not added hydrogenated or palm oils etc. You can even dump some of the oil in the trash. If you totally want to avoid the fats then buy PB2 or powdered peanut butter. It’s a good alternative just add a pinch of sugar for taste.
someone asked about coffee and cholesterol, but Dr, Barnard did not mention cafestol which DOES affect cholesterol. briefly, it is an issue with inadequately filtered coffee, such as that from french press. i pour my french press coffee through two layers of cotton cloth which i place in a cone bodum set up. 🌱
thanks for another great article! A relative of mine was put on statins following a heart attack without it being clear if he had elevated cholesterol. He began over time he started to have joint problems in knees, feet and hands. He was practically immobilized. Eventually some research revealed the link. He stopped the statins and is improving all the time.
There’s other factors to consider before being scared of a heart attack or stroke. What is their blood pressure, visceral fat level? Cholesterol total exclusively is not something to be afraid of…. What is the HDL? What is the Total/HDL ratio? Is it higher than 3.5? If the Total cholesterol is up to 200 or above due to the amount of HDL (good cholesterol) (50 or higher ) pushing up that total, then it’s fine. If a vegan has high triglycerides, low HDL, and high LDL, then I would suspect they are consuming processed sugars…check A1c and insulin.
Vegan doesn’t mean low fat. Lots of “vegan” food is high in fats. Not good fats either. There is a lot of fake meats, cheeses, etcetera that are marketed towards vegans. Don’t eat these copycat foods. Eat real food you cook yourself. Only eat them if you must. Fat, sugar and salt add flavor. These raise blood pressure and cholesterol.
I’ve been super healthy plant-based, no junk food, either no or super low oil, no tropical fats etc., lots of green leafies, high fiber, and more than a little athletic (do crazy long bike rides – like across Canada). My cholesterol barely budged after all of that effort (6 years). Now I know that the reason I have high LDL is that my body does not clear the LDL, and the PCSK9 option addresses that issue. Given that, I am still healthy plant-based and I exercise. I think it is important that the cause be determined if a person does not respond to lifestyle modifications. For example, a person who eats too much saturated fat and cholesterol and then goes plant-based, and sees noteworthy LDL lowering, then that individual’s high cholesterol comes from diet (lucky and I think typical!). Another person is one whose body makes too much, and a statin should help that person. But for many healthy people, it can be one’s ability to clear LDL due to genetic mutations. I think there are a lot of people who won’t try everything like I did, and I am glad I did (and I continue eating plant-based), but it would have been great if they id’ed the problem quicker. When I started on a PCSK9 inhibitor and responded immediately, it was clear that my problem is LDL clearance. My LDL Is (at last) super low. I bought the diet and statin story hook line and sinker – and, unfortunately, none of that worked for me. Certainly genetic bad luck. I just wonder how many more people have the clearance issue that is being ignored.
i consistently tested over 220+ cholesterol. every statin caused side effects so avoided them, but ate a predominantly plant based OMAD diet with a lot of vitamins and supplements. finally went in for a CAC scan, fully expecting at least 30% blockage. result=0 (ZERO!!!). the research shows it is the OXIDIZED cholesterol that causes inflammation and blockages.
A great product to make anything taste like eggs is Kala Namac salt. It is a sulfur salt. You do not need much to give foods the egg like taste and smell. Use it over scrambled tofu or if you liked egg salad before, cut up some mushrooms, mash some avocado and mix it with the mushrooms and then add some kala namac. It is amazing.
I had only one round of barely acceptable cholesterol since I went whole-food plant -based. My total cholesterol was 149 and my LDL was 69. My BMI then was below 21, but now it slowly climbed to 24. My cholesterol rose and my LDL went to 101. So I tried Red Rice Yeast and got side effects. Then I got my doc to prescribe rosuvostation and had zero side effects. Cholesterol went down wonderfully. I donated blood recently and it was down to 122. I got myself a hs-crp test and it was 0.8. I’m almost 70 years old.
I am a cardiologist. Thanks to Dr. Barnard and other pioneering doctors, I have been on a whole food plant based diet for the last ten years and I apply this diet to my patients. I witnessed that total cholesterol decreased by an average of 100 mg/dl in my patients who followed the nutrition exactly. So far, only two of my patients have had any decrease in their cholesterol despite careful nutrition. (I’m sure they don’t consume olive oil or any fat. I think they don’t have familial cholesterolemia because their total cholesterol was below 250 mg before they changed their diet.) If there is an explanation, I would be happy to hear it.
So something to keep in mind is that Vegans are not consuming dietary cholesterol, however we still have cholesterol in our small intestines that is coming from our liver, the most important marker you can measure is your APO B Lipoprotein because these are the LDL particles that crash into our artery walls, and start oxidizing which starts the sequence of Atherosclerosis so the blood test you want to get is called OxPL-APO-B (oxidized phospholipids on APO B)
There are some people with very high cholesterol levels genetically. Of course there are many reasons for naturally high cholesterol. Another reason for high cholesterol level(e.g. LDL)is that the liver produce ~1000mg of cholesterol per day naturally to compensate dietary cholesterol body requirements . If the liver is damaged (e.g. fatty liver) then cholesterol may over produce cholesterol .
If you want to lower your blood pressure and nothing else, diet etc isn’t working, start doing aerobic exercises for at least 30 minutes. You have to sweat and raise your heart beat to 75% of its maximum . That is your age -220 then take 75% of that. I lowered my blood pressure by 15 points without drugs. Even beyond having a good diet. Its not always diet.The problem is if you’re sedentary or even not moving as much as you used too or as fast try this. I happen to use a stairmaster, but any thing that makes you sweat works.💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
I live the opposite of the article’s protocol. Never felt better at 63. I eat no sugar. I do eat meat. My carotid artery test and CAC. All clear. Last night, I had dinner with vegans and a 100-year old woman. The others ordered steamed fish and spinach with no salt and seasoning. What did the 100-year old have? A rack of lamb! She’s clear-eyed, full of energy, wouldn’t take a photo without her lipstick. When the waiter asked what I wanted, I said: I’ll have what she’s having! To each their own!!
Kudos for leading people towards the plain truth instead of jumping on the statin bandwagon and getting applauded for promoting a fake security net. Too many people are led to think that cardiovascular disease is just bad genetic luck and that they can keep up their genocidal junk food habit as long as they pop a statin every night. “It is better to fall in with crows than with flatterers; for in the one case you are devoured when dead, in the other case while alive” — Anthistenes
9:11 I have been waiting for a topic like this for a while and I missed it! I was diagnosed with heredity high cholesterol @ 18, i am now 55. I became vegetarian and live that way for a very long time with no movement in my cholesterol. I went plant based four years ago, Also eliminating oil. My total is 200, ldl 125 and hdl is 60. My doctor keeps telling me it’s fine but I don’t think so. I also don’t look like a walking heart attack waiting to happen. I am thin and exercise regularly. What do you think?
The only reason cholesterol drops is because energy from plants is glucose raising so it is absorbed into the blood stream directly and faster. However, if fat is the prime energy source and glycemic foods are reduced, then LDL raises which does not mean cholesterol raises since cholesterol is simply a partial carried by the LDL to be transported to cells that need them as building blocks. I know vegetarians who eat junk and are type 2 diabetic. Vegetarianism requires discipline and does not equal good health.
I’ve been happily plant based for over 10 years, but last year I switched to VeganSOS (low added oil-salt-sugar) my cholesterol is now rock bottom, so are my triglycerides. Trouble is my vitaminD and pregnenolone numbers have also dropped well bellow safe range. I reed that both VitD and PREG are produced from cholesterol . I really would like to stay low fat, but I don’t want to risk screwing up my blood profile. Happy new year to all the PC Team !
This was great. Thanks for addressing it after a FB post! Question: Benecol was mentioned as a butter spread to help lower cholesterol, but it has coconut and palm oil which are bad. Plus it has whey so isn’t vegan. Do the plant sterols negate the oils? It also says on their website to eat 4 Tablespoons! I didn’t eat that much butter when I was omnivore/vegetarian! 😅
I’ve been a sugar and oil-free and mostly salt-free vegan for 2 years. My labs are good, but LDL is 127. My cardiologist prescribed Red Yeast Rice to reduce my LDL to below 100. I have not started the Red Yeast Rice yet. I would love to hear Dr. Barnard discuss Red Yeast Rice if possible! I love your podcast! Thanks!!!
This doctor is absolutely correct. When I was vegan my cholesterol was normal. Low LDL and triglycerides. When I incorporated eggs in my diet my cholesterol my LDL and triglycerides drastically increased even though I am in fit shape and work out at the gym. I cut down in animal products and back to mainly plant protein, vegan. Legumes, nuts and vegetables.
WFPB for decades; cholesterol was always in 170s – until menopause. Now 235. My 92yo mother has a terrible diet (corned beef hash for lunch today, ice cream almost daily….) and has never had a high cholesterol. Wish I had gotten her genes! Guess I’ll give up the coconut milk based yogurt and see if that helps.
Junk Data in, Bad guidelines, and compromised health policy is the result, What does a healthy person look like? What are the official rules for radomized cause and effect clinical trials? these are first principals of science which are largely ignored, since there is no widely agreed upon principals or consensus on which bio-markers should be used to determine what a healthy person look’s like in the first place, How many of your reading this comment right now are aware of your Vitamin D or Magnesium or B12 levels, and why they matter in relation to heart diesease? well these health markers are never taken into account either, so the search for truth for causation of heart disease, from the beginning baseline screening process is flawed right at the start. Are you aware you need a certain amount of bile flow as loosely measured by your GGT liver enzyme score to even know if your bile flow is sufficient to get the nutrients from your food supply to begin with?
Another longtime WFPB vegan with familial hypercholesterolemia, here, who has managed it with avoiding tropical oils/coconut, keeping sodium and saturated fats as low as possible, as well as adding a plant sterol supplement. I am also a marathon runner, so my BP and HR remain low. The LDL was my one hangup. (Perimenopausal, so I’m mindful.) PLEASE take care to read the margarine labels! Benecol added (copied from site) “a little WHEY & BUTTERMILK for a rich, buttery taste!” (boo, hiss) so that is not an option for anyone wanting to keep dairy out of their diet.
Plant sterols also contribute to cholesterol levels but if you do not consume lots of cholesterol then your liver produces what is needed. Diet contributes about 20% and the body makes 80% and as diet fluctuates, then the body makes up the rest. Saturated fat is natural fat and is not dangerous. Seed oils that are hydrogenated are harmful.
I have had great success having my patients with high cholesterol add 2 Tbspns of ground flax seed daily. Obviously, I also promote plant based diets or as-vegan-as-possible diets. I may also reach for a red rice yeast before considering a statin. But it always depends on what the patient is willing to do!
I ate 3 ounces of peanut butter daily for awhile and my LDL went up as well as cholesterol after I ate them for a few months. the LDL went to 120 or above and total went to 176 where previously it was below 140. Previously they were about 76 and 137. The peanut butter was made from organic peanuts and light salt: nothing else. I had it tested a 2nd time by another lab because it was so perplexing that I’ve heard that nut butters aren’t bad for us on whole food-plant based. It measured high again. Finally, I cut out the peanut butter and tested a month later. LDL went to 78 and total to 140. It’s not proof that peanut butter was the cause but it raised my suspicion. I really don’t find LDL at 120 and total at 176 to be healthy…at all. After hearing from the plant based doctors and Esselstyn the cardiologist, I am convinced keeping it low with dietary habits is optimal, for many reasons.
Could a vegan correct her high blood cholesterol by simply eliminating peanuts in all forms from her diet since this legume has been shown to cause heart disease in monkeys due their lectin content? It would appear that the lectins in peanut oil when consumed damage intestinal walls and also the endothelial lining of the arteries to which ones body responds by producing more cholesterol in order to make the needed repairs in the arteries. As an aside, we rely on our gut biome to be health enough to make the butyrate needed to repair our intestinal lining. However, this not good for one’s long term health because the repairs made are not perfect and can lead to a reduction in the functioning of the intestinal lining to absorb nutrients from foods and atherosclerosis in the arteries due to patchy repairs made by cholesterol.
Cholesterol is more genetically. I was for years on vegan low fat diet and I was after for years or keto high fat fat diet even carnivore being the same active, keeping body mass index under 25. Not mutch changes …LdL was always around 100- 108.Tryglicerydes 60 -70,total cholesterol around 188, 190.Fluctuations where minimal.
Health Science 101: A healthy body chemistry along with a healthy liver produce 3X’s as much cholesterol on a daily basis than the body needs. This is a healthy homeostasis state. It’s NOT about cholesterol. Cholesterol does not damage & hurt anything, a S.A.D. Diet Along with environmental epigenetic influences on the other end does damage & “cholesterol” is the patch for such damage not the cause.
I have been SOS free and fast walk an hour most days for well over a year now. I am nearly 65 years old. Still have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. My dr says it is hereditary and there is nothing I can do about it. ( Have been vegetarian since I was 8 years old and vegan for 15 years) I am not overweight as I eat a very healthy diet, cook at home WFPB. Is my dr right is there nothing I can do?
What advice would you give to someone who has a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol- like 25% of the population with an ApoE-4 mutation? I am one of those people unfortunately and despite being on the WFPB diet and experiencing regularly, I still take a lose dose statin to keep my cholesterol level low. Also, do you think people with ApoE-2 variant could probably skip WFBP altogether because they never develop high cholesterol in their blood?
Wonderful interview! Dear Dr. Bernard, I am 59 years old. I have been a vegan for 13 years (after 20 years being just a vegetarian). I don’t consume palm oil (I don’t consider it vegan due to the cruelty behind it) and I use coconut oil/ coconut milk very VERY rarely. I am a really healthy person, I exercise daily, I don’t consume alcohol or other drugs, I don’t take any medication…. and my triglycerides are higher than the normal. The doctor said it is genetic. What can I do? At my age, if I don’t eat nuts, avocados, etc. I will get wrinkles 😂
What about red rice yeast and amla (Indian gooseberry)? My cardiologist recommended the yeast, and Dr. Michael Gregor recommends amla, so I’m taking both. Unfortunately, although I’ve been vegan for over 5 years, I still seem to have higher than normal cholesterol. I’m hoping that the amla (taking about triple the dose) will eventually help me.
Been Whole Foods plant based for 7 years. My doctor said “you need to lay off the cookies and cakes.” I said that’s impossible I only eat fruits veggies starches legumes whole foods, moderate sodium, etc. my friend started experimenting with adding eggs into her Whole Foods plant diet and her cholesterol went DOWN! Idk why, but seeing these comments make me feel less alone. Could it be that our body overproduces bad cholesterol if we don’t eat any cholesterol? Why did my friends bloodwork improve from adding in eggs?
i have had a stroke. but, I’ve been vegan for 12 years. what the heck? Sleep Apnea along with popcorn made in Avocado oil gave my high blood pressure. When to ER three times! B;ppf Pressure was 265/145. They through I should be dead.with BP that high! The Cholesterol (overall was 113 taken a year after stroke) as high but unknown because I didn’t visit a doctor for almost a year after the stroke. I through (stroke) it was vertigo and was seeing my chiro for it. Listening to this podcast, it dawns on me what happnened and why. WE were eating popcorn made in our popcorn machine and a cup of avocado oil whish is 13 percent saturated fat! It plugged my return path to the heart and add sleep apnea and bam, the perfect storm! I went to Advent and they helped me tremendously. I also saw a dozen doctors and took dozens of tests. Cpap helped my BP come down over time. the ER warned against bringing the BP down too fast as it would cause a stroke. So over time BP came down. 130/80s. It was rough! I am lucky to be alive!
We have been 100% vegan for over 30 years and we do not consume coconut oil or any unhealthy products, sugar, refined oils, white flour and processed products, etc. My wife has had a cholesterol level of 250 all this time. Despite high cholesterol, her veins are in very good condition. standing. The conclusion is that a vegan diet does not always lower cholesterol, and high cholesterol does not damage the veins.
I had blood work just yesterday and was disappointed that my cholesterol was 255. My LDL was also high, HDL was good. I’ve been plant based for more than a year and a half. A year ago it was 190 which is still higher than I’d expected. No animal products, no oils. I do take thyroid medication and have for years. I’m 70 years old, female, fairly active and not overweight. My dr will check again in 3 months, I’m just hoping for better.
Everyone I know is vegetarian not necessarily vegan though. But my best friends who are vegetarian or sisters that both have high blood pressure and coincidentally they’re both having trouble with skin cancer including cancer inside their nose. One lived in Colorado and one lived in Hawaii so it’s not because they lived in the same climate. One is a master herbalist and is perfect weight and has done everything right. So how do we explain this?
Just Egg folded frozen patties are really tasty. They also are seasoned with some garlic and onion. No fiber because only the protein part of the mung bean is used (6 or 7 grams protein each). I like to crisp them up in the toaster/convection oven (even pry open the fold at some point to get the insides crispy also) and just eat the pieces all by themselves. They’re pricey so I stock up during sales. I never really liked eggs (especially the egg white) and they made me feel a little odd while eating as a kid, even scrambled was a bit cringy even when drowned in cheese. I liked the yolk and could manage to eat egg salad sandwiches or scrambled eggs (only with cheese) but absolutely refused to eat the white part of fried eggs. I ate eggs as an adult only when other vegetarian protein options were rare when visiting or at conferences. Turned out I’m allergic to eggs and my adult symptoms were primarily overwhelming head-falling-on-chest fatigue for an hour (dangerous when driving, annoying everywhere else). Sorry, aunt and uncle, for assuming I needed to go back to bed after breakfast because you were boring…. It was especially annoying at conferences, because I would lose an hour (unable to focus on the talks at all) both after breakfast and after lunch. It was a mystery for years. Crisis point came when I decided I needed more protein and started having eggs every day. I had to fast until my work was finished or else I would need to sleep after every meal! Took a while to get it figured out.
While saturated fat consumption might raise cholesterol more than non-saturated fat consumption, both types, i.e., any fat consumption, will increase your serum cholesterol. All fat consumption will increase your cholesterol because transporting fats through the body in order to make use of it requires packaging the fats into a container containing proteins on the outside to make the fats water (serum) soluble. This container is your cholesterol. Hence any fat consumption leads to an increase in cholesterol obove the individual’s natural base line.
I accidentally came across this article. As a vegan for 24 years lately my cholesterol has been high. It shows up as normal in my blood work, but when I see 2 iridologists, they saw that it’s high and not going down. I also did a total body scan and another body scan with a wet and dry blood analysis, and it’s high. I use olive oil and, on rare occasions, use grape seed oil for frying, which is not on a regular basis. I don’t use any white products, fake foods, soy products, canned foods, processed juices, cereals, or sodas. My iridiologist said that I need to exercise more and sweat because I don’t sweat. Once in a while, I’ll use a vegan butter, shortening, or cheese. That’s exactly how I eat. I use chickpea flour to make my eggs. Ok. I make my own coconut milk. Could it be what’s causing my cholesterol to be high? Sometimes, I would use some coconut condensed and evaporated milk. I’m going to see what’s the tat content because it makes no sense to me. SMH.
At the age of 16 I had a cholesterol level of 380! Yet, the doctors do not want to call it Hypercholesterolemia, because it would be even higher ! I eat mostly plant based, mostly whole food. I had 1 measurement for cholesterol of 140! Al the others were around 200-190. I blame the coffee. Next time I go and have my blood checked I will not have coffee in the morning. Difficult 😉
Im a krsnaterian i only eat food thats been prepared and offered to the Lord so i only eat certain things. So basically vegan with out the sin and thats only possible by offering to Lord Kṛṣṇa because vegans still incure sin. I dont eat onions, garlic, meat, eggs, fish and there are other restrictions. I got blood work done and sll my test were fine except my cholesterol so how do i get it down to normal Numbers im going to start eating beans and Apple’s. Will that help get my numbers down?
I have been on the WFPBSOS diet for at least 10 years. I am a woman, 72 yo. I’m 5’4″ and weigh between 160 and 165. I can’t seem to lose weight. I go work out as hard as I can at the gym 3x per week for an hour each time. I do my best to get a minimum of 5,000 steps per day. Yet at my last blood test, my triglycerides were at 354, Cholesterol was at 314, and my A1c was 5.8. Diabetes 2 runs in my family. My mother and both of her brothers had it. My mother lived to exactly 90 years old. My paternal grandfather lived to 90 as well (my dad died at 36 in a plane crash). My doctor recently put me on Rosuvastatin. I am getting more forgetful and I worry about getting diabetes. I have excruciating peripheral neuropathy in my feet and take Gabapentin so I can get some sleep. I absolutely cannot eat any oil, salt, sugar, or tomatoes without causing unbearable pain in my feet. None of my 3 siblings has diabetes or high cholesterol, as far as I know. They are all younger than I, but not by much. I am single and have no offspring. Am I doomed?
My doc has put me on cholesterol medication for 4 years now,when it was at total number of 200. I want to get off this, have been plant based for about 3 months. Doing blood work end of December, can i just go off this medicine? How am i going to know if i’m on meds. Right now i’m at total of 166 with medicine
This is crazy – I have diabetes so I’m on “preventative” Atorvastatin – meanwhile, my cholesterol is 115 and my bad cholesterol is 30. They’re kinda balking about me wanting to go off the statin. I’m whole-food plant-based and I don’t eat animal products or tropical oils. I’m wondering what’s being “prevented” by this “preventative” daily dose of Atorvastatin.
I am on WFPB SOS free diet for 4 years to reduce my BP from 140 90 to 105 70 after 10 years of Paleo. I do not eat no oil no junk food with hidden oil sugar etc. I cook all my food beans lentils rice carrots . Flaxseed a brazil nut occasionally walnuts. Total fats 30 gr. Even the lack of salt caused low stomach acid and chronic gerd. But my TC dropped from 230 to only 195 and LDL from 130-160 down to 115. TG went up to 150-220. So i stopped oats banana increased fats by adding seeds and more nuts to get TG down added little salt to stop gerd and lets see how lipids will be affected in about 6 months.
The entire body and physiology operates on feed back loops. Very few physicians understand how this works in the cholesterol and other fatty acids. The body makes more cholesterol than you take in by eating butter, eggs and meats. In fact once the person has eliminated high fructose and other sugar loads in the diet. The liver then can correct for cholesterol metabolism. The liver will continue to produce higher cholesterol when it is deprived of dietary cholesterol. The dietary cholesterol intake in a person with a healthy liver, the liver will respond be reducing endogenous production of its own cholesterol. There then can be a healthy equilibrium between endogenous production and dietary intake. Think of the system like a heating system with a thermostat.
Funny.! He says that sat fat increases risk of heart disease, and yet, College of Cardiologists,as well as head of Framingham Study as well as Ancel Keys himself, have all admitted that there is no connection between sat fat,cholesterol and CVD. Sounds like these two guys need some refresher courses. Try listening to Dr Nadir Ali,or Dr Jamnadas, both thirty year cardiologists, maybe you can make into this century!
Listening to the medical community explain how cholesterol and animal products are harmful is like listening to someone who is clueless and ignorant about how the human body works. Animal products do not rot your teeth or cause oral disease starch and sugar do. What kills diabetics isnt animal products and cholesterol its starch and sugar. Humans bodies were not designed by nature to eat a starch foundation diet and medical fact is we have a finite amount of glucose/glycogen storage in our liver and muscles and a almost infinite storage of fat. When we habitually eat especially processed grain and sugar it causes our liver to become diseased and dysfunctional and our liver and mitochondria can no longer process fuel glucose/triglycerides correctly and so it leads to ectopic fat in organs and organ and arterial damage. Glucose attacks our arterial lining causing damage that cholesterol has to habitually repair. The fat and cholestetol only become a problem when we eat a starch foundation diet specifically because of its effects on the liver and mitochondria leading to fat storage and metabolism dysfunction. We are designed to consume a whole food diet of primary animals and supplemented with lower glycemic whole plants not processed grains and sugar and additionally pure fat via oils these all were mot designed by nature but designed by man. Hence why humans and our pets are the only animals on the planet requiring a tooth brush and contenting with diet related dysfunction and disease.
Where is the research information about HDL and LDLstating that there are small and larger cholesterol molecules in both with the small being “bad”.? US is the only developed country that doesn’t measure more specifically. Research also shows heart disease occurs equally in people with low as with high cholesterol. Statins have to many side effects and not recommended for the general population and definitely not needed to prevent. Where is the recommendation for CoQ10? The research against saturated fats thus statins was screwed by Ansal, who cherry picked the research.
This guy is so out of its not funny…they should lock this guy up…as medical doctor giving out so much crap….Saturated fat is very healthy for you…they don’t cause heart problems…Cholesterol itself does nothing bad to your body…the liver makes it… There is no good or bad cholesterol…it’s high triglycerides that’s causing the problem.. processed foods, bad oils ..fried foods..high carbs… high intake of sugar…Statins cause Alzheimer, Dementia …because of low cholesterol… My cholesterol level is 390ng/ml . Been healthy all my life…I am 76 years old…
There is a lot of controversy to this topic I hear eggs do not raise cholestero they are actually really good for you loaded with lots of nutrients and choline and olive oil is good it raises the HDL cholestero,l my LDL has always been high even as a vegetarian I’m a meat eater now and it’s still the same. I eat what I want without worrying about my high LDL knowing that my triglycerides are excellent and my HDL is excellent
Interesting. My story is, I was told I had maybe 5 years unless I did a quad bypass. My overall cholesterol was 316 and I was admitted to the cardiac ward which was a shock to me. I did not (yet) go sugar, oil, salt free. I just went plant based. But my cholesterol dropped to under 200. I had up to 90% blockage in my arteries. I did a radioactive MRI and the cardiac doc said I was clear. He took me off all meds. He said he would tell all his patients to go plant based…but he said he knows they won’t listen to him. Keep up the good work.
Processed foods is a big problem in the US, but remember we create cholesterol to digest lipids, so that is why your cholesterol went down when you stopped eating all fats. I have noticed that even though your article is 4 years old there are more and more processed vegan foods coming out on the market now and a lot of them are not so healthy. Yes it is better to be eating vegan for the animals, for the environment (most of the time) and yes of course for our bodies but not if it is highly processed, fried and junk food all the time. I really appreciate what you are promoting. It is pretty simple biochemistry isn’t it, just like you said, you would think these doctors would suggest a simple plant based diet, no fats, no processed foods, low sugar, low salt. It is what I tell my patients all the time, I am a vegan over 26 years with perfect cholesterol levels! Awesome article thanks for spreading the word!!
You just have to learn to cook according to the diet. I stick to it and my food is not bland. It tastes amazing! I have gone OFF cholesterol, blood pressure, muscle and nerve pain meds. I eat nuts and avocado only on occasion. I cook all my own food and rarely eat out or eat processed foods. No restaurant food tastes as good as my home cooking.
Personally, I think that if you eat plant-based whole foods like 90% of the time, you exercise regularly, you are not overweight and yet you have to go on such a strict diet it doesn’t allow healthy foods like avocado and nuts (and nuts BTW, lower LDL), you have to be genetically predisposed to high cholesterol. And you mentioned your sister has the same problem. But I’m glad you managed to do it your way, on your terms, congrats 😊
YEAH! I did a fist pump when you read those results! Congratulations man you made moves, and stuck with it. I think it’s important to realize some of the changes in your prior blood test runs are probably not statistically significant, but this round of tests definitely was. You changed the game by going Zombie Hardmode. Last time I sent you a link to that McDougall webinar talking about salt and sugar. Without salt, the food will definitely seem Bland. I think you won’t have any trouble incorporating salt to taste (at the table) as long as you don’t go overboard. Beyond that, sugar is in a lot of products… Products that add tremendous enjoyment to food. Like ketchup. Again, I think that with time and experience you will be able to enjoy things like ketchup and jam, maple syrup, that contain refined sugar, without negatively impacting your cholesterol levels. Similar story for stuff like a small amount of ground flaxseed. Down the road you might experiment with something like a teaspoon 3 days a week on a salad. But life’s not written like a story book and what might work for other people might not work for you. It seems like taking out nuts and seeds and avocados did have a big difference. Keep your goals in mind, and realize that you have accomplished something that most people don’t have the knowledge or the insight to even try. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS article. Check me out sometime. 👍🌱 #RedPillVegan
I lowered my cholesterol with Dr. greger’s recipes. I haven’t gone through Esselstyns stuff though. After seeing these results, Dr Esselstyns book just jumped to the top of my list. Thank you for sharing these results. It is also really helpful to see that I am not alone in these cholesterol struggles. Excellent article!
wow….what a great result….thanks for sharing this with us….it’s amazing that doctors aren’t willing to use diet for things but will give meds out like candy…..i did smoothies and plants, lost 150 pounds, brought my A1C down to 5 from 8….and my doctor’s first words were ‘but you still need your meds’…smh
Can I suggest a lotta Indian food? Maybe others have mentioned it but it’s so full of intense flavours and I’m vegan too so when I skip oil or ghee nobody notices. All our whole veg, beans, lentils saturated in spicy curries. Also u can research Indian herbs that improve circulation for heart…glad u r doing great tho 💚
Hey, Chris! Congrats on achieving your goal! My girlfriend and I have been WFPB vegans for nearly a year now. We don’t cook with oil and consume very little of it in our foods. We don’t eat salty foods, but it was never a huge concern to cut out salt. She got blood work done recently and her results were truly amazing: Total Cholesterol 133, Triglyceride 60, HDL 51, and LDL 70! We eat this way thanks to Mic the Vegan and we’ll keep eating this way for the rest of our lives.
You have just proven to yourself and others that it IS the diet, and that it doesn’t take much deviation to get off the rails. The good news is that every month you are on that tasty version of the whole food plant based diet your cardio system is healing itself and removing built up cholesterol plaques. Dr. E doesn’t want his patients to touch salt because it slows the blood flow, and if your arteries are clogged that is a problem. Once the arteries are squeaky clean and flexible you can get away with a little salt according to McDougall and Greger, but I have found after mostly avoiding Na on a daily basis I don’t really want it much anymore. It is the oils and fats that are the vegan killers more than anything. BTW, if you watch Rob Stuart’s website you will see he uses the Dr. E diet to cure dermatitis and other skin diseases with same diet. Greger will also teach us that using statins may lower cholesterol but they haven’t been found to extend life or prevent heart attacks by themselves. Only the Dr. E diet will do that, and statins killed my father and have made milllions sick from muscle problems and lots of other side effects so don’t even think about using those poisons. Glad you proved the effectiveness of the simple whole food plant based low fat, oil free diet for yourself and for your supportive audience. Great job!
Good job sir. Follows my last few months after 18 months of keto pushed my LDL up from 90 to 170. It is just what the body does when you eat primarily fat. I just did not want the long-term risk after the first 50 years of my life were in a body with LDL in the 80-90 range. Went low-fat plant-based pescatarian (I have unlimited access to fish in my back yard) and three months later my LDL went from 176 to 60. Not just lipids. My fasting blood glucose is now in the low 80s. I got a CGM to track and after about 1 month of strict low-fat plant-based eating, spikes in glucose went from 150-190 in some cases to almost no spikes now. I just ate a large bowl of oatmeal and my blood glucose went from 90 to 100 and back down within 1.5 hours. My A1C never got below 5.5 on keto. My CGM is estimating it is in the 4% range now. Blood test showed it dropped, but only covered part of the period of my new diet. And HOMA-IR score showed ideal insulin sensitivity in late June, two months after starting. Not the only diet I’m sure for everyone, but it improved every single health metric in just a few months. Just just sitting with LDL of 60 feels quite good looking forward into my 50’s, 60s and beyond. Almost no risk of heart disease.
Bravo! Good work!!! Thanks so much for sharing that. I’m new to commenting on YouTube but this is near and dear to my heart. I’m a 59 yr old woman who’s been on a plant based Esselstyn diet since 10/2016. I met Dr Esselstyn and his family at their farm in Claverack, NY for their 2017 Plant Stock. The man was then 83 and stands as tall and strong as a state trooper. The whole family has been advocating a plant based diet for a very long time. They are all amazing. Their farm, that he was raised on, was a functioning dairy farm. But no longer. They farm plants now. So they were raised on the standard American diet just like us. He’s done a lot of hard research that undeniably confirms a plant based diet will change your life for the better and his work with patients at the Cleveland clinic continues to this day to prove it. I am walking evidence myself. I learned about him in 2013 when I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives. My husband and I are baby boomers who had been struggling with major health concerns for decades. It seemed like a big change for me at the time I started his diet, but I persisted. Told myself, if I don’t notice improvements in 1 year, I can always go back to the way I use to eat. I was sick and tired of being in pain. A plant based diet is not something most people can switch to overnight but it is, without a doubt, worth every effort to transition into. If I can do it, anyone can. My husband and I were hard core meat and dairy eaters all our lives. Typical standard American diet since our births in the 1950’s.
If your diet was ‘bland’ then it sounds like you needed to add more herbs and spices, and seek out more recipes. I congratulate you for accomplishing your goal, I’d have just advised you to be a little more adventurous with your food choices – So long as they stayed vegan, obviously. 🙂 You do you, and stay happy.
YAAAAAY!!! for you! So glad you are doing this!!! KEEP GOING bro! I’m 60 … I donate blood regularly and it’s like a “mini-check up”…I can get my TC results a few days after donating…it’s always 130-140! I LOVE this way of eating…I feel like I’m 20! Go CHRIS GO! Yes, doesn’t this make you want to SHOUT FROM the ROOFTOPS: EAT Plant based, people!!!!! so much suffering can be reduced!
So I have the same friggin’ problem! I’ve been strict vegan for over three months (to avoid statins but also because my principles and environmental politics support veganism too). Anyway, after three months get blood tests and I was so sure I would knock it out of the park, but NO. My cholesterol is literally just as bad. And ai even avoided coconut milk/cream because of saturated fat. I’m at a junction where I either have to go drastic Esselstyn diet or just do the statins. I won’t go back to meat and dairy…but kicking nuts, salt and avocados just doesn’t sound fun AT ALL.
Excellent that you stuck it out and got the results, eventually. For many folks, eating whole foods plant based vegan, with very little oil, will be sufficient to have good cholesterol levels. But for folks like yourself, and your sister, who have a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia, you’ve clearly shown that a very strict diet gets results without medication. Hopefully your Dr. will get educated!
THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS for posting, I already had the cholesterol good and it worsened and I didn’t know why and now I know, it’s because I started eating nuts.
I admire your perseverance! A lot of people would have given up. I’m surprised that with your exercising and “typical” vegan diet that you didn’t already have great blood lipid numbers. Your article is from 4 years ago, so it would be interesting to know if you stuck with the diet, or if you were able to keep your excellent blood lipid numbers without having to work so hard. Here is my own diet-blood lipid journey: I currently eat animal products, but in the past I did try a plant-based diet for a year or so. It really worked, but I found another diet-exercise combination that works, too. Here are my numbers for each of the 4 stages. 1> Standard omnivore diet. 33% body fat here 2> Plant-based diet. “Trying to be healthy” 30%(ish) body fat here 3> Standard omnivore diet. 33% body fat again 4> Current diet (12% body fat) Intermittent fasting (16:8) + 30-60 minutes brisk walking/day, 2g/kg protein, consume 30 different plants/week plus fermented foods (for gut microbiome), omnivore diet. MINIMIZE the following: processed foods, grains. sweetened drinks, seed oils (only EVOO, coconut oil and animal fats). Blood lipid results 1> TC 205 LDL 145 HDL 35 TG 121 2> TC 155 LDL 115 HDL 31 TG 99 3> TC 202 LDL 140 HDL 32 TG 114 4> TC 145 LDL 89 HDL 46 TG 52 So eating a plant-based diet definitely made a big difference for me, but I wasn’t able to keep it up (no one in my family wanted to follow that diet.) On the other hand, the combination of intermittent fasting, exercising, eating lots of whole vegetables and cutting out processed foods really seemed to work for me.
Yeah I go back and forth between whole foods plant based and some junk. Some weeks or months I don’t eat anything but whole foods. My blood work is great, I too like you would like to raise my HDL but that is because of exercise for me. Sucks that you can’t eat the junk vegan stuff, but at least you are healthy, good stuff!
It makes sense to me, you went on an anti-inflammatory diet so your body didn’t have to regulate itself as hard. Cholesterol is the bodies most powerful anti-inflammatory and inhibits free radical activity and cellular death. The body is self regulating and whatever level of cholesterol you have is the proper level you need at that given moment. This is why you’ll see so many sad dieters with high cholesterol, they need it to regulate their bodies. High cholesterol can be a sign of good health or bad health depending on the person. But the real question is why is there inflammation in the tissues to begin with? Dr John Bergman has a lot of great articles about cholesterol
Jane Esselstyn and her mom Ann who is Dr, Esselstyn’s wife have a YouTube website I love called Jane Esselstyn. As Marta M. noted in her comment to your article some people are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, with some ethnic groups being more so, which may be the case with you. We have French-Mediterranean roots where olive oil, avocados are the norm as well as lower heart disease and lower bad cholesterol.
My cholesterol was high even though I wasn’t eating much in fact my 70 year old parents have lower cholesterol and they go out to restaurants regularly. I switched to vegan and no change. Then it turns out my thyroid is low and finally I am getting medication that should lower my cholesterol. The thyroid problem is probably related to a autoimmune disorder which I have to look into. Autoimmune disorders can often lead to high cholesterol.
That’s funny because I eat low carb ketogenic and my cholesterol is 170 and my bad cholesterol is 90 and I’m not vegan I do eat a big salad everyday loaded with kale and spinach But it has.meat and cheese and ranch or olive on it along with an avacodo and even pecans or walnuts sometimes Are you sure genetics don’t play any part in cholesterol And my grandma isn’t a vegan and she’s in her 80s and hers isn’t high
I hardly ever write comments, but this deserves one! Thank you so much for making this honest and very informative article. I am coming back to it, as it has started a new branch of positive health in my life, and very well could have saved me from future heart issues which run in my family. ____________ The long version: I was a long-time lacto/ovo vegetarian, still with cheese and eggs as a staple of my diet, along with many processed “vegan-friendly” groceries, and eating out. Healthy but in my late 30s, I’ve been seeing a doctor more regularly, and my cholesterol was getting worrisome in the red. I decided to cut cheese and reduce eggs, and so I filled the hole with nuts, “healthy looking” granola bars, coconut everything, and continued cooking vegetables and “veggie meat” in oil and wrapping it in a flour tortilla. Seemed healthy to me, but cholesterol went even higher – what the heck! Your article (and its ensuing life-changing rabbit hole) helped me to understand my blind spot: oil, fat, and its omni-presence in the American diet, and moreover, my common version of a “lazy” vegan diet. I wrongly assumed that since I didn’t eat meat, I didn’t have to worry about fat and oil. I discovered and employed Esselstyn’s ideas, learned to cook with an air fryer, how to adapt my staple foods to be low-fat, and further expand my repertoire as a vegan home cook. Oil is in EVERYthing! Reading and understanding nutrition and ingredient labels is essential! ( 5% or more oil = Be careful!) It’s been about a 7-month journey thus far, but I can tell you and others on a similar path, I lost 5 lbs each month for 5 months (and another 7 slowly over several months), which was all extra weight for my body, reaching a happy and healthy plateau of what I weighed 20 years ago.
Good on ya mate! Well done. My experience with the Esselstyn diet has been that it got easier the longer I did it. In fact it took just about a month or so for my tastes to adjust to it, after which it became the “new normal” … so now it’s just “how I eat” rather than a “diet”. Btw, I had a heart attack with a total cholesterol level of 165. Goal is < 150, not 200.