Wow, you have done so well. I don’t know whether you have read anything lately about statins and cholesterol, do a google. Some of the side effects of statins are toxic. You have lost so much weight – well done. What I have been reading there has been a lot of fudging the the stats about statins (no pun intended)

It seems that the old average of cholesterol was 6.5. It has now become 5 because of the power of the drug companies. Bottom line, more people on statins more $$$ for the companies.

We need cholesterol for our physical and mental health. There has been links with longevity and higher cholesterol. Search the net and see what you think.
If it was me I wouldn’t be taking statins.

Beavergong, can I ask what it ‘ has gone up to?’

Hi,
this is an interesting topic since I’m also on statins. Having familiar hypercholesterolemia I’m living all my life long with Colestyramin, Ezitimib and Atorvastatin.

I’ve started alternate-day-fasting (complete fasting, no caloric intake at all) in April but the only remarkably change so far was fasting glucose which even dropped below the lower given limit when tested in August.

Total cholesterol and LDL made a small jump up from 3.9 to 4.6, and 2.6 to 2.8 so they’ve put me on 40 mg Statins now but I think this rise was primarily caused by the meat-loaded holidays in summer right before the test.
HDL went up from 1 to 1.4 which was a pleasant surprise – maybe due to the high sport ratio (45 min crosstrainer three times a week).

Today was my latest test, after three month of sturdy ADF and I’m curious to see the results on Thursday…

Q

So, how did it go quizzle? I’m really curious. R

@beavergong i replied to your post on another thread..

I said in that…

” listen to your doctor!
I would love to stop taking statins altogether, I am now on a reduced dose, but I have familial hypercholesterolaemia (in a fairly mild form thankfully) and, no matter how good my eating habits are, without statins my reading will be higher than normal.
Is there a history of high cholesterol in your family? If so then perhaps, as in my case, only statins will keep the level down.”

xx

Hi:

I won’t chime in on the statin argument, but it is a fact that cholesterol levels rise after significant weight loss. They go down again after weight loss stops: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFD2q5iqevY

Good Luck!

Call me a cynical old sod if you wish but I cannot help thinking that the link in Lindyw’s post above suggests the power of lobbying by pharmaceutical companies to sell more statins. I really think that they will not be satisfied until statins are added to our drinking water supply by the water companies.

Very educating and helpful to read of others’ experiences with cholesterol.
I also saw the Catalyst show about statins, however my genetic profile is full of risks. Nonetheless it would have been nice to have miraculously dropped my cholesterol… but this has not happened.

I have been on the fasting 5/2 diet now (with nothing except toast and coffee with milk for breakfast) since 7 November 2013 – so about three months. During this time I ceased to take the statin Crestor 10mg daily. On 7 February 2013 I had myself tested for cholesterol and I picked up the results today, 13 Feb 2013. They aren’t good.

The first test I had for cholesterol was 28 March 2008 – six years ago, when I was 54. The relevant results were, in 2008:

Total cholesterol: 4.1 mmo./L (0.0-5.5 = desirable range)
Triglycerides: 1.3 mmol/L (0.5-2.0 = desirable range)
HDL cholesterol: 1.5 mmol/L (0.9-2.2 = desirable range)
LDL cholesterol: 2.0 mmol/L (0.0-3.4 = desirable range)
Chol/HDL Ration: 2.7 (< 4.5)

In 2011, whilst taking Crestor (possibly not absolutely regularly), my results were:

Total cholesterol: 5.7 mmol./L (0.0-5.5 = desirable range)
Triglycerides: 1.5 mmol/L (0.5-2.0 = desirable range)
HDL cholesterol: 1.8 mmol/L (0.9-2.2 = desirable range)
LDL cholesterol: 3.2 mmol/L (0.0-3.4 = desirable range)
Chol/HDL Ration: 3.2 (< 4.5)

Now, in 2014, after a couple of months off Crestor, the results are:

Total Cholesterol: 7.2 mmol/L (0.0-5.5 = desirable range)
Triglyceride: 2.4 mmol/L (0.5-2.0 = desirable range)
HDL cholesterol: 1.6mmol/L (0.9-2.2 = desirable range)
LDL cholesterol 4.5 mmol/L (0.0-3.4 = desirable range)
Chol/HDL Ratio: 4.5 (< 4.5)

“In this patient the cholesterol level and ratio suggest moderate CHD risk.”
Plus an increased risk of atherosclerosis.

My father has a shunt in his carotid artery due to atherosclerosis and there is a strong history of multi infarct dementia among women on my mother’s side. Having said that, my mother’s sister developed rapid and severe multi infarct dementia before she was 80 and died at age 84 in a state of complete dementia. My mother lasted until 87 doing very well, then, in the context of undiagnosed hypothyroidism, and a very high temperature, completely lost her recent memory overnight. She is currently on Crestor 20mg daily. Her father had a heart attack age 45 (but was a heavy drinker). He stopped drinking, lost weight, and survived very well until 75 with medication for angina, finally dying of a heart attack in hospital after 3 days of illness.

So, as soon as I got home tonight I took my 10mg of Crestor. And 4 capsules of Vit D (although I can never work out what the dose should be). I’ll try to organise to wait another couple or three months to see what the result will be.

I am also aware of my enjoyment of fat and sweets, so I will review these as well if there is no improvement after taking the Crestor regularly.

This is all fascinating. If there is anything I can do to avoid atherosclerosis and dementia (apart from suicide, which is always an option if I see it coming) then I would like to try it.

By the way, I took sibutramine hydrochloride for a few years and developed a blood glucose average that had me diagnosed as diabetic. After I stopped taking sibutramine the glucose levels returned to normal.

By the way, I am feeling really good about this Fast Diet still. I do enjoy fasting; I am looking and feeling better and have lost a small amount of weight.

Hi:

Recent research indicates cholesterol is good. Those over 50 need not worry about their levels – low or high. Those under 50 die sooner with low levels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe9z32NZHY

Time to rethink?

@jojo58 I think (know) that nurse misinformed you.
Make an appointment with your GP and ask him to explain your blood results and tell him what the Nurse Practitioner told you.
Sounds to me as if you are doing everything right and probably have nothing but misinformation to worry about 🙂

Hello everyone – I am greatly relieved to read all of the above posts – I have just celebrated my half-century and have been doing the 5:2 (in my own way) for just under a year. ‘My own way’ means fasting completely for 2 days out of the 5, nothing to eat from getting up until around 5-6pm each day and then I don’t count calories, I eat what I like and do so on the other 5 days as well. This has worked marvellously well for me and I have lost a significant amount of fat from my middle, butt and thighs (I don’t weigh myself). I am also quite fit as I exercise pretty much daily; I cycle, work-out with kettlebells and kangoo jump boots and do yoga as well. However, like a number of you, I have just had a blood test and was told my cholesterol was too high at just over 6 and the GP prescribed statins. I really don’t want to take them and was worried that the 5:2 was somehow causing this raise in cholesterol levels – I’ve had blood tests at intervals for years and my cholesterol levels have never been mentioned as a problem before. I see I will have to do some more research but I really don’t want to give up the fasting – I enjoy my days ‘off’ food!

Hi, everyone,
a small update from me: I’m having familiar hypercholesterolemia type 2a and I’m on statins for years now. In 2011 I’ve switched to Atorvastatin at total cholesterol well above 5.16 and LDL above 4.

The drug lowered my cholesterol steadily but had also a slight repressive effect on HDL.

In 2013 I’ve started with intermittend fasting following the 10in2 program – one day complete fast, one day normal eating (alternate day fasting). This alone caused a sharp decrease in total cholesterol from 4.6 to 3.8 and similar in LDL.

In March 2014 I’ve started to change my eating habits to a low carb high fat diet which is officially *NOT* recommended for guys like me since it is high in saturated and animal fats. I’ve tried to do a more “plant-based” version sticking to unsaturated plant oils (rapeseed, walnut, lineseed oil), nuts and Green Smoothies. I also started a intensive muscle-training program 3 times a week followed by Tabata-HIIT training sessions. I’ve limited dairy products like milk and cream cheese and stick to fat cheese. I also completely avoided all kinds of added sugars, flour and fruits (just some blue berries from time to time). I”m tracking my food intake so I”m well informed about my nutritional setting: approx. 75% of the caloric input comes from fat, 20-25% from proteins and only up to 5% from carbs (which comes along with broccoli, avocado, salad…). Caloric input on eating days is about 140-150% of the calculated need but since I’m fasting the next day, it sums up to a 50% reduction on average.

This change was made because my weight loss stalled for 6 month despite the initially good losses on 10in2 – and suddenly, the weight loss started again!

I’m shedding body fat and weight again but was afraid that this fat-based diet may ruin my efforts to lower cholesterol. So after 4 weeks I’ve asked my physician for another check and found myself surprised: Never in life I had a LDL of 1.3! Total cholesterol dropped to 3.3!

Next week I’ll have another check after 2 months on this diet and I’m very curious if I could keep up this great change.

Q

Hi Quizzle:

You have discovered a little secret – the human body is designed to process saturated fat and prospers on a high fat diet. Your results – lower cholesterol by eating fats – are typical.

Here is a speech that outlines why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe9z32NZHY

Enjoy!

Thanks for those enlightening links! I’ve watched Dr. Millers presentation and now I’m even more eager to see for my next cholesterol check….keep you posted!

Q

quizzie, in spite of what doctors have been taught, in spite of what official guidelines say, there is evidence that it’s our own visceral fat/high insulin levels that are driving inflammation and atherosclerosis, much more so than dietary saturated fat… this is a controversial subject and one that it’s difficult to get a definitive answer on. Read what you can, ask your doctor to point you to studies you can read, decide what you think. Did you have measures of inflammation checked, as well? Do you have signs/symptoms of atherosclerosis? When you have familial hypercholesterolemia the picture does get even more complicated, unfortunately, BUT — your cholesterol number does speak for itself — well done!

Hi all and thanks for all the posts with regard to this – it is making a bit more sense now and I guess that it takes time for the body to adjust to being a different weight/shape/size as well as to adjust to the intermittent fasting – I like to fast on different days each week so my body doesn’t adjust too much. I haven’t yet been back for a blood test, but will do so when life settles down in a bit more. In the meantime, I’m happy with my progress on the 5:2 and have no intention of giving it up or taking statins.

My sympathy regarding the confusing issue of statins. I have one doctor who says, don’t worry, it’s a beat up unless you have a strong family history of heart disease and stroke. I said to him ‘vascular dementia’; he said, no known connection; we don’t know what causes that. I went to another doctor because it was convenient and I wanted to know his opinion. He said, “Well, it’s going up; maybe you had better go back on them, although he agreed that the reasons were a bit moot.

I have gone back on them for a while experimentally.

I was not losing weight on the fast diet despite rigid adherence for about six months. After reading a book about effects of sugars by Gary Taub, Why we get fat and watching videos on similar theory, corn syrup notably, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” and “Fat chance” with Dr Lustig in a medical series, I decided that the only thing I had not tried was stopping simple carbohydrates. At first I just could not work out how to do this without great suffering, then I found another you-tube video (that I could subsequently never find again) of a woman who said, basically, “While you are asleep, your body is burning fats, but in the morning you take a slice of toast and that’s it; you start producing insulin and you are hungry all day.” (That’s really simplifying what she said, but it resonated.) I decided not to eat toast in the morning and to see how much carbohydrate, apart from non starchy veg, I could avoid all day. I begin the day with two boiled eggs. I found that it was as that woman said, if I didn’t have toast, I did not feel that ongoing hunger. In one month I have lost three kilos by continuing to do two fast days a week and avoid simple carbohydrates, notably bread, but also using fruits as an occasional treat. I convinced my partner, who has been faithfully doing the same regimes with me, to stop his huge consumption of porridge in the morning and grapes and sultanas and bananas, and his weight-loss has been similar. I am hoping to keep this up long-term. I wonder if I will lose the ten more kg or so that I would ideally and what I will do then; will I reintroduce some simple carbs? Will I drop a fast day?

I can really see the difference between food for hunger and simple carbs for a dopamine hit (i.e. as a happy drug, a distraction). I get much the same effect from avoiding sugar, mentally, as I do from fasting. I have a tendency to eat a lot of nuts however. Not sure if that is going to become a problem and not sure whether I can afford to eat cheese (another addiction).

I would love to see a program evaluating all the information we fast-diet experimenters are inputting to this website.

I used to agree that perhaps’doctor knows best’ but the side effects of the statins were ruining my life daily.
My father had high cholesterol all his life but only took statins when he was in a nursing home and had no choice. He took them for the last 3 yrs of his life and passed away at age 87.
I have felt great since stopping them, no pain, bags of energy, no nausea. The practice nurse changed my statin to Atorvastatin which made me worse, also the leaflet in the pack stated I should not take them with Thyroid meds. The nurse told me to take no notice of that !! and try them again.
Needless to say I don’t have much confidence in the surgery in question. I am going to track my sat fats and follow the 5.2 then have a test again.

Steel cut oats and oat bran don’t trigger an insulin response (in me, diabetic type 2) but rolled oats do.

Congrats! These are good numbers!
I’m eager to see my next test (End of october or so). I’m doing a daily prolonged fast in the morning (Breakfast skipping) and often (not always) dinner skipping and sports each day.
I’ve also noticed this decrease in LDL and rise of HDL even under high fat low Carb-diet (which is officially *not* recommended for cholesterol-concerned people) so I’m not worried of saturated fats anymore. Sure, whenever possible, I tend to good fats like Rapeseed and Linseed oil but I don’t skip the cream in the soup for dietary purposes!

Q.

What do people mean when they say “insulin response”. Is this a more technical term for desire for food or appetite in the absence of genuine hunger?

What is the difference between steel cut oats and rolled oats? I understand rolled oats are the whole grain so i don’t know why there should be a difference.

Most of the posts on this thread sharing personal experience avoid providing enough information for anyone else to really appreciate your experience. We don’t know your weight and we don’t know what you eat. I am sure it makes a huge difference to the whole issue if you are not overweight and have a cholesterol problem. So i’ tend to assume everyone here is overweight. The first thing you have to do is lose weight to get your cholesterol down. But if you have high cholesterol and are not overweight and your diet is healthy then i’d be particularly concerned.

I can’t see how fasting can improve cholesterol levels if you are not losing weight as well.

In books on low carb they will tell you that low fat diets increase in bad cholesterol.

Lentils beans etc are said to suck up cholesterol out of the blood. Anyway these foods are good for high cholesterol levels (note when we talk about high cholesterol, we should just assume that we all refer to high bad cholesterol because high good cholesterol isn’t even worth talking about and to have to spell it out each time takes a lot more effort. )And supposedly oats are good too. But if you put a stack of sugar, honey or jam on your oats, you are probably just undermining the whole exercise.

People should supplement their doctors advice with reading some books. There’s no point reading studies if you don’t know how to read them or can’t understand a good part of the vocabulary. Doctors and even some diabetic educators do seem to be seriously lagging on diet information. I was quite horrified recently to speak to a diabetic educator who knows nothing at all about low carb diets except their existence. And of course she had a negative opinion about them. And was very obese. She seemed only to know about drug management.

People with insulin issues would do themselves a favour if they could learn about the glycaemic index. This would help people make more appropriate food choices. More fibre will improve r health if you eat more fibre of all kinds. Please watch this tv show on the value of dietary fibre. Its a science show on you tube after having been shown on australian tv called catalyst-gut reaction.

You can also read Gut Flora on Wikipedia for more detail and because the show necessarily has to simplify some of the information which can lead to misunderstandings. No, a few bits of lettuce with a spot of vinegar is not adequate. (i read someone post that they now do this in response to the tv show.