Atkins and Cholesterol ?

  •   #1  
    mom4life's Avatarmom4life , 09-21-2009 10:12 AM
    My mom is in her early 50's. She's currently on Meds for High Cholesterol. Its runs in the family or so we think. She's been trying to find a way to control it other then being on these meds. she's currently taking supplements (CoQ10 and others) that promise to control it. She's at a normal weight so she doesn't need help there.
    She was thinking of going on the Atkins diet because she's heard of the benefits of Atkins and Cholesterol. She was wondering that if she was to go on it, would she have to ditch the meds or remain on them?
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  •   #2  
    mom4life's Avatarmom4life , 09-21-2009 10:16 AM
    Forgot to ask.

    Are there any articles on benefits of Atkins on lowering Cholesterol?
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  •   #3  
    JerseyGyrl's AvatarJerseyGyrl , 09-21-2009 11:29 AM
    First of all, getting off ANY prescription medication without the advice of a Dr is not a wise thing to do.
    Atkins helps a lot of people with health issues such as cholesterol & diabetes. My DBF was told his cholesterol was high last year. His family has a history of cholesterol issues & are all on dangerous statin drugs. This Dr. wanted DBF on 20 mg a day of Lipitor. He never discussed diet or exercise. Thankfully, DBF listened to me and did not fill the prescription He began eating Atkins style and taking supplements. Here are his before & after numbers:

    BEFORE:
    Total Cholesterol: 275
    LDL: 191
    HDL: 47
    Triglycerides: 184

    AFTER:
    Total Cholesterol: 195
    LDL: 123
    HDL: 50
    Triglycerides: 114

    Your Mom should read Good Calories Bad Calories By Gary Taubes and The Great Cholesterol Con By Dr. Malcolm Kendrick.

    Being that your Mom is presently on a cholesterol drug and there is a supposed family history of cholesterol issues...unless she is going to a very open minded Dr., I highly doubt he is going to recommend Atkins and talking to him about it may result in a confrontational discussion. If he/she is unwilling to listen, I personally would find another Dr. That being said, I want to stress again, your Mom should not just stop taking that medication on her own with no medical advice.

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  •   #4  
    beerab's Avatarbeerab , 09-21-2009 11:36 AM
    I have heard South Beach is better for high cholesterol since it emphasizes good fats and lean protein.

    I found this article:
    http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/n...in-cholesterol
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  •   #5  
    JerseyGyrl's AvatarJerseyGyrl , 09-21-2009 11:42 AM
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by beerab
    I have heard Bouth Beach is better for high cholesterol since it emphasizes good fats and lean protein.
    Believe it or not, so does Atkins when its done correctly
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  •   #6  
    mom4life's Avatarmom4life , 09-21-2009 12:25 PM
    See that's the reason I started on the Atkins. Because when I was 15 yrs old (now 34) my cholesterol has been in the 200+. The last blood test I had was earlier this year (after starting the Mediteranian diet, my LDL dropped to 190's. Mostlikely due to switching to olive oil....I think.
    Because of my family history with cholesteral, this is why the Atkins diet seemed perfect to start before I end up being put on meds later on in life.
    I feel like I need to get a handle of it now.
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  •   #7  
    JerseyGyrl's AvatarJerseyGyrl , 09-21-2009 12:49 PM
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mom4life
    my LDL dropped to 190's.
    LDL is your "bad" cholesterol and 190's is considered very high. It should ultimately be below 130.
    If you can, do yourself a favor and check out The Great Cholesterol Con by Dr. Malcolm Kenderick....its available cheap on Ebay. When my DBF read it, it really opened his eyes about cholesterol & statin drugs!
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  •   #8  
    mom4life's Avatarmom4life , 09-21-2009 02:14 PM
    I didn't know that. the doctor I went to said "Oh your cholesterol dropped, good job, keep it up." I thought it was close to normal range.
    Thanks, I'll check that book out.
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  •   #9  
    sarahinparis's Avatarsarahinparis , 09-24-2009 02:21 PM
    Eating low carb can help some people, but the statin drugs get a bad rap in the low carb community.

    I've been eating low carb for almost 6 months. My cholesterol (LDL & total) is still elevated. My whole family has elevated LDL, even young. My dad had a near-fatal MI at 50 (he's a doctor, he knew the symptoms and went immediately to an ER. He had a huge clot and would be dead if he'd done anything else).

    With family history and risk factors, the statin LDL data on longevity is actually much more positive than the Cholesterol Con book says (that book is also quite outdated now). If my LDL isn't below 100 (level for high risk) in another 6 months, I'll take statins. Even if my trigs stay low and the HDL stays high as is common for carb restriction.

    For me it's a question of what scares you more - the drugs (which have been used by millions for well over 20 years) or the heart disease?
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  •   #10  
    JerseyGyrl's AvatarJerseyGyrl , 09-24-2009 03:10 PM
    An excellent long read on cholesterol, statin drugs and the true culprit of heart disease....SUGAR!
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mar..._b_290687.html
    The AHA has recently issued a statement regarding sugar and telling people they should reduce their consumption. Hmmm, coincidence....or....is someone finally starting to get a clue!
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