I got a call from my doctor's office stating that my LDL (?) cholesterol is 142. The lady I was speaking with (not my doctor) says that my doctor is sure it is probably from diet (though he has never asked me about my diet) and wants me to see a nutritionist. Well, I checked my food numbers on Spark People and the food item I eat daily with the most cholesterol is eggs. I am wondering if I start eating just the whites, will this make my LDL cholesterol go down or what? :/

I can tell you in a couple months when I get mine checked again LOL. I found out in May with a blood draw that I have high cholesterol (my LDL was 216, so really really bad!!). I was also sent to a nutritionist, and the things she told me was with high cholesterol, I should be shooting for less than 200mg intake per day (I added cholesterol as a nutrient I track on SP to be sure), and that I should have no more than 4 yolks per week. Since I really feel better having protein for breakfast, I switched to egg beater type things. originally I did egg whites, but they were not palatable for me. Egg beaters are.

My dr gave me six months to lose more weight and see if my cholesterol improves through diet changes. If not, we'll have to talk meds, not something I want to do.

It's diet and excercise. But also can be family related. My hubby's was high, then I cut out eggs except whites...and no fried foods and his is normal.

But like I said it could be inherited. Do you have a family history?

Terre is right, a lot of cholesterol is family related and inherited - you might want to talk to your relatives to see if that could be contributing. My mom's is high, as well as my paternal grandma, so I think I might be fighting a bit of an uphill battle

Another thing I didn't think to mention, sorry - the nutritionist that I saw basically said the key was to reduce cholesterol intake (mostly from saturated (animal) fats is where it comes from) combined with increasing fiber. I already did a lot of whole grains, but I'm more careful about my fiber intake now, making sure to hit my daily minimum.

As far as I know, no one is my family has had any cholesterol issues :/ Well, except maybe the ones who are morbid obese and eat pure fat 24-7 :/

Here is some info I got from my doctor, hope it helps! When I asked about how to raise my good HDL cholesterol, she said "exercise, exercise, exercise".


An LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dL (less than 2.6 mmol/L) is considered optimal.
100 to 129 (2.6 to 3.35) is considered near optimal.
130 to 159 (3.35 to 4.10) is considered borderline high.
160 to 189 (4.12 to 4.88) is considered high.
190 and above (4.90 to 4.88) is considered very high.


What causes high cholesterol?
Many things can cause high cholesterol, including:
-The foods you eat. Eating too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol -can raise your cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol are in foods that come from animals (such as meats, whole milk, egg yolks, butter, and cheese). Trans fats are in many packaged and snack foods, such as cookies, crackers, and chips.
-Being overweight.
-Being inactive.
-Age. Cholesterol starts to rise after age 20.
-Family history. If family members have or had high cholesterol, you may also have it.
-Overall health. Diseases such as hypothyroidism can raise cholesterol.


Some lifestyle changes are important for everyone with high cholesterol.

*Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes plenty of fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber grains and breads, and healthy fats like olive oil.
*Lose weight, if you need to. Losing just 5 lb to 10 lb (2.3 kg to 4.5 kg) can lower your cholesterol. Losing weight can also help lower your blood pressure.
*Get regular exercise on most, if not all, days of the week. Walking is great exercise that most people can do. A good goal is 30 minutes or more a day.
*Don't smoke. Quitting can help raise your HDL and improve your heart health.

In my admittedly unmedical non-doctor opinion, all the claims about dietary cholesterol being the culprit are bogus. The body makes its own cholesterol, more than you eat. Cholesterol is necessary for proper body functions.

And, I have read a book by an M.D. endocrinologist, Susan Schwarzbein, who states that high carb intake is what leads to higher cholesterol. She has had case after case of heart patients who were put on low-fat, higher carb diets--and whose cholesterol just kept going up.

The other part of cholesterol is stress. Exercise is really important in reducing stress. Even just taking a daily walk can help with that.

Your LDL is borderline high, not "really high." Did you get the number for your total cholesterol? Did the dr. ask about your other medications? Meds can play a role in this, too.

See if you can lower the LDLs and raise your HDLs with regular exercise over the next 6 monhts, if you're not doing that already. Don't let the dr. give you any statin drugs--they are dangerous.

Just my 2 cents.

Jay

Can't say it any better than Jay did (as usual!). If you want to see the latest research, from an organization that is NONPROFIT and not affiliated with the pharmaceutical companies, LEF.org has a nice summary on the 17 different factors that contribute to heart disease. Cholesterol happens to be just one of them ... and coincidentally the one that makes the most money for the drug companies.

Jen's post got me thinking. Here is an article - The High Cholesterol Thyroid Connection- that might interest you.

It won't hurt and might help to reduce the number of egg yolks that you eat. You might find that the cholesterol lowers as you treat your hypothyroidism.

I already do regular exercise. The only medication I am on is the generic form of Synthroid for my hypothyroidism and I started taking it after I had the tests done.

Thanks so much Jen and Cheryl!