Blood Lipid Result Questions

manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
Just got my lipid profile back

Total Cholesterol: 108
HDL - 38
LDL- 56

I'm a little concerned with HDL, but I believe it is because of my TRT. I am eating healthy with alot of greens, and health fats.

My question: Is my LDL too low? Back in January it was 81...the lab range says under 100 is good. I am just wondering if I should try to raise this or be happy where it is....
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
Stats
Age:34
6"0, 200 lbs

Supplements
Test cyp 150 mg/week (No AI)
Vitamin C (3-5g)
Vitamin D3 4000iu
Vitamin A 5000iu
Magnesium 400mg
Liv. 52
Krill Oil
Greens Powder
 

jrock645

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • First Up Vote
  • Established
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
108 total cholesterol on trt is fantastic. I see nothing to worry about here.
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
108 total cholesterol on trt is fantastic. I see nothing to worry about here.
Thanks, brother.

Is there any reason for me to be concerned about LDL being so low?
 
kenpoengineer

kenpoengineer

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • RockStar
  • Legend!
  • Established
Thanks, brother.

Is there any reason for me to be concerned about LDL being so low?
Yes. Cholesterol actually is the building block for hormones. Start eating more healthy fats in your diet along with red meat.
IMG_1905.JPG
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar

Derek Wilson

Active member
Awards
2
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
I take krill oil daily....

I guess I'll add in some MCT, and mix in some more red meat
In my opinion, both fish oil and krill oil make up good contenders for a healthy dietary supplement. I could not exactly determine which one is better among the two since both of them are essential and they both offer remarkable benefits to our body despite their differences.
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
Now I just need to get my HDL up...I'm not sure if it's still low because of my past AI use with TRT....

It's been several weeks since I took an AI...
 
HIT4ME

HIT4ME

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • RockStar
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
Honestly, the low LDL IMO is not worth worrying about. Coconut oil has been shown to effectively raise HDL - that would be more my concern.

IMO krill oil is healthy but not really a replacement for fish oil. Krill has astaxanthin which is great - but you will get more epa/dha from fish oil. I take 6 grams fish oil for 4.5 g of combined EPA/DHA every day and Krillipid.
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
Honestly, the low LDL IMO is not worth worrying about. Coconut oil has been shown to effectively raise HDL - that would be more my concern.

IMO krill oil is healthy but not really a replacement for fish oil. Krill has astaxanthin which is great - but you will get more epa/dha from fish oil. I take 6 grams fish oil for 4.5 g of combined EPA/DHA every day and Krillipid.
Any tips to raise HDL @HIT4ME? I just ordered some Citrus Bergamot....i healthy and am pretty lean.
 

Resolve10

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
You mention diet a bit, but that would always be my first place to look when tweaking this.

Keep in mind my hormonal knowledge isn't amazing so keep that in mind with my recommendations.

Considering you seem to be exercising and mention body comp is pretty good you could look into Niacin and/or Garlic for HDL purposes.

As far as general heart health I do like Fish oil beyond just Krill, shooting for 1-2g of combined EPA + DHA (not just fish oil but the actual EPA/DHA). Vitamin K2 for blood clotting prevention seems of higher importance on hormonals (from what I've seen).

Orange Beat by Controlled Labs is a good Garlic + Citrus Bergamot product (with added Shilajit and COQ10).
 
HIT4ME

HIT4ME

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • RockStar
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
Any tips to raise HDL @HIT4ME? I just ordered some Citrus Bergamot....i healthy and am pretty lean.
I thought I gave one already 🤣

Honestly, the low LDL IMO is not worth worrying about. Coconut oil has been shown to effectively raise HDL - that would be more my concern.

IMO krill oil is healthy but not really a replacement for fish oil. Krill has astaxanthin which is great - but you will get more epa/dha from fish oil. I take 6 grams fish oil for 4.5 g of combined EPA/DHA every day and Krillipid.
You mention diet a bit, but that would always be my first place to look when tweaking this.

Keep in mind my hormonal knowledge isn't amazing so keep that in mind with my recommendations.

Considering you seem to be exercising and mention body comp is pretty good you could look into Niacin and/or Garlic for HDL purposes.

As far as general heart health I do like Fish oil beyond just Krill, shooting for 1-2g of combined EPA + DHA (not just fish oil but the actual EPA/DHA). Vitamin K2 for blood clotting prevention seems of higher importance on hormonals (from what I've seen).

Orange Beat by Controlled Labs is a good Garlic + Citrus Bergamot product (with added Shilajit and COQ10).
Niacin and Garlic will lower HDL, not raise it. His HDL needs to come up, low HDL (below 40) is considered a risk factor for cardiovasular disease. In reality, given the profile we are looking at with pretty much low LDL and just barely low HDL - I bet his doctor has no concerns and I really don't either. I would much rather have 38/56 than something like 45/80....not that that is a good example either because that would be fine too.

I would start using some coconut oil. No need to go nuts here...1-2 tablespoons a day.

Coconut oil is interesting, because a quick look on pubmed yields conflicting info. These studies show it does not help or hurts lipid profiles:

Coconut oil consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in humans.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26946252

The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31928080


While these studies show it does help or is at least safe:

A COCONUT EXTRA VIRGIN OIL-RICH DIET INCREASES HDL CHOLESTEROL AND DECREASES WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND BODY MASS IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26545671

The Impact of Virgin Coconut Oil and High-Oleic Safflower Oil on Body Composition, Lipids, and Inflammatory Markers in Postmenopausal Women.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28277823

Effect of a Diet Enriched with Fresh Coconut Saturated Fats on Plasma Lipids and Erythrocyte Fatty Acid Composition in Normal Adults.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28506118

Dietary Supplementation with Virgin Coconut Oil Improves Lipid Profile and Hepatic Antioxidant Status and Has Potential Benefits on Cardiovascular Risk Indices in Normal Rats.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28816548

Randomised trial of coconut oil, olive oil or butter on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors in healthy men and women.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29511019


Not to throw up the entirety of Pubmed here - but those are hits from the first couple of pages of the search. One thing that jumps out at me is that the two negative studies are meta-analysis studies, not actual experiment. While a lot of the actual experiments have flaws, they are direct observation and they all seem to lean neutral or positive to coconut oil improving HDL. I think it WILL increase LDL too, but in your case that will probably get you in a good range for both.

And since you are getting blood work done, you can try it for a while and if it goes to far, you can back off. I would start with 1-2 tablespoons a day, there's no reason to go nuts with anything and it sounds like you're eating pretty well so an extra 100-150 calories/day shouldn't be too bad.
 
jswain34

jswain34

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
Double posted
 
jswain34

jswain34

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
Im not going to quote that whole post but I you’re incorrect regarding Niacin. It is most definitely used to raise HDL at a dosing range of 1-1.5g/day.
 
HIT4ME

HIT4ME

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • RockStar
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
Im not going to quote that whole post but I you’re incorrect regarding Niacin. It is most definitely used to raise HDL at a dosing range of 1-1.5g/day.
Fuark, You are right. I was wrong about both it looks like - garlic works too! Sorry @Resolve10. You were right, I was wrong.

This is why I normally just agree with you.
 
jswain34

jswain34

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
Fuark, You are right. I was wrong about both it looks like - garlic works too! Sorry @Resolve10. You were right, I was wrong.

This is why I normally just agree with you.
Haha no worries - you have a ton of knowledge and some of its bound to get mixed up in there from time to time. I wasnt 100% sure on the garlic one, so I didnt comment on that. But after doing a very brief search it looks like it doesnt have an effect on raising HDL but it raises the % of HDL in the HDL/LDL ratio by decreasing LDL. It also looks like theres a lot of conflicting data out there regarding its overall efficacy.
 
HIT4ME

HIT4ME

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • RockStar
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
Haha no worries - you have a ton of knowledge and some of its bound to get mixed up in there from time to time. I wasnt 100% sure on the garlic one, so I didnt comment on that. But after doing a very brief search it looks like it doesnt have an effect on raising HDL but it raises the % of HDL in the HDL/LDL ratio by decreasing LDL. It also looks like theres a lot of conflicting data out there regarding its overall efficacy.
Haha - thanks for being kind. Likewise. You two still have plenty to teach me though and I have plenty more to learn - as you just showed me.

The good thing, or bad, is that with this isolation I have more time to spend being a Pubmed ninja and typing long posts. I feel bad for everyone else on here. haha.
 

Resolve10

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
Im not going to quote that whole post but I you’re incorrect regarding Niacin. It is most definitely used to raise HDL at a dosing range of 1-1.5g/day.
Ya, I'd mention though I'd use this more as a short term means to get this benefit and then see if you can keep things in range after Niacin use, since (not as sure about it) there do appear to be possible decreases in insulin sensitivity with high niacin use.

Fuark, You are right. I was wrong about both it looks like - garlic works too! Sorry @Resolve10. You were right, I was wrong.

This is why I normally just agree with you.
No problem, I don't know cholesterol stuff as well as I should so I keep having to go back and look to make sure I am not mixing it up.

Garlic doesn't seem as reliable for boosting HDL but here is at least one of the studies that did show benefit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19060427
 
HIT4ME

HIT4ME

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • RockStar
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • Best Answer
Ya, I'd mention though I'd use this more as a short term means to get this benefit and then see if you can keep things in range after Niacin use, since (not as sure about it) there do appear to be possible decreases in insulin sensitivity with high niacin use.



No problem, I don't know cholesterol stuff as well as I should so I keep having to go back and look to make sure I am not mixing it up.

Garlic doesn't seem as reliable for boosting HDL but here is at least one of the studies that did show benefit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19060427
Apparently, in this case, I don't know cholesterol as well as I should and I should have gone back and checked before I said anything, haha.
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
Wow...thanks guys. Alot for me to consider here. I appreciate it.
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
Do we know if a TRT dose of testosterone Cypionate will have any effect on HDL?
 
Last edited:

jrock645

Well-known member
Awards
4
  • First Up Vote
  • Established
  • Best Answer
  • RockStar
Do we know if a TRT dose of testosterone Cypionate will have any effect on HDL?
It certainly could, how much is going to be highly individual. Tons of individual variation- genetic factors and such. Like I said initially... your numbers aren't bad by any means and certainly nothing to worry about. HDL could be a little better but no reason to freak. Like mentioned, the aged garlic and a couple of these things could be helpful but just keep in mind that you need to have a long term view of this. I'd add the garlic and see what that does. Add something else if need be. I think throwing the kitchen sink at this and trying to get a quick fix, then backing off after blood work would be the wrong approach. Nothing about your cholesterol says you need to take drastic measures.
 
aaronuconn

aaronuconn

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • RockStar
  • First Up Vote
  • Established
How much cardio are you doing? Aerobic exercise may assist in increasing HDL
 
aaronuconn

aaronuconn

Well-known member
Awards
3
  • RockStar
  • First Up Vote
  • Established
How much cardio are you doing? Aerobic exercise may assist in increasing HDL
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
It certainly could, how much is going to be highly individual. Tons of individual variation- genetic factors and such. Like I said initially... your numbers aren't bad by any means and certainly nothing to worry about. HDL could be a little better but no reason to freak. Like mentioned, the aged garlic and a couple of these things could be helpful but just keep in mind that you need to have a long term view of this. I'd add the garlic and see what that does. Add something else if need be. I think throwing the kitchen sink at this and trying to get a quick fix, then backing off after blood work would be the wrong approach. Nothing about your cholesterol says you need to take drastic measures.
Excellent point. Thank you.

It's so easy to try to throw everything at this stuff. The easy access has cause me to be a little anal about stuff. Long term approach is what I need to keep in mind.
 
manifesto

manifesto

Well-known member
Awards
6
  • Established
  • First Up Vote
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
  • RockStar
How much cardio are you doing? Aerobic exercise may assist in increasing HDL
Not as much as I use to...up until a couple months back, I was running half marathons . I have since focused on trying to add muscle.
 

Similar threads


Top