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Lipids - a few questions about diet and supplementation

Gutterpump

Gutterpump

Banned
I have some interesting things going on. I've always been somewhat low in cholesterol and have always tried to boost this naturally and with healthy ratios.

However, my lipid ratios are a bit skewed. I am trying to boost HDL while lowering LDL, but my triglycerides are very low. Most supplements out there have things in them which lower cholesterol and triglycerides.

Are there any supplements I can take and things I can alter in my diet to mainly just focus on boosting HDL? I do not want anything that will lower total cholesterol. TIA

All I can think of is EVOO and niacin. Not too sure about niacin though..
 
Lamik81 said:
Superdrol or Big Macs
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Haha Superdrol won't raise HDL.. But yeah I just have naturally low Cholesterol no matter my diet, even on a Keto / high fat diet. I've heard it can be a genetic thing... Germans tend not to have cholesterol issues even with a high fat diet.

But I'd definitely like to change my ratio of HDL to LDL
 
Thanks, yeah I've been trying out coconut oil and olive oil, making them my main 2 fats and eating more of them. I'm going for a physical soon so I'll report back how it goes with bloodwork.
 
Gutterpump said:
Thanks, yeah I've been trying out coconut oil and olive oil, making them my main 2 fats and eating more of them. I'm going for a physical soon so I'll report back how it goes with bloodwork.
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Please do, I am interested in your outcome. : )
 
GP-If your total cholesterol is low then your HDL does not need to be "as high" as most because the ratio/relationship between HDL and CHOL influences overall cardiovascular system health.

You say your Triglycerides are low (probably from your low carb eating) but what is your LDL?

There are newer studies coming out now that place more emphasis on LDL-P (particle size) vs LDL-C (the typical LDL assays) as being the most influential indicator for CVD risk (with respect to lipid analyses).
 
[FONT=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Niacin in gram doses but I wouldn't really recommend it. IIRC, eating more cholesterol and saturated fats may increase HDL (as well as LDL). [/FONT]
 
Whacked said:
GP-If your total cholesterol is low then your HDL does not need to be "as high" as most because the ratio/relationship between HDL and CHOL influences overall cardiovascular system health.

You say your Triglycerides are low (probably from your low carb eating) but what is your LDL?

There are newer studies coming out now that place more emphasis on LDL-P (particle size) vs LDL-C (the typical LDL assays) as being the most influential indicator for CVD risk (with respect to lipid analyses).
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I'm getting a physical soon and will post my values. My Chol has always been on the low end... no matter my diet. I rarely use low carb diets for very long, just for a few months a year tops. But since using orals in the past, and then TRT (with arimidex as an AI), my ratios have been skewed.

I'm hoping my HDL is now higher than my LDL. I haven't used orals in ages, and not using much of an AI, just a bit of aromasin here n there, and it's easy on lipids.

Should have my labs in a couple weeks.
 
Oscar said:
Coconut oil
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I second this
Coconut oil contains MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) among the many benefits to overall health, some research points to positive effects on overall cholesterol levels and a balancing effect between LDL and HDL .....

Worth adding to your protein shakes for many reasons IMO ;)
 
On a side note, I've researched GW-501516, and it appears that it WILL increase HDL and lower LDL (as well as many other effects in the body), but it has a horrible safety profile that I just wouldn't want to risk, not even slightly worth the risk to me.
 
TKC432 said:
Worth adding to your protein shakes for many reasons IMO ;)
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I love coconut oil, have lots at home. I'll cook in it on occasion and also eat tablespoons of it. I used to try to mix it in my shakes, but it doesn't seem to mix very well. It stays clumpy, feels like bits of wax in my shakes and always floats to the top.
 
Gutterpump said:
I love coconut oil, have lots at home. I'll cook in it on occasion and also eat tablespoons of it. I used to try to mix it in my shakes, but it doesn't seem to mix very well. It stays clumpy, feels like bits of wax in my shakes and always floats to the top.
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Yeah .... it requires a major (hardcore) blender to get it into temporary solution and then its one of those types of protein shakes that can't sit very long .... gotta drink it down ASAP. You can always warm the oil slightly above room temp to help increase viscosity but then that changes the whole protein shake .....

Personally I just opt for the hardcore blender/drink it down ASAP approach ....
 
I need a Vitamix in my life! Pretty hefty purchase though.

I could try mixing it in casein shakes...they're thick enough to prevent it from floating most likely. Been cutting down on casein lately though.
 
Oscar said:
Just cook with it man stuffs delicious.
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I do like I was saying, I fry up all sorts of stuff with it, even my eggs. It's amazing used as a glaze on chicken, along with shredded coconut and powdered almonds, baked in a toaster oven.

I think I'm going to start adding olive oil to my morning shakes now too, and take a shot here and there throughout the day.
 
Gutterpump said:
I do like I was saying, I fry up all sorts of stuff with it, even my eggs. It's amazing used as a glaze on chicken, along with shredded coconut and powdered almonds, baked in a toaster oven.

I think I'm going to start adding olive oil to my morning shakes now too, and take a shot here and there throughout the day.
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I've been adding EVOO to my shakes for a while now to increase the healthy fat profile. Good stuff ..... and mixes well too ;)
 
Yeah I used to do this all the time with EVOO. I'm actually not sure why I stopped.

I'm going to increase my intake of L-Glutamine and Greens supplementation as well, in case my gut is an issue (absorption).
 
Gutterpump said:
Yeah I used to do this all the time with EVOO. I'm actually not sure why I stopped.

I'm going to increase my intake of L-Glutamine and Greens supplementation as well, in case my gut is an issue (absorption).
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You touched on something there ..... gut health. Proper balance of gut bacteria is essential to proper nutrient absorption as well as overall health. Bloating is often one of the signs of improper gut health .... many more signs include feeling run-down, skin rashes, etc..... We seem to pay so much attention to all other supps and diet yet gut health never gets the proper attention. Ironically without proper gut health most of our expensive supps and good diet are not getting properly digested or used ..... so with that said .... gut health should be equally as important as all other areas of our health. Yogurt with active cultures is a simple addition to any protein shake to help things balance out. Even sauerkraut helps. Anything with active cultures/enzymes will do the trick.

I started adding organic/natural plain yogurt to my shakes a few months ago and saw the improvements within a couple weeks. Well worth it IMO.
Pro-biotics are a good thing ;)

There are also several products out there that have gut/digestion health properties that would be worth adding to the supp mix in that supp cabinet we all guard with our lives LOL

The term 'Pre-Biotic' will be one that we all will be hearing more about as things progress. Fructooligosaccharide (FOS)
FOS serves as a substrate for microflora in the large intestine, increasing the overall gastrointestinal tract (GI Tract) health. Adding a supplement that contains (FOS) along with other measures to increase pro-biotics in the diet is IMO the best approach to improving overall gut health.

As I mentioned above, natural/organic, plain yogurt is an excellent pro-biotic source that can be added to any protein shake. To get the necessary 'pre-biotic' portion of this formula for gut health I would suggest a supplement like MUSCLE-FIBER by Finaflex.

IMO I think we will start to see a lot more about gut health in the bodybuilding community as more people and more supp companies for that matter begin to realize that it is an integral part of overall health ..... and that is why we are doing what we do isn't it? ;)
 
I'm a big fan of Kombucha... super high in pro-biotics and very cheap to buy in comparison to many other sources. I don't mind the taste as well, ginger Kombucha is pretty good.
 
Gutterpump said:
I'm a big fan of Kombucha... super high in pro-biotics and very cheap to buy in comparison to many other sources. I don't mind the taste as well, ginger Kombucha is pretty good.
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Kimchi is another one that has pro-biotic properties ...... and tastes amazing ;)
 
Just to show how well L-Glutamine works for the gut too.... my dog suffers from hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and has an inflammatory disease in his bowel. He typically has some amount of blood in his feces. Well ever since I started giving him 10g of L-Glutamine (using MST's Ajipure L-Glutamine) per day (he's over 100#), he hasn't had any sign of blood, and it's kept his HGE away. It's powerful stuff.
 
L-Glutamine works wonders for many areas of our health. Really helps immune function also. I always include at least 5grams of L-Glutamine in my shakes ;)
 
TKC nailed it with his long post above. Spot on
 
TKC432 said:
Kimchi is another one that has pro-biotic properties ...... and tastes amazing ;)
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Plus this added to an already high protein diet produces some very toxic gas that is sure to impress the old lady at next evenings Dutch-Oven Games ;) LOL
 
TKC432 said:
Kimchi is another one that has pro-biotic properties ...... and tastes like swampy a$$hole ;)
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fixed

:biglaugh:

I've got a friend who eats that stuff, and everytime I walk in her house after she's eaten it, I gag and puke in my mouth a lil bit....horrible smell

anyway - some interesting reading for you:

Over the past couple of years or so, I started to notice that there seemed to be a high incidence of older Asian people being afflicted with stomach cancer, including my own father who passed away last year. After doing some research, I found out the startling facts. If you are an Asian American/Pacific Islander or eat Asian food as a staple, read up:

• Asian American/Pacific Islander women have the highest rates for new cases of stomach cancer compared to women of all other groups. Rates of stomach cancer are three times higher than among white women.


• Asian American men are twice as likely as Caucasian men to have stomach cancer and

• Korean men in particular experience the highest rate of stomach cancer of all ethnic groups: five times the rate of Caucasian men.

So why is this? Some studies suggest that diets high in foods that are smoked, salted or pickled may be at an increased risk for stomach cancer. Those foods contain nitrates/nitrites, which are likely carcinogens. So basically, kimchi at every meal = very bad.
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notice this is proposed from eating kimchi very frequently, not just occasionally
I thought it was interesting connection to nitrates/nitrites and stomach cancer
 
snagencyV2.0 said:
fixed

:biglaugh:

I've got a friend who eats that stuff, and everytime I walk in her house after she's eaten it, I gag and puke in my mouth a lil bit....horrible smell

anyway - some interesting reading for you:

notice this is proposed from eating kimchi very frequently, not just occasionally
I thought it was interesting connection to nitrates/nitrites and stomach cancer
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the author of that is an idiot.

People in Florida get skin cancer at higher rates than people in Antarctica.... there are lots of palm trees in florida and none in antarctica, thus palm trees cause cancer!

Also the nitrate=cancer thing is out dated and is not supported by the literature.
 
JudoJosh said:
the author of that is an idiot..
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pretty judgemental position there Josh..do you make a practice of stating that anyone who writes anything you do not agree with or find holes in, is an idiot? whoaa

meh, it matters not to me - tho that article is hardly the lone ranger in regards to the many multiple links and hypothesis that exist on connection between fermentation, excessive salt, and stomach and esophageal cancer, from the WHO on down to many other factions

I thought it was interesting reading; if you think otherwise cool, like I said it really doesn't matter, I am not staking anything on it

take care
 
I have had issues with my cholesterol levels getting out of whack. What's really important is the HDL:LDL ratio and also the LDL particle size. A few things that are proven to work:

Niacin
coconut oil
red palm oil
red yeast rice
EVOO
lowering sugar intake
 
I've got a physical in 2 weeks. Making EVOO and coconut oil the only (main) 2 fats in my diet. I'll report back the results of my CHO values/ratio.

I don't want to lower my CHOL so I don't take things like red yeast rice, etc. Just trying to increase HDL ratio.
 
Blergs said:
Please do, I am interested in your outcome. : )
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Finally got my physical done, CHOL results:

Cholesterol [Mass/volume] in Serum or Plasma
Value: 152 mg/dL
Reference Range: <200

Triglyceride [Mass/volume] in Serum or Plasma
Value: 79 mg/dL
Reference Range: <150

Cholesterol in LDL [Mass/volume] in Serum or Plasma
Value: 96 mg/dL
Reference Range: <130

Cholesterol in HDL [Mass/volume] in Serum or Plasma
Value: 51 mg/dL
Reference Range: >40

I suppose this is all fine. I'd like to raise my HDL up higher still though. Going to start eating steak and eggs for breakfast, going on a keto diet / CKD again.
 
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