How to reduce LDL Cholesterol?

[kidster]

Doc said my LDL Cholesterol is 3.3. He said I have to start taking medicine if it goes to Borderline high. Sounds serious.

 

What are the ways to reduce my cholesterol level besides the usual advice of taking less red meat and fried food as I have not been taking them.

 

I don't drink or smoke and exercise regularly. I have vegetables in every meal and eat lots of fruits. I wonder what else I could do.

 

https://www.singhealth.com.sg/patient-care/conditions-treatments/cholesterol-management

 

LDL Cholesterol (mmol/L [mg/dL])
< 2.6 (100)	Optimal
2.6 – 3.3 (100 – 129)	Desirable
3.4 – 4.0 (130 – 159)	Borderline high

Edited August 19, 2023 by kidster

[Guest Kill your Doctor]

Instead of worrying about hight LDL, what about trying to increase your HDL by consuming Omega 3 fatty acid?

 

Besides,  your doctor should be looking at your triglycerides level instead of your LDL.  If your triglycerides is low, that means your LDL has  a healthy blood lepid. 

[bluerunner]

As a laymen, we hear such feedback without knowing the fundamental, we get worried over nothing. 
Doctors need to give better explanations to patients. Like all professions, some are very good while majority are just average. Sigh. 

[shuman]

starting cholesterol medication should be an absolute last resort. body needs cholesterol to perform important jobs, such as making hormones and building cells. and an important hormone being testosterone.  there are a ton of side effects. ask me. who's been on medication for almost 20 years.

also keep in mind that as expensive cholesterol medicines near end of patents, we start to hear - maybe cholesterol is not such a bad thing after all

[Guest Yah loh]

 

As a laymen, we hear such feedback without knowing the fundamental, we get worried over nothing. 
Doctors need to give better explanations to patients. Like all professions, some are very good while majority are just average. Sigh. 

Majority goes by the book instead of science.   LDL is irreversible is a myth.  Proper diet, regular exercise and fasting can help to improve your blood lepid.  Once you start taking medicine, your body will be inflamed.  The medicine target LDL but will then affect other parts of your body like liver and kidney - same for diabeties and high blood pressure.  Look for alternative healing, google and see how other people with similar symptoms cope and reverse the problem. 

[GWTW]

😅I am at 4.4 and my doc asked me to do more cardio. Consume less processed food and etc. my family has history of high cholesterol. Means our livers produced excess cholesterol… so to improve the situation, do more cardio and eat more wholesome food. 

[bluerunner]

As we aged, there will surely come a day where our blood pressure is high, cholesterol level is high, and perhaps even start to get diabetes. That’s all possible. We cannot stop all these from happening as we aged. We can only do our best to delay them before we get any of them. 
Must set our expectations right, yeah. 
Meanwhile, eat healthily to stay healthy. 

[Guest Guest]

 

starting cholesterol medication should be an absolute last resort. body needs cholesterol to perform important jobs, such as making hormones and building cells. and an important hormone being testosterone.  there are a ton of side effects. ask me. who's been on medication for almost 20 years.

also keep in mind that as expensive cholesterol medicines near end of patents, we start to hear - maybe cholesterol is not such a bad thing after all

What side effects do you have while on cholesterol medication?

[Guest guest]

 

As we aged, there will surely come a day where our blood pressure is high, cholesterol level is high, and perhaps even start to get diabetes. That’s all possible. We cannot stop all these from happening as we aged. We can only do our best to delay them before we get any of them. 
Must set our expectations right, yeah. 
Meanwhile, eat healthily to stay healthy. 

This is why many elderly are taking the 3 high medicine.

[Guest guest]

 

Majority goes by the book instead of science.   LDL is irreversible is a myth.  Proper diet, regular exercise and fasting can help to improve your blood lepid.  Once you start taking medicine, your body will be inflamed.  The medicine target LDL but will then affect other parts of your body like liver and kidney - same for diabeties and high blood pressure.  Look for alternative healing, google and see how other people with similar symptoms cope and reverse the problem. 

If high cholesterol is due to genetic, if don't take medicine, cholesterol level will become dangerously high and higher risk to get stroke and heart attack. I nearly got stroke in my 30s when my cholesterol level becomes high without knowing. 

[Guest DonsonKwa]

 

Doc said my LDL Cholesterol is 3.3. He said I have to start taking medicine if it goes to Borderline high. Sounds serious.

 

What are the ways to reduce my cholesterol level besides the usual advice of taking less red meat and fried food as I have not been taking them.

 

I don't drink or smoke and exercise regularly. I have vegetables in every meal and eat lots of fruits. I wonder what else I could do.

 

https://www.singhealth.com.sg/patient-care/conditions-treatments/cholesterol-management

 

LDL Cholesterol (mmol/L [mg/dL])
< 2.6 (100)	Optimal
2.6 – 3.3 (100 – 129)	Desirable
3.4 – 4.0 (130 – 159)	Borderline high

 

I take TCM Eu Yan Sang capsules known "cholesFree".   

Quite effective on me,  it cost ard $56/ per box for one mth. 

of course diet do play a part. I dun take western medication as side effect 

leg cramp for me very often.  I am not sure if u believe in TCM.

 

[Guest guest]

 

 

I take TCM Eu Yan Sang capsules known "cholesFree".   

Quite effective on me,  it cost ard $56/ per box for one mth. 

of course diet do play a part. I dun take western medication as side effect 

leg cramp for me very often.  I am not sure if u believe in TCM.

 

If leg cramp is the side effect still not so bad. Always hear people say it would affect your kidney and liver then become problem.

[egal]

mine is:

 

Total Cholesterol * 5.4 mmol/L (< 5.2) * 208 mg/dL (< 200)
Triglycerides 0.7 mmol/L (< 1.7) 62 mg/dL (< 150)
HDL Cholesterol ( ) * 1.5 mmol/L (> 1.5) * 58 mg/dL (> 59)
LDL Cholesterol ( ) * 3.6 mmol/L (< 2.6) * 138 mg/dL (< 100)
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio / 3.6 (< 4.6) 3.6 (< 4.6)

 

looks bad

[MikeC]

.

Edited October 28, 2023 by MikeC

[Guest Deep Study]

 

mine is:

Triglycerides 0.7 mmol/L (< 1.7) 62 mg/dL (< 150)

LDL Cholesterol ( ) * 3.6 mmol/L (< 2.6) * 138 mg/dL (< 100)
 

 

looks bad

Looks good.  LDL Cholesterol is further catergorised into good or bad LDL depending on your Triglycerides level.  This part, most lazy doctor won't tell you.

 

 In your case of very low Triglycerides, it means your LDL is a good Cholesterols

[egal]

but bad cholestrol is still high

[Guest Guest]

 

Looks good.  LDL Cholesterol is further catergorised into good or bad LDL depending on your Triglycerides level.  This part, most lazy doctor won't tell you.

 

 In your case of very low Triglycerides, it means your LDL is a good Cholesterols

Din know LDL also got categorised into good and bad cholesterol. So complicated seah. Do you roughly know the good : bad ratio?

 

Most of the websites (via Dr. Google) say that LDL = bad cholesterol. 😳

 

How about HDL? Are there good and bad HDL cholestrol?

 

How about triglycerides? Are there good and bad triglycerides?

 

🤔

[Guest guest]

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/at-37-he-had-the-arteries-of-an-80-year-old-needed-multiple-stents-to-keep-his-vessels-open
 

While cholesterol level can be controlled by diet and exercise for most people, for some they are genetically prone to high LDL regardless of diet and exercise.  For these people, it is better to be on some form of medication.  Good to seek medical advice if LDL level still high despite diet and exercise.

Those people likely genetic high cholesterol.

[lightsmith32]

Dont panic bro .. sharpen your diet, exercise more .. review in 6 months ... 

[Guest guest]

 

Dont panic bro .. sharpen your diet, exercise more .. review in 6 months ... 

If after sharpen diet and even exercise a lot, cholesterol level still high, then need to panic.

[lightsmith32]

 

If after sharpen diet and even exercise a lot, cholesterol level still high, then need to panic.

 

Still dont panic, seek medical help and move from there. 

[Guest Guest]

One thing that really helped me was intermittent fasting. I found that it really help me lose weight as well as bring my cholesterol down. You should try doing that along with a clean diet. This diet should remove all processed and high sugar foods and stick to whole foods like brown rice, more fresh veggies and fruit. You should try and eat more steamed foods and less fried foods. 

[Steve5380]

 

mine is:

 

Total Cholesterol * 5.4 mmol/L (< 5.2) * 208 mg/dL (< 200)
Triglycerides 0.7 mmol/L (< 1.7) 62 mg/dL (< 150)
HDL Cholesterol ( ) * 1.5 mmol/L (> 1.5) * 58 mg/dL (> 59)
LDL Cholesterol ( ) * 3.6 mmol/L (< 2.6) * 138 mg/dL (< 100)
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio / 3.6 (< 4.6) 3.6 (< 4.6)

 

looks bad

 

Not many doctors take the trouble to care for our levels of INSULIN.  Instead they look at the value of GLUCOSE.  But glucose can be normal in a pre-diabetic case if the insulin is high enough.  This is called INSULIN RESISTANCE, an undesirable condition that needs attention, and can be easily corrected 

 

One of the most important indicators of insulin resistance is the ratio between triglycerides and HDL  Your ratio is 208 / 58 = 3.58.  It should be 2.00 or less to be in a more healthy range of insulin SENSITIVITY, and ideally even lower than that 2.00.

 

In your case, even if your glucose is normal,  it needs the insulin to be HIGHER to stay this way, and high insulin is bad for other organs, like the brain,  and a cause of erectile dysfunction.   You can remedy this situation by decreasing your triglycerides, rising HDL,  with 

1. reducing the ingestion of sugars and of simple carbohydrates that have much starch, eating instead more protein with the fat that comes with it.

2. do more resistance training (weight lifting) and

3. doing intermittent fasting.

 

OH!  I MADE A MISTAKE!   Your triglyceride is 62, not 208,  so triglyceride / HDL is 62 / 58 =  1.07!  This is excellent!   You will live! 

 

Don't worry about your high total cholesterol.  This does not mean much.  Das ist @egal. Du brauchst dich nicht zu sorgen.  

 

.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Steve5380

[Guest He Ignores Me]

 

 

OH!  I MADE A MISTAKE!   Your triglyceride is 62, not 208,  so triglyceride / HDL is 62 / 58 =  1.07!  This is excellent!   You will live! 

 

Don't worry about your high total cholesterol.  This does not mean much.  Das ist @egal. Du brauchst dich nicht zu sorgen.  

 

.

I already told @egal that his triglyceride is very very low, so he doesn't have to worry about high LDL.   

[Steve5380]

 

I already told @egal that his triglyceride is very very low, so he doesn't have to worry about high LDL.   

 

Then I made TWO mistakes:  one, with the triglyceride number, and two,  by ignoring your post.  You are absolutely right,  a triglyceride of 62 and HDL of 58 are signs that his lipids are excellent, and his LDL is doing more good than bad.  

[Guest Fierce Doctor]

 

 

Then I made TWO mistakes:  one, with the triglyceride number, and two,  by ignoring your post.  You are absolutely right,  a triglyceride of 62 and HDL of 58 are signs that his lipids are excellent, and his LDL is doing more good than bad.  

My insulin ratio is 2.29.  Doctor still insist I take medication to lower my LDL which I think also not very high.  He said he is going to scold me if I visited him again for not wanting to take medication.  

[Steve5380]

 

My insulin ratio is 2.29.  Doctor still insist I take medication to lower my LDL which I think also not very high.  He said he is going to scold me if I visited him again for not wanting to take medication.  

 

WHAT is your "insulin ratio"?  Is this the typical insulin-to-carbs ratio to determine how much insulin you have to inject ??  Do you need to inject insulin?  You are diabetic?

 

If so,  be smart and learn from the Internet, from YouTube, all you can find about "insulin resistance".   If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic you can learn how to get rid of this condition with healthy nutrition and and gain high insulin sensitivity, which is what we should all have.  Get informed about a "doctor's insistence" to take medications to lower LDL,  which can be an old doctrine now being questioned.   You should reach a state where you take ZERO medication.

[Guest Fierce Doctor]

 

 

WHAT is your "insulin ratio"?  Is this the typical insulin-to-carbs ratio to determine how much insulin you have to inject ?? 

You said triglycerides/HDL = Insulin ratio.   I calculated mine to be 2.29, was it not what you meant?

[Beaveheart]

 

One thing that really helped me was intermittent fasting. I found that it really help me lose weight as well as bring my cholesterol down. You should try doing that along with a clean diet. This diet should remove all processed and high sugar foods and stick to whole foods like brown rice, more fresh veggies and fruit. You should try and eat more steamed foods and less fried foods. 

For those of you who do intermittent fasting I have a question. Won’t you get acid reflux or GERD?

[Guest Right?]

After lowering LDL, next step is to clear the plague in your arteries.  I heard you drink lemon juice mixed with tumeric and vinegar every morning?  

[Steve5380]

 

For those of you who do intermittent fasting I have a question. Won’t you get acid reflux or GERD?

 

Good question.  The answer is NO.  Acid reflux happens when we eat food close to bedtime,  and we take the horizontal position with a full stomach that is making its digestion with acids.  The earlier you eat dinner and so the more time passes before you go to bed,  the less chances to have acid reflux.  It also can happen if one takes a SIESTA right after a huge lunch.

 

 

After lowering LDL, next step is to clear the plague in your arteries.  I heard you drink lemon juice mixed with tumeric and vinegar every morning?  

 

If you drink your lemon juice with turmeric with vinegar,  do it with a straw so you ingest it back in the mouth and not in the front where your teeth are,  because the acid may slowly damage your teeth.

[Guest Registered]

 

 

If you drink your lemon juice with turmeric with vinegar,  do it with a straw so you ingest it back in the mouth and not in the front where your teeth are,  because the acid may slowly damage your teeth.

Good idea and also must rinse the mouth immediately after that too. 

[Steve5380]

 

Good idea and also must rinse the mouth immediately after that too. 

 

You can do this, and instead you can also bring plenty of saliva to the teeth.  Our saliva is good for our teeth, and it is alkaline.

[Guest guest]

 

After lowering LDL, next step is to clear the plague in your arteries.  I heard you drink lemon juice mixed with tumeric and vinegar every morning?  

It is true that if you have high cholesterol, high chance that you will have heart blockage arteries?

[Steve5380]

 

You said triglycerides/HDL = Insulin ratio.   I calculated mine to be 2.29, was it not what you meant?

 

Yes, but you mentioned LDL.  Your insulin-resistance ratio of 2.29 is high, so your aim should be to lower triglycerides and raise HDL,  and not pay much attention to LDL.  For this, cut down on most processed foods and other sugars and carbohydrates,  increase animal protein, and do some good fasting.  This will return you to a healthy metabolism, and... don't wait too long!, it is important.   ( a doctor will not tell you this,  because conventional medicine aims at making money, with drugs, etc., above all ) 

[Steve5380]

 

It is true that if you have high cholesterol, high chance that you will have heart blockage arteries?

 

Cholesterol is essential for our life.  There are even different types of LDL and only some of it can be harmful.   If your triglycerides are normally low and your HDL is normally high, you don't need to pay much attention to LDL.    

[Guest Bad judgement]

 

 

Cholesterol is essential for our life.  There are even different types of LDL and only some of it can be harmful.   If your triglycerides are normally low and your HDL is normally high, you don't need to pay much attention to LDL.    

Many people fell victim when doctor insisted on immediate medication at the first sign of high LDL.  Those doctors probably presumed their patient will not change lifestyle and thus made an easy decision by asking patient to take prescribed drug.  

[Steve5380]

 

Many people fell victim when doctor insisted on immediate medication at the first sign of high LDL.  Those doctors probably presumed their patient will not change lifestyle and thus made an easy decision by asking patient to take prescribed drug.  

 

Exactly.  Prescribe some statin drug is easy,  teach the patient about metabolism and how to improve it takes away valuable time of the doctor!  

[Guest Metaphor lesson]

 

 

Exactly.  Prescribe some statin drug is easy,  teach the patient about metabolism and how to improve it takes away valuable time of the doctor!  

School education and the government health ministry fails in this regard too.  They don't tell you the complete picture.  They prefer to made news as simple and easy to understand as possible.  Just like they insisted there is only healthy straight Male or straiight Female and GAY is considered bad LDL, so to speak, in our society thus needs instant therapy to rid us out.   

[Guest vivictor]

 

[Steve5380]

 

School education and the government health ministry fails in this regard too.  They don't tell you the complete picture.  They prefer to made news as simple and easy to understand as possible.  Just like they insisted there is only healthy straight Male or straiight Female and GAY is considered bad LDL, so to speak, in our society thus needs instant therapy to rid us out.   

 

Well written!  The falsity that we gays are bad and need therapy to get rid of homosexuality dates from very long ago  ( minus the "therapy" which is newer ), and fortunately this falsity is being debunked, and now the homophobic are the ones who need therapy, ha ha!   All this was caused by IGNORANCE!

 

There was and still is much ignorance about nutrition.  This is why these myths of "fat is bad, sugar is fine"  and "LDL is a killer" and "do count calories" pop up in society until they are debunked.  Who knows how many myths still exist!  But perhaps the surging trend of paying attention to our metabolism is here to stay.  And this new trend is not dictated by the medical industry,  but by very competent researchers who get upset about the priority the medical industry gives to MONEY.

 

This video posted by Guest Vivictor is one of several good ones we can pay attention to.  

[Guest guest]

 

Many people fell victim when doctor insisted on immediate medication at the first sign of high LDL.  Those doctors probably presumed their patient will not change lifestyle and thus made an easy decision by asking patient to take prescribed drug.  

Taking medication could be the safest method to maintain 'healthy' level of your cholesterol and reduce the risk of getting stroke and heart attack. This is why doctor sure ask you to take medication if you have high cholesterol.

 

But due to our diet and we always eat outside foods, not easy to maintain good level of our 3 high. Nowadays even youngsters also have no good level of 3 high.

[egal]

medication will have side effects

[Guest I Clever Right?]

 

ALL medication will have side effects

I added "ALL" for you.  Medications are inflammatory to the body, including normal pain killers.  To prevent blood clotting,  here is the steps in sequential order:

 

1st  - Protect your arteries inner lining from abrasive substance like sugar and medications,   and then....

 

2nd - When eating calcium, make sure you have enough Vitamin D in your body to absorb them into the bones and not leave the calcium straying "homelessly and ended up "camping" along your arteries resulted in clot...and then

 

3rd - Ensure that the fat you eat are the healthy ones resulted in high HDL and Good LDL.  Trans Fat, GMO fat, Gluten substance and chemically processed fat may result in bad LDL accumulation and form plague..and then

 

4th - Do regular exercises to purge or flush any stubborn debris in the arteries and let the blood flow smoothly like a clean unobstructed canal...and then 

 

5th - Eat healthy bacterial food that has prebiotics elements which serves as jungle isopods to cleanse out bad stuffs in your body sewage area from stomach to your smelly anus...and then 

 

6th  - Do simple fasting and let your body take Annual Leaves to relax.  So that it can rejuvenates and enjoy itself before resuming work again.....and then

 

7th  -  Annual body health screening - to assess whether any bitch inside your body still needs to be improved or kllled for heaven sake. 

[Steve5380]

 

Taking medication could be the safest method to maintain 'healthy' level of your cholesterol and reduce the risk of getting stroke and heart attack. This is why doctor sure ask you to take medication if you have high cholesterol.

 

But due to our diet and we always eat outside foods, not easy to maintain good level of our 3 high. Nowadays even youngsters also have no good level of 3 high.

 

Not really.  The doctor may tell you to take medication for high cholesterol because this is the easiest thing for him to do.   If he does this,  then YOU,  yes, YOU,  before running to the pharmacy and getting the prescribed statins, start challenging conventional patient treatment and start learning about METABOLISM.  You can look at some posts in the thread "for gays who will be seniors one day"...   especially if you are gay,  and you plan to become a senior one day.   

 

WHY you ALWAYS eat outside foods?  Is cooking too difficult for you,  or you don't have a kitchen?   WHY put your life, your health,  in the hands of those who prepare the "outside foods" (as a business, not to keep you healthy) ?   You can prepare healthy meals with non-processed foods quite easily.  

 

Your ancestors from thousands of years ago DID NOT feed from "outside foods",  except those they prepared outside because they didn't have an inside.  

[Guest guest]

 

I added "ALL" for you.  Medications are inflammatory to the body, including normal pain killers.  To prevent blood clotting,  here is the steps in sequential order:

 

1st  - Protect your arteries inner lining from abrasive substance like sugar and medications,   and then....

 

2nd - When eating calcium, make sure you have enough Vitamin D in your body to absorb them into the bones and not leave the calcium straying "homelessly and ended up "camping" along your arteries resulted in clot...and then

 

3rd - Ensure that the fat you eat are the healthy ones resulted in high HDL and Good LDL.  Trans Fat, GMO fat, Gluten substance and chemically processed fat may result in bad LDL accumulation and form plague..and then

 

4th - Do regular exercises to purge or flush any stubborn debris in the arteries and let the blood flow smoothly like a clean unobstructed canal...and then 

 

5th - Eat healthy bacterial food that has prebiotics elements which serves as jungle isopods to cleanse out bad stuffs in your body sewage area from stomach to your smelly anus...and then 

 

6th  - Do simple fasting and let your body take Annual Leaves to relax.  So that it can rejuvenates and enjoy itself before resuming work again.....and then

 

7th  -  Annual body health screening - to assess whether any bitch inside your body still needs to be improved or kllled for heaven sake. 

I have mild heart blockage; it is really due to the calcium than cholesterol? Even though i do not anyhow eat.

[Guest Go check]

 

I have mild heart blockage; it is really due to the calcium than cholesterol? Even though i do not anyhow eat.

You can ask for calcium screening in your blood when u next visit your doctor. I think there is a range from zero to ten. Zero mean you are unlikely to have blood clot. The higher the number calcium loitering in your artery, the higher you are in danger zone.

[Guest guest]

 

You can ask for calcium screening in your blood when u next visit your doctor. I think there is a range from zero to ten. Zero mean you are unlikely to have blood clot. The higher the number calcium loitering in your artery, the higher you are in danger zone.

It is due to when i do a CT scan for my heart which then found out that i have mild blockage. So still need to do a calcium screening blood test?

[Steve5380]

 

It is due to when i do a CT scan for my heart which then found out that i have mild blockage. So still need to do a calcium screening blood test?

 

You may want to take a vitamin supplement:  K2 (variety MK7) with D3,  Together in the same capsule or separate.  It is known to favor calcium to go to bones instead of depositing on blood vessels.   It is also speculated that clogged arteries can be helped with better nutrition:  fasting, low carbs, foods with vitamin C...  whatever helps recover a good metabolism with high insulin sensitivity.

[Guest guest]

 

 

You may want to take a vitamin supplement:  K2 (variety MK7) with D3,  Together in the same capsule or separate.  It is known to favor calcium to go to bones instead of depositing on blood vessels.   It is also speculated that clogged arteries can be helped with better nutrition:  fasting, low carbs, foods with vitamin C...  whatever helps recover a good metabolism with high insulin sensitivity.

Thought once you have clogged arteries or heart blockages, it cannot be reversed. The only thing that can do is not to worsen the clogged.

 

I saw vitamin that have K2 and D3 together in one tab, maybe i go buy such vitamin to eat, hopefully would reduce calcium deposit on blood vessels.

 

Anyway, it seems like i am eating many different type of supplements. Wonder if it is overload for my body and bad for my health instead.