In Part I, we focused on the three day gap where I arranged a massive shift around the first public presentation of my data. There’s quite a bit more to the story, though, which we’ll dig into here…
Knowing I’d be presenting on October 9th made it immediately clear I needed to test on the Friday before (7th) and the Monday following (10th). This should reflect the shift in LDL-C and HDL-C, given they both follow that three day window immediately before a blood test.
But what about LDL-P, and for that matter, small LDL-P (smLDL-P)? Since these follow a three day window, but with a two day gap in between, I needed to be sure I captured all five days before Oct 7th and the five days following. So in short, I’d be on the “low calorie diet” on October 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th until the morning of the 7th (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). I’d then take the blood test and ramp up the food intake to a “high calorie diet” for the rest of the 7th, then the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday) up to the morning of the 12th.
Below, in each graph, I mark the blood test associated with these four tests over the ten days in red, which will always be at the right of the graph.
So let’s start by looking at our old friend, LDL-C.
For those of you who regularly read my blog, this is a familiar graph. In this case the blue solid line represents the LDL cholesterol that resulted from the blood test. The dashed orange line represents the dietary fat I ate in the three days just before the blood test was taken.
At the far right end you’ll see a solid red line replacing the blue. Those four data points took place October 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th. You can also see the dashed orange lines showing my extreme low, followed by the extreme high in dietary fat.
Let’s invert the axis on the left side of the graph (the Three Day Dietary Fat) so that we can compare these trends visually.
Sure enough — I “broke” my own correlation given how quickly I shifted from one extreme to the other. Given our correlation on the left side of the graph, you’d expect my extreme low on dietary fat of 63g would theoretically push my LDL-C up to around 348.
However, I did manage to bring the LDL-C down to 155 which did match the expected position relative to the diet. Yet this completed on the 12th, not the 10th. Again, this was probably due to the degree of shift, but we’d need to do more testing to know.
How about LDL-P?
Same thing. Purple is pre-conference, red on the right is during. Let’s invert again…
Like LDL-C above, the massive shifts seem to surpass my metabolism’s attempt to catch up.
Now let’s look at HDL-C.
As you can see from the green line on the right side, we have a long established coupling in the positive between dietary fat and HDL-C. But this too is broken by the experiment as shown on the right.
Other Interesting Markers
I had a number of things change, but there are two specific ones I wanted to call attention to in this post.
Glucose vs Insulin
Now I don’t want to blow your mind too much, so prepare yourself… here comes fasting glucose vs insulin…
Whoa — really?!? As my fasting glucose went up, so too did my insulin? No way!
Okay, kidding aside, it’s difficult to tease out the impact of each macronutrient on my fasting glucose to see what the primary drivers of the increased insulin were. Since all of my macros went up, this could’ve been from higher carbs or protein — or possibly just overall caloric load.
What is interesting is that even after 5 days at 5000 calories, my peak insulin was still at the bottom third of the reference range, at 8.3. Incredible!
Calories vs Weight
Easily one of the most hotly debated subjects in low carb communities. I’m firmly in the camp that says Hormone Balance Matters Most, But Calories Are Still Energy. Is that a side? If so, should we start a website for hbmmbcase.com?
I’m 6’3″ (190.5 cm) and thus feel a bit underweight at my running average of around 176 lbs (79.8 kg). My typical average calories right now are around 3,100. So what happens when I drop it to 750-ish for five days, then ramp up to 5,000+ for five days?
I’m missing 10/2 and 10/3 due to not being around a scale (was on a camping trip), but presumably I had a similar trend as 10/4-7 given I hover around 176 lbs as mentioned above.
Clearly the massive drop, then rise, in calories had a very acute effect on my weight. Over this span of time, I was careful to keep my water intake roughly the same for both low and high periods, although my non-water beverages were a little higher on the last half.
Final Thoughts
I’m now at the point of being so sure about the dynamism of the lipid system that this is becoming almost comical. Getting to this point took a lot of money, time, and blood (literally). I was fortunate to have this experiment wrapped into my first presentation. Doing the demonstration was a no-brainer. Why only show the data if you can display its predictive power as well?
There’s actually a lot more data I couldn’t get to due to the balancing act I’m now performing between this, contract work, interviews, and helping others to gather N=1 data as well (upcoming).
Personally, I wish I could work on this research 100% of the time, but I do have to pay the bills…
38 comments
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Richard B Arnesen
November 29, 2016 at 4:41 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Dave,
Nice work! I suggest quitting your day job and staring a “go fund me” or “kickstarter” campaign! I will make the first contribution. 🙂
In all seriousness we apoe4/hyperresponders need answers – is high LDL -P and small LDL-p harmful in the context of LCHF/Keto with low inflammation and low FBG and low insulin??
Dave
November 30, 2016 at 5:06 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
>> Nice work! I suggest quitting your day job and staring a “go fund me” or “kickstarter” campaign! I will make the first contribution.
– Thank you, Richard. I’ve heard this suggestion from enough people that I’m considering it strongly now.
>> In all seriousness we apoe4/hyperresponders need answers – is high LDL -P and small LDL-p harmful in the context of LCHF/Keto with low inflammation and low FBG and low insulin??
– I wish I knew the answer to that. But FWIW, I’m technically an excellent candidate for finding out given I don’t drink / smoke / do drugs / yet get exercise, etc and had no major metabolic derangements before starting the diet. Yet I have very high cholesterol numbers after going low carb (feeling better than I ever have in my life) and take no steps to lower my cholesterol.
I’m very actively studying a host of markers on myself such as CAC and CIMT as well as all the blood work and will report what happens, good or bad. This is a journey of discovery, not advocacy.
Obviously, I’m of the opinion that low inflammation and oxidative stress is far more important than almost everything, and currently operate as such until or if the markers change to show otherwise.
Phoebe
February 28, 2017 at 2:14 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Dave, A quick suggestion is definitely start fasting… That has given me the best response of anything..
My first fast was four days and then followed on with 18/6. 2 meals a day 3 days a week, and 22/2 One meal a day for 4 days.. randomly depending on schedules and social activities.
Am now on day 6 of a 7 day fast with very low calories 2 days before and after. this has brought my fasting blood glucose down from 105 to 85 in twelve weeks. And dropped 45 pounds..,
However LPa has stayed stubbornly high as has ldl-P ….
I have read that APOE4 perform much better with regular fasts and as a group the handle that very well.. Which certainly aligns with my experience..
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 9:37 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Interesting — I haven’t yet done fasting so as to do it in isolation for my testing. It will likely be its own experiment.
I’ve read in many places that Lp(a) is often genetically determined and is thus hard to move. What is your score currently? Also, do you know what it was before your heart event?
Andy Eccles
November 29, 2016 at 10:44 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Dave,
Your presentation in LV was superb. I agree with Richard, the research is so interesting that there might be no harm in you opening a campaign to test out a market for community-funded research. I can think of a number of different approaches to monetise the research, testing, results, software, education materials….
Cheers
Andy
Dave
November 30, 2016 at 5:07 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thank you, Andy!
I’ll likely have something up soon.
Rachael
November 30, 2016 at 7:55 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Dave
I’ve just come across your blog and am finding it very exciting. I’m a 36 year old woman who has been on a ‘zero’ carb diet for 18 months, by which I mean I eat meat, eggs, a little cheese and lots of double cream. I drink coffee and (very occasionally) a little alcohol. I’ve seen extraordinary changes in body composition, mood, cognitive function, libido and energy levels – I seem to have gained muscle mass and dropped fat with very little effort. I’ve also completely lost any cravings for carbs. Previously I was overweight, pre-diabetic, depressed and had a long history of disordered eating. It’s been truly transformative. Obviously, though, everyone thinks I’m mad, including my GP. I had my cholesterol measured about six months ago. Unfortunately I’ve lost the results but they were high enough for my doctor to write requesting I made an urgent appointment. She tried to put me on a low fat diet and seemed not to be able to see the woman in front of her, only the numbers.
Some questions if I may:
– Am I welcome to contribute here as a ‘zero’ carber?
– Do you write about what you eat in detail anywhere?
– Any thoughts on where to test cholesterol privately in the U.K.?
Dave
November 30, 2016 at 5:16 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Rachael-
I’m actually going to put up a blog post soon just for women with high cholesterol after going low carb. In my research there’s much less doubt for females over males of high cholesterol being inverse to all cause mortality (more cholesterol = less chance of dying from anything). I often joke now that I’m glad I wasn’t a woman or I would have long abandoned my research given how much evidence they have that’s surprisingly compelling by comparison.
> Am I welcome to contribute here as a ‘zero’ carber?
Please! If you are doing in blood tests in the future, please closely record as much as you can with your diet up to these tests and share. Feel free to use my “Food Logging Protocol” (see link in menu above) for effective accuracy.
> Do you write about what you eat in detail anywhere?
Yes, MyFitnessPal (for now), but I sometimes update it in chunks. You can friend my username, DaveKeto.
> Any thoughts on where to test cholesterol privately in the U.K.?
Not sure… you might want to reach out to Ivor Cummins. He’s based in Ireland, but is familiar with UK testing, I believe.
Rachael
December 2, 2016 at 7:37 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Fantastic, I look forward to reading it. I hear what you’re saying about the evidence base regarding the protective effects of cholesterol in women, although I’d note that this has in no way seeped through into public consciousness. Add in the fact that I’ve made the choice no to eat fruit or vegetables of any sort at present and the pressure from family and health professionals intensifies. My GP is waiting for me to develop scurvy as well as heart disease, and no one believes that constipation isn’t an issue with no fibre.
I’ve looked through your food recording protocol and will certainly follow it if/when I have my levels tested again. How far in advance of a test should I start logging?
Thank you for your response.
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 9:33 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
You should start logging by at least the 5 days before your first blood test, given the LDLp Inversion pattern appears to work that far backwards.
Kevin
December 7, 2016 at 7:12 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Dave,
I’d like to see if I can replicate your results on myself. In Jan. 2017, I intend to run pretty much the same set up as you did with two exceptions/questions.
1. I’m 5’11” tall, weigh 240 lbs and am around 31% BF. What would you recommend for low and high calorie targets?
2. I intend to plan out the amount of saturated fat, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat consumed. What were your protein, fat, carb ratios during your testing?
Thanks for doing all of this. I believe I also am a hyper-responder as I’ve clocked in as low as 1100 LDL-P and as high as 2,300 LDL-P. I’ve also gone from below 200 total to above 300 total before.
Thanks!
Dave
December 9, 2016 at 6:23 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Kevin-
– 1 – The high and low calorie targets should be as low as you can stand to as high as you can stand. For me it was 750 on the low, 5000 on the high. It could be that I could’ve gone lower and higher, respectively, but it did feel like I was near my limits on both sides.
– 2 – It was generally 75% fat / 20% protein / 5% net carbs, but I’ll come back and give a more precise breakdown once I’m in my spreadsheets again.
Yeah, your numbers sound very much like a fellow hyperresponder. 🙂
Kevin
February 3, 2017 at 4:15 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Dave,
Just got around to replying. I completed the tests and am just trying to figure out how best to put them together. Any suggestions on the best way to share?
Thanks!
Kevin
Dave
February 3, 2017 at 5:33 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’ll email you directly at the address you gave when registering with this site for comments. However, I may not be able to get to it until next week as I’m a bit swamped at the moment.
Ferro Silvio
December 9, 2016 at 5:05 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hello,
I’m a MD in a Family practice in Belgium and for a long time reading into low-carb and on-off the diet. Still addicted to carbs…
But fascinated by the whole cholesterol story. I’m still instructing my patients to take statins and stay on a diet. BUT, I want to change that. I put more time in talking to my patients about low-carb and effect on CV risk. But I need “proof” to suddenly change my “old” story to a complete new one.
So I want to be your next N=1.
I want to do this to convince my colleague and my trainee that the whole cholesterol story is WRONG. I’m planning to do the experiment without telling them what I’m doing nor telling them what we are looking for in the blood samples. Just revealing everything when it’s done.
Can you help me with that? I would be happy to share all data with you. Please contact me.
Dave
December 9, 2016 at 6:07 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Ferro.
Go ahead and outline what you have in mind. Are you going to do the same experiment as this post?
Ferro Silvio
December 10, 2016 at 12:04 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I want to do the exact same experiment. But I want to be sure I do it right. I’m 68Kg 1m67. So not lean (yet). As an MD I have free blood-testing. So I can test anything the lab I work with can test. Even every day, because my trainee can draw the blood. So which test would be important. I’ll copy everything you are showing in your posts (if possible). But I need to know how to get the diet right in both fases of the test. Just low carb en low calorie en switch to low carb en a lot of calories (mostly fat). Is it that simple? Or are there things to watch out for?
Dave
December 11, 2016 at 11:04 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’ve just finished a draft of the page will be posting up shortly that gives a detailed guide on doing the experiment. I’m just going to have it proofed first…
(And congrats! You were that final push that got me inspired to formalize it. :D)
Ferro Silvio
December 12, 2016 at 9:53 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Perfect. I’ll wait until the guide is ready. And thank you for doing all the hard work.
Seth
December 12, 2016 at 11:40 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Great info! Question: As someone that has some very good markers (HDL 90, Trigs 70) but very bad LDL-P #’s, I’m curious: did your LDL-P/particle size #’s return to their pre-experiment levels? i.e. how long does the drastic improvement in particle size and count last? It is acting in some way as a “Reset button” or do the numbers quickly return to their pre-5000 calorie LCHF diet levels?
Thanks for all you’re doing,
Seth
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 9:31 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I assume they quickly return — or rather, as “quickly” as I got them there given the 3 and 5 day patterns with LDLc and LDLp, respectively.
Ian A
December 13, 2016 at 9:47 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
HI Dave
Thanks so much. Did you investigate triglycerides?
The longer I follow LCHF, the higher my LDL and TG.
Both are now off the charts high. My GP (LCHF advocate) is completely bamboozled.
Cheers
Ian A
Phoebe
February 28, 2017 at 2:02 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Seth, I have had the same problem.. With disastrous health results… Dr William Davis says the first thing you need is a genetic test to establish which Gene type you are..Dr Steven Gundrey agrees.. If you are an APOE3/4 or 4/4 this approach daren’t work.
From both these Doctors comments found after much searching of the internet, snippets here and there.. I have embarked on a new strategy…. I will post a link to GUNDRYs utube with most concise information on APOE4 dietary needs for healthy Cholesterol Metabolism.
NO LECTIN FOODS, that’s an extensive list easy to google.. No beans Legumes Dairy and maybe nuts…
NO SAT and very little meat, chicken.
VEGIES, As much low carb Lectin free vegetable as you can eat… That means GREENS.
SEAFOOD, Oysters, clams, mussels, crab Pilchards Sardines ….Limited Fish Shrimp Squid Octopus.
OILS…Avocado, Oilive Oil, MACADAMIA OIL as much as you can drink….And then force some more down.. Over 70% of calories…
SUPPLEMENTS Fish Oil, Magnesium, Berberine, Vitamin C ,
DAIRY is banned , if you need to eat dairy make sure it’s Goats or Sheep fermented like cheese or Yoghurt.
Below is the link to APOE 4 interview with Dr GUNDRY
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/ask-the-low-carb-experts/id495159994?mt=2&i=1000129575984
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 9:19 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Pheobe-
– I’m an ApoE3/4, but do not have higher TG.
– Just for context: by “healthy Cholesterol Metabolism” — do you mean lower LDLc/p, lower TG, or both?
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 9:12 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Ian –
Somehow I missed your comment from earlier, my apologies.
LDL going up isn’t as concerning for me as much as TG. High TG, like high glucose is probably a sign of dysregulation and suggests an overage in energy metabolism. Anecdotally, I find it comes more with people who “cycle” on and off LCHF allowing for more carb meals intermittently. You might want to consider doing a very detailed and careful log of your food for at least a few weeks. Look for leaks that take your carb count much higher then you might have thought.
How long have you been doing LCHF?
And have you been actively losing weight to this point?
Michael
December 18, 2016 at 5:04 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Dave,
Fascinating work. I am a bit confused however, what is your scientific reasoning for using the “2 day gap 3 day Look backr” as an accurate measure for LDL-P? Why not just last 5 days? Why is a diet, 2 days before the test not move the needle in LDL-P?
Dave
December 21, 2016 at 8:53 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Michael-
Not a scientific reasoning, just the strongest emerging correlation I’m getting with the bloodwork. I was originally trying to apply the same 3 day average to LDL-P as I have with LDL-C but it was showing a consistent delay of two days as shown in the weeklong, day-after-day blood testing. Once adjusted to include the gap, the Pearson showed the strongest correlation with that formula (currently -0.83).
Michael
December 24, 2016 at 4:41 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks Dave,
I have taken around a dozen NMR tests over the last 3 years. Here is how my Pearson correlation looks like for LDL-P using your 2 day gap 3 day look back. I am APOE4/3.
% Carbs: .01
% Fat : -.37
% Protein: .55
Sat Fat: .13
Pol Fat: -.11
Mono Fat: -.53
Total Carbs: .04
Total Fat: -.27
Total Protein: .47
Cholesterol: .53
It looks like Mono is good, Animal protein (cholesterol) bad. Pretty much on point of what Dr. Gundry has suggested would happen. Have you ever tried using the sdLDL tests?
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Dave
December 24, 2016 at 5:53 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m not sure I follow… I think you’re saying:
You applied Pearson along all NMR data sets along with your record of food… but if so, it makes the % and fat line items a bit more confusing. Could you clarify a bit more?
Michael
December 25, 2016 at 4:01 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Correct.
% fat has a negative correlation to LDL-P. However if you break down the fat more granular, it’s the Mono Fat that really moves the needle.
The % for Fat, Carbs and Protein is simply a percentage taken over the 3 days. (All add up to 100% per day). It’s probably not the most accurate number to look at. Overall Protein, Cholesterol and Mono Fat seem to influence my LDL-P the most.
Jeff
February 24, 2017 at 4:04 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I absolutely love your blog, thank you! I realize your not a doctor but I wonder what you recommend for my situation. I have been treated for high TC since my 20s and I am now in by early 50s. I have been on at least four different medications and varying dosages. However, I am still having issues with the LDL-P values which are in the 2,000s. Way too high. I eat mostly vegan and low carb, nothing is really working to bring down the ldl-p value. The best I achieved was an ldl-p of 1,100 when I ate totally vegan and no added fat for 6 plus weeks. I often thought about increasing the good fats in my diet since I don;t get much but not sure I know how. Thanks!
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 6:32 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Jeff-
I’m not surprised you’ve found a low fat, vegan diet to bring your LDL-P values down to near 1,100. Many people don’t realize that I often speculate I’d likewise bring my LDL-C and LDL-P values down if I went toward a plant-based, low fat diet. But then, I’m not as convinced high LDL-C/P values are a net negative for risk with all cause mortality.
If you derive more energy from fat, you should know the majority of it is carried to your cells in low density lipoproteins (LDL-P) in the form of triglycerides (Trigs). For more on this, see my Simple Guide to Cholesterol series here and here. Given my research/data to date, there appears to be a “Preference Point” as to how many of these LDL-Ps the body wants to maintain in the bloodstream, and for both you and I it is considered “high” as hyper-responders.
So again, if you’re more concerned about the risk of these LDL-Ps being in your bloodstream in the first place, you may prefer to avoid fat as a primary fuel source and instead lean toward carbs. Just know that avoiding fat and pumping up the carbs can have potentially terrible consequences as well (which gets covered extensively in the low carb community).
Obviously I don’t share the same assessment of risk at this time and thus take no steps to lower my cholesterol. (Beyond my testing the Inversion Pattern directly, of course).
Diane
February 26, 2017 at 11:56 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Dave – thank you so much for all you write, and for the experimenting you are doing. It’s all very exciting, and yet so worrying that tthat we seem to have been so wrong for so long too.
I’m a 60 year old female, weighing 52kg.I live in New Zealand. I have never been particularly over weight, although I have lost 4kg over two years, and can now easily maintain my current weight. I have chosen the LCHF life style because of the general health benefits I have read about, and also to stop that slow gradual weight increase that women can suffer at my age. I have experimented a lot with different amounts of various foods, from within the LCHF groups, over the last 4 years. I feel fit, well and healthy eating this way. I have retained muscle mass. It’s become just what I do – sugar and carbs are pretty much a thing of the past.
I have never had my cholesterol taken before so you can imagine the shock when it was 10.6 (August 2017)
I have thought that that reading may have been from my lack of exercise (which I have neglected for the last 12 months – I’m usually very active at the gym and with hiking). I have also had a very stressful job for the last 9 months (I have resigned that as of today 14/12/17). I had also had a bowel infection just prior to the 10.6 cholesterol result.
However, today 14/12/17, my next blood test came back at 9.9. While I have been fairly strict with my diet, I have not been completely carb free. I have worked out that I do not do so well on dairy products. I seem to put weight on with them.
My mother had always had cholesterol of about 8. She eats LCHF too (she’s 88 and has lost 5kg) but her doctor has scared her into taking statins.
My doctor is now really pushing for me to take statins. I will not do this.
I am supposed to have another cholesterol test on March 14. After reading your information about getting cholesterol down before testing, I’m going to follow your food protocol recording, and try the 3 day high calorie eating leading up to the test. Do you think that this is the best one to follow at this stage? Is there a food plan anywhere that can be followed for the 3 days, or do I just eat until the requirements are met?? I will be most happy to share my results with your community.
Below are the results and the website I used to calculate the numbers for the test taken 14 Dec 2016
Total Cholesterol 9.9 High risk
HDL 2.72 Optimal
LDL 6.49 Very high risk
Triglyceride 1.5 Normal
Total Cholesterol/HDL 3.64 Good
Triglyceride/HDL 1.262 Ideal
Thank you again for the time you take to write and share all you are discovering.
Kind regards
Diane
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 8:58 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Diane-
– Yes — I’m very familiar with the LCHC Shock (which I now call it): Low Carb High Cholesterol.
Often, like myself, you just can’t believe it’s actually real given how wonderful and balanced you feel.
– Breaking out your thoughts on modifiers:
1) Exercise. I will have some data forthcoming on the impact of the exercise I had at the end of last year with distance running. It does in fact lower LDLc/p, but only by a small margin. That said, you should be getting lots of exercise anyway. 🙂
2) Stress may impact lipids as well. But ironically, I have some anecdotal evidence that LDLc *decreases* with higher stress. (Lots of theories on that later)
3) I don’t have a lot of research on having carbs occasionally with fat, but anecdotally, I *really* don’t like what I’m finding. High carb, high fat is already a bad combination. But when steadying your body on LCHF for a while, then blasting it with a big “cheat” meal can be pretty problematic given how much it adjusts to the other pathway. This is why I always tell my family that I’d rather they cheat a little over a day than all at once in a single meal.
– I’d love for you to follow my protocol and share about the results. There’s not a specific food plan to follow, just be sure the food you eat lands inside a ketogenic/LCHF ratio for all three days.
As with most people I talk with here, it’s important to figure out for yourself if having higher cholesterol while all other markers are great is of concern for you. After what both my research and data has shown me, I’m less concerned (but not *un*concerned) and thus take no steps to lower my cholesterol even though I’m a hyperresponder like yourself (and apparently your mother).
– One more aside — I often joke that I’d have abandoned doing any research a long time ago had I been a woman when I started. I’ve come across so much data that shows a lower all cause mortality for women the higher their cholesterol they have.
Two of the largest recent studies are the Ibaraki Prefecture
Health Study (91,219) Norwegian HUNT study (52,087).
Key lines from the Japan study:
“Overall, an inverse trend is found between all-cause mortality and total (or low density lipoprotein [LDL]) cholesterol levels: mortality is highest in the lowest cholesterol group without exception. If limited to elderly people, this trend is universal. As discussed in Section 2, elderly people with the highest cholesterol levels have the highest survival rates irrespective of where they live in the world.”
http://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/381654
Key lines from Norwegian study:
“Among women, cholesterol had an inverse association with all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 0.94; 95%”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21951982
Diane
March 1, 2017 at 3:37 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Dave
I really can’t thank you enough for this prompt reply to my message. I can only imagine how incredibly busy you are, and so I am doubly apprecaitive for your reply.
As you put it, I feel less concerned with what I’m doing, and more so after following some of these links you have shown me. I’m also interested in the ‘big break out’ of a carb binge. This could well describe me, on occasion, and I have to say, I do not feel well afterwards (and that’s not a downer from breaking out) – it’s hard to describe the physical feeling, but it doesn’t feel good at all.
I’ll certainly let you know how I get on with the 3 days before the next blood test – it’ll be very interesting.
It sounds to have been another wonderfull conference that you attended. I look forward to hearing more about it as the presentations become available. I also look forward to your next findings.
Thank you again
Diane
Dave
March 2, 2017 at 3:28 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
– I have a general rule of thumb that I say to many people, including my family: Don’t do a “cheat meal” that is more carbs than you would have had over an entire day while on diet. So if you are keeping at, say, 25g of carbs or less on almost every day — don’t have a meal that is over 25g of carbs in a single sitting.
The more I’ve learned about energy metabolism, the more confident I am in this advice. The bombarding of the body with high dosage of carbs isn’t something it has much practice dealing with to begin with. But it is made much worse when you manage a strong homeostasis with a low carb diet for a significant period of time before blindsiding it.
– Great to hear about your trying the protocol. Keep me in the loop. 🙂
– I have quite a bit of a backlog now in my findings that I just need to put together. I’m now balancing between that and the actual education effort I have underway with the comics (which are likewise very popular). I just need to clone myself to get more of this done!
Phoebe
February 28, 2017 at 2:26 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
HI Dave , Great site and fantastic post.. What I find fascinating is that I had heard APOE4′ loved Marathon Sports, were absolutely meticulous about keeping numbers and statistics….. and they love CHEESE… are you a cheese lover.
I was involved in ocean paddling marathons which I stopped after my first heart attack, a few seasons after actually, that’s the extreme personality trait that also comes with being an APOE4.
After being on Low Carb, and high fat the Cardiac has worsened considerably..
So I am very much looking forward to reading your analysis of APOE4.. I have posted further down where I am heading next.. My VLDL is very low… the only high numbers left are LDL-P and LPa…
I will let you know if the new diet direction fixes either or both of those. High Omega 3 is built into the diet..
phoebe
Dave
February 28, 2017 at 9:29 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Pheobe-
– Running marathons and keeping meticulous records are actually *not* something I enjoy doing (particularly the marathons). The discovery of these patterns is what underlies my drive. So whenever I’m complaining about all this stuff I’m doing and someone asks me why I bother, I always say, “…it’s for SCIENCE!” Which is, in fact, the real reason. (Science better be thankful one day! :p)
– I’m interested in your story with regard to being ApoE4 and having the heart attack after being LCHF. Can you give a more expanded story of what happened?
Also, given the advice you give above, I assume you are likewise going on the oil, seafood and plant-based diet described by Dr Gundry — but it sounds like you’re still early into it. Let us know how that is going as well.