My cholesterol is 297; HDL 101, LDL183, trigly 67, VLDL 13, I'm 59, Do I need to worry about LDL?
I exercise regularly and eat clean. This reading is after not eating meat for 6 months; I was trying to lower my LDL. It increased along with my HDL. My trigly decreased again and so did the VLDL.
Hmmm, I'm going to leave a yes or no answer to that question for an MD. I do want to offer additional ideas for lowering your LDL that you didn't mention.
I'm assuming you eliminated meat from you diet in an attempt to reduce your fat intake. Look at the other foods you eat regularly to make sure you're aware of all saturated fat and trans fats you consume. Ideally, saturated fat should be 10% or less of your total fat intake and trans fats zero. Reading food labels is the best way to monitor your fat intake. I don't believe that living a vegetarian lifestyle is necessary to control cholesterol levels, but if it's your preference that is fine. If you enjoy meat, loins and rounds tend to be the leaner cuts and of course remove any visible fat prior to preparing.
A high fiber diet plays a role in lowering LDL cholesterol (especially soluble fiber). Be sure to select whole grain products, fruits, and vegetables daily.
Adding omega 3 fatty acids to your daily intake will also help lower your total cholesterol. Here are three articles that explain fatty acids and how they work to lower cholesterol:
Top 5 Omega 3 Sources to Lower Cholesterol
Omega 3's - How much to lower cholesterol?
Sounds like you're very pro-active for your health, which is great! Keep it up!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
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