Lowering LDL to help bones

Posted by maggie25 @maggie25, Aug 15 12:16pm

I recently consulted with Keith McCormick, DC, (author of the excellent book "Great Bones"), who said I have to get my LDL down. Until reading about it in his book, I had never heard of high cholesterol affecting bones. High cholesterol runs in my family. Since the consultation I have been eating almost only healthy fats and reducing my fat intake overall. For example, I used to eat a fair amount of cheese and crackers and am switching to carrot sticks and hummus or baba ganoush. More fish and chicken and less red meat. It has resulted in a little weight loss but also seems to have eliminated edema at the ankles. I have very thin bones to start with and 5 vertebral fractures. I wonder how long it takes to show a difference in LDL. Has anyone has success reducing cholesterol with diet?

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@loriesco

Yes. Diet helps tons! I switched to sardines and salmon and more fish. The effects are seen in a few months. However, be sure you don't have something else - like a familial cardiovascular problem (I have it). So in my family "eating perfectly" did not do the trick. Start with the change of diet. See if that does the trick. Increase your activity (exercise!) that helps too. My dad did statins, I could not. But the LEVQIO is also working wonders!

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Interesting! I looked up Levqio and it said it is given as an add-on to a statin. I will not take a statin; my dr prescribed Ezetimibe, even though that is also an add-on to a statin. It is a drug that prevents the small intestine from absorbing cholesterol from foods. I take it irregularly; just not one to take drugs. My total cholesterol is 201; I find it very strange that the acceptable limit ten years ago or so was 300. I feel ok with 201.

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@rashida

@artemis1886 I just read the info and apparently you still have to take a statin with it.

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My doctor is not making me take a statin. I am allergic to over 49 different medications statins, seizure meds and a bunch of other medications. Leqvio by itself dropped mine by over 100 points. I was at 325. I am at 195. I get my second shot in October. I still do not eat red meat or pork.
Wild caught fish the other fish farm raised has antibiotics and hormones just like red meat. Pork is nasty if you know what pigs eat and they can’t sweat so the poison stays in the meats. Pigs are also used in land fills because they will eat anything.

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@janieben

Interesting! I looked up Levqio and it said it is given as an add-on to a statin. I will not take a statin; my dr prescribed Ezetimibe, even though that is also an add-on to a statin. It is a drug that prevents the small intestine from absorbing cholesterol from foods. I take it irregularly; just not one to take drugs. My total cholesterol is 201; I find it very strange that the acceptable limit ten years ago or so was 300. I feel ok with 201.

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I couldn't take Statins. I had muscle pain. My dad took it just fine!
The LEVQIO is the only thing I take that I like! My sinuses clear for some strange reason. It is working. My LPa lipid test is now heading lower about 9 months! It goes up a little when it loosens the plaque into your bloodstream. I don't think 300 was ever acceptable! My cholesterol was high at 240 -- 20 years ago. Now that I'm eating a lot of salmon, sardines, fish my cholesterol dropped like a bomb went off! 😉
Its not as much the overall cholesterol that matters as much as the ratio of LDL and HDL anyway. My dad started his cholesterol journey about 45 years ago and they always wanted his cholesterol under 200. good luck!

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@artemis1886

My doctor is not making me take a statin. I am allergic to over 49 different medications statins, seizure meds and a bunch of other medications. Leqvio by itself dropped mine by over 100 points. I was at 325. I am at 195. I get my second shot in October. I still do not eat red meat or pork.
Wild caught fish the other fish farm raised has antibiotics and hormones just like red meat. Pork is nasty if you know what pigs eat and they can’t sweat so the poison stays in the meats. Pigs are also used in land fills because they will eat anything.

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I'm sorry, but that is not all true. Pigs no longer can eat slop or stuff which isn't monitored - if you live in the USA. It is all regulated and lean pork is a tremendous way to get iron and other nutrients. You may not like the idea of it, but it is safe. No more salmonella either. Farm raised fish does not necessarily have antibiotics and hormones, nor does meat if you get it from the safe places. Read your labels.
Wild caught fish does NOT have antibiotics or hormones. Only farm raised - and that's if they do that. (which they do!). More companies are turning away from the hormones and antibiotics. Health Food stores are a good source for injection free meats/fishes.
I take LEVQIO for Vascular Coronary Disease and not for Cholesterol. It is inherited and a certain lipid "LPa" must be kept as low as possible. Its helping. I am super sensitive to drugs and I like the LEVQIO. Its the only one I feel is "safe." (safe-ish, LOL)

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I answered this somewhere else maybe - Yes, I lowered my cholesterol with diet alone. More Salmon, sardines, tuna, and flake fishes does the trick. All in 3 months. Dropped 40 points to 199. If I stop though my cholesterol will go back to its normal 240. Also - I inherited Vascular Coronary Heart disease CAD. So now I do the LEVQIO and that is lowering the other lipids too! Edema (water retention is caused by salts) so when you stopped the cheese and crackers which has a lot of salt it helps with the edema!

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@jackielb

Anyone use cinnamon and how much?

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I use cinnamon to reduce blood sugar. 500 mg daily it works hasn’t really helped my cholesterol

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@janieben

Interesting! I looked up Levqio and it said it is given as an add-on to a statin. I will not take a statin; my dr prescribed Ezetimibe, even though that is also an add-on to a statin. It is a drug that prevents the small intestine from absorbing cholesterol from foods. I take it irregularly; just not one to take drugs. My total cholesterol is 201; I find it very strange that the acceptable limit ten years ago or so was 300. I feel ok with 201.

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201 doesn’t warrant a statin. I take a statin because I also have pre diabetes and hypertension all familial. I am trying.to prevent having a stroke. Total cholesterol is 230

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I was told I have to get my LDL down. Stem cells in the marrow evidently can either turn into osteoblasts or adipocytes and too many adipocytes means weak (fatty) bones. I think lowering LDL is necessary for my bones but my numbers are ok for my heart. I understand it can take 6-12 months to show a change in cholesterol via diet. I plan to try that first and think about drugs if that doesn’t work.
It is very helpful to hear about drugs and dietary changes others have used. I appreciate all the excellent discussion and support. It is difficult to find lean, low carb snacks, especially portable ones.

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@maggie25

I was told I have to get my LDL down. Stem cells in the marrow evidently can either turn into osteoblasts or adipocytes and too many adipocytes means weak (fatty) bones. I think lowering LDL is necessary for my bones but my numbers are ok for my heart. I understand it can take 6-12 months to show a change in cholesterol via diet. I plan to try that first and think about drugs if that doesn’t work.
It is very helpful to hear about drugs and dietary changes others have used. I appreciate all the excellent discussion and support. It is difficult to find lean, low carb snacks, especially portable ones.

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I agree with you are the difficulties in find lean, low carb snacks. What have you found that works well? I'd like to have more variety.

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Since this is new to me all I’ve really found is hummus and baba ganoush with veggies. But they are likely too high in carbs but still better than with crackers. Otherwise I snack on a few nuts with their healthy fat or chicken sticks (like beef sticks) but both higher fat so not too many. Same with favorite treat of frozen banana blended with nut butter and a splash of plant milk. Other ideas are welcome!

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