Lowering Cholesterol Without Statins

[David LoPan]

I learned something new today. Fish oil can raise your LDL by 45% if it has DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). I am waiting to get the study showing this but seems to be shown in studies i quickly looked at on NCBI seem to back this up.

Vascepa being made with pure icosapent ethyl. Might be pitching my fish oil for only Vascepa now. I just spoke with the Vascepa rep who shared this information with me.

Thanks, Windex for the fast information. I have been hearing more about the benefits of fasting lately.

[Quester]

I learned something new today. Fish oil can raise your LDL by 45% if it has DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). I am waiting to get the study showing this but seems to be shown in studies i quickly looked at on NCBI seem to back this up.

Vascepa being made with pure icosapent ethyl. Might be pitching my fish oil for only Vascepa now. I just spoke with the Vascepa rep who shared this information with me.

Thanks, Windex for the fast information. I have been hearing more about the benefits of fasting lately.

I have never heard that fish oil will raise LDL. I, especially, would always assume the opposite of whatever a drug rep told me.

[David LoPan]

I have never heard that fish oil will raise LDL. I, especially, would always assume the opposite of whatever a drug rep told me.

Still waiting on the study from the rep, who is a nurse, but a quick search and found that the information was correct. IDK about the 45% increase LDL but there is proof that DHA does reduce triglycerides and increases LDL Cholesterol. "High triglycerides and cholesterol. There's strong evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce blood triglyceride levels. There also appears to be a slight improvement in high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol, although an increase in levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol also was observed."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29846653

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/79/4/558/4690135

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-sup...l/art-20364810

[JohnnyBreeze]

Still waiting on the study from the rep, who is a nurse, but a quick search and found that the information was correct. IDK about the 45% increase LDL but there is proof that DHA does reduce triglycerides and increases LDL Cholesterol. "High triglycerides and cholesterol. There's strong evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce blood triglyceride levels. There also appears to be a slight improvement in high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol, although an increase in levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol also was observed."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29846653

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/79/4/558/4690135

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-sup...l/art-20364810

DHA will raise your LDL by that margin when taken alone or without significantly more EPA in the preparation than DHA. So if you are going to buy fish oil and you see that the EPA and DHA are the same or very close, move on to another brand that has a higher ratio of EPA to DHA - as high as you can find. Also, another problem with fish oil was that a lot of brands were tested and the amounts of Omega-3's were much lower than claimed. The study blamed it on the fish oil going rancid, not necessarily the brand using deceptive labeling. I wish I could find it so I can post the link - I will try. The brands that tested correctly usually were refrigerated, so it's always a good idea to look for refrigerated fish oil.

Vascepa looks very promising. There are few and minor side effects except for the atrial fibrillation. I need to read the info from the company to see how many patients experienced AF in trials and if it's a significant or minor amount. Either way, if you are prone to AF, it's something to be aware of when deciding whether to take this drug or not. Like with a any other medication that has a potentially severe side effect, starting at the lowest dose possible and titrating up will reduce the chances of experiencing side effects. David LoPan, thank you for posting about this drug. I had never heard of it until now, and I am always looking for ways to keep my lipids in check after getting them back to normal from being high for years while I was severely overweight and sedentary due to many back and neck surgeries.

My lipids where high, HDL low, I was pre-diabetic, and my inflammation markers were off the chart. My C-Reactive protein was a 24 - a 3 or above puts you at a much higher risk for a heart attack. After switching to a vegetarian low glycemic diet (I eat meat on special occasions about once every 6-8 months, no more), for only three months, my last bloodwork showed everything in the normal range. I didn't even do any type of exercise other than walking my dogs for a little longer every other day, and I even started TRT at at the same time at 100mg of Test-C per week, which in itself could have made my lipids worse. Steamed broccoli with my own seasoning blend (lots of smoked paprika, some cayenne pepper, a small amount of black pepper, and a smaller amount of salt) was what I eat the most of. I also eat plain steal cut oatmeal for breakfast, because I love the taste. I don't use psyllium, but whether that or veggies, the lowered cholesterol is all mostly from the fiber, especially soluble fiber.

I use my insta-pot to steam fresh broccoli and colorful bell peppers when I have time to make it at home. It is so easy, 1.5-2 cups water, as much vegetables as I can fit in the aftermarket IP colander, press the high pressure button, and set the timer to three minutes. All together it takes about 7-10 minutes before the IP is completely finished from heat up, to done being steamed. When I am on the run or traveling, I use the microwaveable steam bag brands (in the cooled section, not frozen) and love them. There's nothing wrong with frozen and it's cheaper, but I found the refrigerated brands to taste the best. Also, for when I have the time to steam fresh vegetables with the IP, they taste even better and are much less expensive. I'm beginning to experiment with other foods such as sweet potatoes and organic wild rice. The IP makes cooking for people who don't know how, a lot easier.

[JaneDoe]

I learned something new today. Fish oil can raise your LDL by 45% if it has DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). I am waiting to get the study showing this but seems to be shown in studies i quickly looked at on NCBI seem to back this up.

Vascepa being made with pure icosapent ethyl. Might be pitching my fish oil for only Vascepa now. I just spoke with the Vascepa rep who shared this information with me.

Thanks, Windex for the fast information. I have been hearing more about the benefits of fasting lately.

In the 1970s, two Danish surgeons, Hans Olaf Bang and Jorn Dyerberg, published a study based on their visit to northern Greenland, in the Arctic Circle. According to them, the diet of the natives of that place, based on fish and fat from whales and other animals, would help in the prevention of heart disease. Hans and Jorn concluded this by noting low rates of coronary heart disease and deaths from it among residents of the region.


As a result, the sale of supplements made with fish oil and the consumption of the animal have been systematically recommended and seen as beneficial. However, in a publication in the respected Huffington , surgeon Dr. Neal Barnard presents a series of studies that have failed to demonstrate the ability of fish oil to prevent heart disease over the years.


Also according to Dr. Neal's article, data collected over decades in controlled studies show that coronary heart disease is common among Eskimos, perhaps even more than in other populations. The life expectancy of these natives, contrary to what is preached, is up to ten years less than that of other peoples.


Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Canada, returned to the original study of the Danes to try to understand which method was used at the time and why it differs so much from the most recent results. To the Canadians' surprise, instead of studying the Eskimo population directly, Hans and Jorn analyzed death data and hospital admission records. In remote areas such as where Eskimos live, these data are far from showing reliable results.


Therefore, the idea that fish consumption is beneficial to health comes, in large part, from a flawed study that has been accredited by health professionals for over 30 years, making it popular and acceptable.