tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post505209200797217780..comments2024-03-28T14:22:37.153-07:00Comments on mole: Little FishesDalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523194846272870013noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-21270307873865334332021-03-12T08:46:34.843-08:002021-03-12T08:46:34.843-08:00Aren't you leaving out some tasty things that ...Aren't you leaving out some tasty things that might help? Turmeric? Nuts and seeds? Persimmons? Etc. But fooling with diet and doing more exercise sounds good.<br /><br />How much we still do not understand about the body is something we forget. And old advice sometimes turns out to be dead wrong, as when they made us (women, mostly) take calcium supplements (but no D3 or K2) for decades. There's such huge disagreement about amounts--1200 US for women my age, 500 WHO, 700 UK. Harvard's Chan School of Public Health says we take consume way too much calcium. And that's just one wee confusing example. <br /><br />And surely baseline measurements for many things are individual, not standard, not median or average of a population. As a somewhat small person, I often wonder about that...Marlyhttp://www.thepalaceat2.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-90592689685415932202021-03-09T09:31:11.205-08:002021-03-09T09:31:11.205-08:00Beth, yes, I remember him giving up on getting the...Beth, yes, I remember him giving up on getting the numbers down by diet! I actually took statins for a while, many years ago, and tolerated them fine, so they're still on the table for me. But I'd rather be able to get a lipid panel and get a straight story out of it :-)<br /><br />Susie (welcome!) yes -- some people have a really bad reaction to statins -- I've heard that from several readers, and my readership is not a very large sample. <br /><br />Sabine, thanks! Yes, my understanding is that in some cases saturated fat intake does affect cholesterol, but in other cases it really doesn't. Dietary cholesterol appears, as your article says, to be a total red herring: it has basically nothing to do with blood cholesterol. There seems to be a lot of variability, and a lot of confounding factors (e.g. polyunsaturated fats bring down blood cholesterol, but probably actually make matters worse.) The "cholesterol is bad" story is nonsense. But a really high cholesterol number is still a marker to take seriously, I think: as long as you understand that it's a marker, and not the problem itself. I have evidence that I've been adding some visceral fat -- my waist is an inch larger than it was a year ago -- which suggests that I want to address my body composition a bit. So it's not just the cholesterol number that's giving me pause.<br /><br />Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your comments & help! <br />Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14523194846272870013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-31634605496399107292021-03-07T04:24:54.095-08:002021-03-07T04:24:54.095-08:00There is familial high cholesterol in my family an...There is familial high cholesterol in my family and I am the lucky one of three who has a relatively low, but still elevated, level. My siblings have been going through the roof for decades and have tried and suffered many types of statins with endless side effects and have both given up. I am taking a low dose statin because I am living with a carload of chronic illness risks which are all hammering down on my life expectancy like mad loonies. The reference range for acceptable cholesterol levels in my country varies quite a lot from the US range. That's another issue.<br /><br />I have done a lot of reading on statins and on cholesterol and diet and I am not at all convinced that diet has any effect at all on our cholesterol levels. In fact, I have yet to find a definite convincing double blind etc. study with proof.<br />Have a read here:<br />https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024687/<br /><br />Remember: cholesterol is an essential organic molecule that is used to seal our vessels (arteries, veins) to withstand stress, real physical stress. Hence, cholesterol levels during labour and childbirth are extremely high, simply to ensure that the physical strain of pushing etc. does not result in burst vessels. <br />It is not the enemy.<br />Food, on the other hand, can be.<br /><br />I am vegetarian but (rarely) eat fish - mostly because I have trouble digesting this but also for environmental/climate change reasons. Ditto eggs, they just don't agree with me. These days, I think I am made up of vegetables and oatmeal, mostly. And black tea and fruit. And excellent bread. And some dairy.<br /><br /><br />Sabinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09015827501648296977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-58102828209349679132021-03-07T04:23:08.148-08:002021-03-07T04:23:08.148-08:00I used to have higher cholesterol than I do now an...I used to have higher cholesterol than I do now and doctors tried me on several different statins. Every one that I tried made me ache so much all over that I wasn't able to even get around to do normal activities. I ached so badly it was like I had the flu. I'd be told to stop the statins, which I was happy to do, and within a week the aching in my muscles and flesh would stop. Every time a new statin came out I would give it a try with the same results. Then finally another new one came out and I got even sicker with that one. The doctor took me off them. I won't try them again. I believe for them to make me that sick when I took them, they were doing something to my body that wasn't good.<br /><br />I think my doctor I have now is sensible and would question insisting that all women have a BP of 110/80 or less. When my blood pressure goes down to the low 120's I become very dizzy. I think insisting on that low of Blood Pressure is to get people to buy and use more blood pressure pills. The blood pressure pills I took for years were recalled for having an unintentional ingredient in them that caused cancer. That does not give me a feeling of confidence in some of our medications.susie @ persimmon moon cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01653330247272673990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-29852868981510661442021-03-06T16:46:29.603-08:002021-03-06T16:46:29.603-08:00I hear you, Dale. Turkey is a good idea, also supp...I hear you, Dale. Turkey is a good idea, also supplementing your little fish with occasional tuna or salmon. I like sardines, but can't imagine eating them every day. And I hear you about the statins. My total cholesterol is high, mainly because my "good" choesterol is off the charts, but the "bad" one is borderline. In Canada, when my doc does the math, I don't qualify as high risk... but honestly, I don't think anyone really knows. So far, no drugs for me. But when I read recently that the American Heart Association is recommending that all women have BP of 110/80 or less, 10 points lower than the current recommendation, my first thought was, "Another pharmaceutical goldmine." That will be another discussion, down the road. My husband has taken statins for years and years. He did have to switch kinds, but has had no ill effects, and enjoys a burger and fries. For what it's worth.CassandraBethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08318510251475138271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-41386457511813546732021-03-06T13:17:41.779-08:002021-03-06T13:17:41.779-08:00Huh! Turkey hadn't occurred to me. Thanks.
De...Huh! Turkey hadn't occurred to me. Thanks.<br /><br />Definitely yes, to quality of life. If I do start taking the statins, and I do get muscle problems, out they go. I'm not inviting in anything that makes daily movement harder.Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14523194846272870013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-64932403304048104722021-03-06T13:01:48.833-08:002021-03-06T13:01:48.833-08:00Years ago when I was told that my cholesterol was ...Years ago when I was told that my cholesterol was too high, I began eating a 14.75 oz can of pink salmon (630 calories) daily with the understanding that pink salmon would improve my cholesterol levels and is a good source of protein and calcium. A generous amount of canned pink salmon, rice and vegetables with tons of olive oil and salt makes a delicious satisfying meal. Canned pink salmon and olive oil rolled up in nori sheets, too. Salmon chowder. Canned albacore with rice and vegetables and tons of olive oil and salt. Big fish. Occasional fresh salmon or black cod. <br /><br />Little fishes. I love sardines in olive oil. More expensive than salmon or tuna. I'm on a limited budget.<br /><br />Then there's ground turkey. 200 grams is a serving for me. Inexpensive. Delicious. I buy it frozen. I used to eat generous amounts of hearty chili, homemade with ground turkey but can no longer tolerate tomatoes or anything spicy. <br /><br />I no longer have my cholesterol tested because I have no desire to take a statin. Who knows if my cholesterol has remained high. I am otherwise unusually healthy for my age of 71.<br /><br />Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande, convinced me to choose quality of life over length of life. amhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212213177713917828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-88311109405901841022021-03-06T09:50:57.947-08:002021-03-06T09:50:57.947-08:00Heh. That's fine! I don't eat wheat either...Heh. That's fine! I don't eat wheat either, ordinarily, but that's just a consequence of doing the minimal-processing thing. I'd eat a wheat berry if it hopped onto my plate.Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14523194846272870013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-22346697966235447642021-03-06T09:45:32.986-08:002021-03-06T09:45:32.986-08:00Which, of course, is not what you asked. You put i...Which, of course, is not what you asked. You put in a post like this you're going to get ALL KINDS of unsolicited advice.Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349472.post-63038377892236389262021-03-06T09:44:36.950-08:002021-03-06T09:44:36.950-08:00I can eat a few little fishes if there's pizza...I can eat a few little fishes if there's pizza under them. For the rest, my cholesterol is tol'able, but because I've suspected there's something wrong with my heart, I've gone the lower-inflammation route, myself. Which is why I originally quit eating wheat. I do not know whether to trust what I read on the subject, but here's one thing that happened: my life-long hummingbird pulse rate of around 88 beats/minute went down to about 76. That got my attention and it's been an easy switch to make.Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.com