Ms: Paleo Diet May Reduce Fatigue By Improving Cholesterol
New research investigates the effect of following a Wahls paleo diet on fatigue in multiple sclerosis .
According to some estimates, at least of people with MS experience debilitating fatigue as part of their condition.
There are many possible explanations for fatigue in MS.
For example, exhaustion can result from the pathobiological processes associated with this condition, such as inflammation of the nervous system or demyelination.
It may also result from psychological conditions that often accompany MS, such as depression and stress.
Alternatively, it could be due to the poor diet and insufficient sleep that people with MS often report.
Regardless of its precise causes, treatment options for fatigue in MS are scarce, and anti-fatigue drugs such as modafinil and amantadine often have side effects.
Some research has suggested that making dietary changes could improve fatigue in MS. For instance, a previous study has shown that a very low fat, plant based diet can improve exhaustion in people with relapsing remitting MS.
New research aimed to investigate whether such positive effects were down to a change in lipid profile and cholesterol.
Murali Ramanathan, Ph.D. a professor in the University of Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in New York is the lead author of the new research, the results of which now appear in the journal
Prof. Ramanathan and colleagues clinically followed 18 people with progressive MS over the course of 12 months.
Should You Be Concerned If Your Cholesterol Increases With Low
This is an emerging area of research that is currently the focus of a great deal of debate and uncertainty.
Traditional experts in the field of lipids and heart disease view elevated LDL cholesterol with concern because it typically reflects a high concentration of LDL particles circulating in the bloodstream.
Excessive amounts of LDL particles have been found to be associated with the development of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease. In atherosclerosis, LDL particles are known to end up in damaged artery walls, and connected to an inflammatory response. Over time, cholesterol, calcium, white blood cells and other substances accumulate at the site to form a plaque. Many if not most heart attacks and strokes are caused when a plaque ruptures and forms a clot that blocks arterial blood flow.
The length of time that arteries are exposed to high levels of LDL particles is believed to play a significant role in the development of atherosclerosis. Smaller LDL particles typically spend more time in the bloodstream than larger particles do, making them easier targets for oxidation and incorporation into plaque.18 Moreover, people who have a lot of small LDL particles tend to have low HDL cholesterol and elevated triglycerides all of which are markers of insulin resistance and reflect increased cardiovascular disease risk.
- Lower blood glucose levels
- Lower insulin levels
- Increase in insulin sensitivity
The Ultimate Guide To Cholesterol
Cholesterol plays a vital role in our health, and is often confused as the enemy. Heres how cholesterol works and what really causes heart disease.
Recent research has shown that cholesterol isnt the big bad dietary wolf that everyone fears. In fact, theres something worse than cholesterol that we should all be mindful of and most of us eat it every single day.
Also Check: Does Tuna Have Good Or Bad Cholesterol
Ways To Reduce Inflammation With Diet And Lifestyle
Since heart disease is much more complex than just using cholesterol as a scapegoat, understanding the root causes of heart disease can lead to an overall preventive lifestyle.
Inflammation is more dangerous to heart health than cholesterol, so its important to understand that it can be dramatically impacted with dietary and other lifestyle choices.
What To Do If A Low
Low-carb and ketogenic diets are incredibly healthy.
They have clear, potentially life-saving benefits for some of the worlds most serious diseases.
This includes obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, epilepsy and numerous others.
The most common heart disease risk factors tend to improve greatly, for most people .
According to these improvements, low-carb dietsshould reduce the risk of heart disease.
But even if these risk factors improve on average, there can be individuals within those averages that experience improvements, and others who see negative effects.
There appears to be a small subset of people who experience increased cholesterol levels on a low-carb diet, especially a ketogenic diet or a very high fat version of paleo.
This includes increases in Total and LDL cholesterol as well as increases in advanced markers like LDL particle number.
Of course, most of these risk factors were established in the context of a high-carb, high-calorie Western diet and we dont know if they have the same effects on a healthy low-carb diet that reduces inflammation and oxidative stress.
However it is better to be safe than sorry and I think that these individuals should take some measures to get their levels down, especially those who have a family history of heart disease.
Fortunately, you dont need to go on a low-fat diet, eat veggie oils or take statins to get your levels down.
Also Check: Are Baked Potatoes High In Cholesterol
Paleo Diet: Healthy Or A Hoax
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My health practitioner advised me to adopt this Paleo diet to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar. Also said it’s an ideal way to lose weight. It recommends avoiding dairy, sugar, grains and legumes. Is this the answer to most of our health problems?
— Rita
If you’re unfamiliar with this popular diet, the Paleo Diet prescribes a pattern of eating that mirrors the way your ancestors ate back in the day. The assertion is simple: diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease are illnesses “of civilization” and so, to combat the ill effects of the modern diet, we should return to a pre-civilization, hunter-gatherer diet of meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. That means all gains from the agrarian revolution — grains, dairy, legumes, salt and sugars — are off the menu.
Lisa Sassoon, a registered dietitian and assistant clinical professor of nutrition at NYU, agrees. “There’s no real research behind it either. And it eliminates things that do have research behind them: grains, beans and low-fat dairy.”
Eating Junk Food Is The Worst Thing You Can Do
More importantly, the most problematic cholesterol measures are driven predominantly by inflammation and processed sugar. ;This has been the subject of much recent scientific research.
What all of that means is that cutting out the foods that irritate your gut is typically quite effective at improving your blood markers. ;In addition, eating more fat and cholesterol tends to have relatively little impact at all.
To be fair, there are individual circumstances that dont fall in this general picture.;;In addition, most doctors are not current on the research and thinking, since its not what they were taught in medical school .
Ive seen a lot of people dramatically improve their blood markers by going on a Paleo diet. ;And in cases where this doesnt happen , there are often other factors .
In the end, theres no single answer to this question, but Id start with the presumption that eating the real foods that humans have been eating for millions of years is an all-around good thing, including for high cholesterol. ;However, Id definitely encourage you to read more about it check out;chriskresser.com;or;; and dont just take my opinion.
Recommended Reading: Is Mussels High In Cholesterol
Cholesterol Causes Heart Disease
Cholesterol does not cause heart disease. There are too many factors in heart disease risk to blame one thing, and cholesterol has taken the blame long enough. In the age of low-cholesterol diets, heart disease has only risen, not dropped. Heart disease now accounts for one in every three deaths, up from one in every four.
Is High Cholesterol A Problem
Oh, boy. Theres the million dollar question.
First off, lets go back to the evolutionary prism. As a naturally self-regulating system, the body isnt going to produce something that is intrinsically pathological. Maybe that could happen in really rare genetic mutations, but everyone produces, utilizes, and relies upon cholesterol. It simply doesnt make sense that cholesterol is evil.
Adequate cholesterol isnt available for the bodys repair system, for the uptake of serotonin, for the full initiation of Vitamin D and hormone production and their regulation of blood sugar and inflammation, etc., etc. What does your logic tell you here? Yup, nothing is running the way it should.
But if youre eating a healthy diet, your performance is good, your body comp is good , your energy and sleep are rock-solid, you dont have any familial hypercholesterolemia genesis it really dangerous to have elevated cholesterol numbers?
I dont know. But Im skeptical.
For one, elevated cholesterol isnt necessarily linked to heart disease. Sometimes its even linked to;lower mortality. For instance, in people older than 60, high LDL is associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.7 Thats right: higher LDL, less heart disease deaths. Plus, most people who have major heart attacks have normal cholesterol.
Based on my examination of the evidence over the years, it all boils down to oxidative stress and inflammation.
Also Check: Does Wine Cause High Cholesterol
Lowered Thyroid Function Due To Diet
This is real and is something that everyone should look into if your cholesterol is rising.
Thyroid hormone is largely responsible for how well your LDL receptors function. And your LDL receptors are what allows your cells to remove LDL particles from your blood and use them for various functions.
There are 2 main things related to your diet that can cause decreased thyroid function.
First of all, you might be eating a lot more goitrogens things like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and turnips. In general, these foods arent a problem, but if youve already got lowered thyroid function, then they can decrease the production or activation of your thyroid hormone.
The other reason could be that youre not getting enough iodine . Iodine is necessary for the proper functioning of your thyroid, and many of the foods that are highest in iodine like seafood and seaweed arent very popular in the United States.
Fortunately, both of these things can be easily fixed by either removing certain foods for a while or else increasing your intake of seafood or supplementing with iodine. For supplementation, however, it helps to consult someone on that point, because if you have any autoimmune thyroid issues, supplementing with iodine can often make it worse.
Simple Diet Changes To Boost Your Heart Health
This approach has pros and cons, Kennedy says. My main concern overall would be the fact that major sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals are being eliminated by not including whole grains, soy, and dairy, Kennedy explains. However, if someone compensates and follows the paleo diet by having lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein sources such as skinless poultry and fish, they should be able to mostly compensate for these losses.
There certainly has been a disconnect between some paleo enthusiasts and the medical community. For instance, while paleo recommends the elimination of whole grains, the American Heart Association states that whole grains can actually lower cholesterol and the risk of;stroke,;type 2 diabetes, and;obesity.
That being said, there are some encouraging signs out there. While some people may try the diet because they want to lose weight, when followed correctly, some studies suggest it could benefit your ticker.
For instance, a small study with eight participants found that those who adopted a paleo diet for eight weeks had a 35 percent increase in interlukin-10 , a molecule that immune cells release. This is important because a low IL-10 number can indicate an increase in heart attack risk for people who have high inflammation. This could suggest that an uptick in IL-10 might present lower risk for heart disease. An added benefit? The people who took part in this research lost weight by eating about 22 percent fewer calories.
Read Also: Egg Beaters Unhealthy
What Else Can Help Control High Cholesterol
Looking at the vegetarian diet analysis you may be thinking the cholesterol levels did not lower all that much. If you consider most people in these studies started with a total cholesterol over 200 mg/dL, the dietary changes only reduced cholesterol by 5 to 10 percent. Unfortunately, good cholesterol levels did not improve but actually slightly declined with a vegetarian diet. Raising good cholesterol levels can be hard. In fact, good cholesterol levels also dont improve with statin drugs.
Fortunately, if you are serious about lowering your cholesterol without medications, you can do more.
First, remember that certain food types can actually lower cholesterol more significantly when added to an already heart-healthy diet:
Question #: Will Eating More Saturated Fat Raise My Cholesterol
Probably not.
Most studies show that saturated fat does NOT increase blood levels of cholesterol.
In this post, Stephan Guyenet analyzed all of the biggest studies on the issue and found no correlation between saturated fat and blood cholesterol.
However, there are a small group of people who do experience a rise in cholesterol when they start eating more saturated fat. Its not certain why this happens, but it does for certain people. Whether or not this is something to worry about is something covered by other parts of this article, but I do want to throw out there that its entirely possible.
Read Also: Are Baked Potatoes High In Cholesterol
Best Diets To Lower Cholesterol Naturally
Medically reviewed by Rebecca Zinger Evidence Based
Following a;cholesterol diet is beneficial for people who are struggling to keep their blood cholesterol under control. Cholesterol is often thought of as a bad thing, but our body uses cholesterol as a major component of cell membranes. It is also an integral part of certain sex and adrenocortical hormones, fat-soluble vitamins and bile acids that we require for normal digestion. What many people dont understand is that the body already creates all the cholesterol that it needs in the liver, but additional cholesterol is acquired through our diet, specifically through the animal products.;The problem, of course, is when there is too much cholesterol in the body, which must be stored somewhere such as the main arteries of the body.;The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommends consuming no more than 300 mg per day of cholesterol.
When this extra cholesterol is oxidized in the bloodstream, it is deposited in the blood vessels and arteries as plaque. This can cause blockage in the circulatory system and significantly increase your risk of coronary heart disease, as well as atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. It also elevates blood pressure, triglycerides, and can increase your risk for diabetes.
Nutrition & Health Info Sheets For Consumers
Nutrition & Health Info Sheets contain up-to-date information about nutrition, health, and food. They are provided in two different formats for consumer and professional users. These resources are produced by Dr. Rachel Scherr and her research staff. Produced by Melissa Vilas, Savannah VandenBos, Morgan Setness, Grace Simmons, Britt Robinson, Anna M. Jones, Rachel E. Scherr.
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Is The Paleo Diet Useful To Lower Cholesterol
Yes, the paleo diet can lower cholesterol. Actually, thats one of the reasons why it is useful to reduce the cardiovascular risk. This is particularly the case if you start exercising, getting in shape, and losing weight.
Think about it. Youre not consuming trans-fat anymore because processed foods are off limits. Youre not consuming dairy and unhealthy oils. You will be consuming more fruits and vegetables, and the oil sources will be avocados and similar foods. Youre expected to experience a drop in cholesterol levels.
Moreover, the Paleo diet can switch your metabolic markers even before you have type 2 diabetes or coronary heart disease. That includes, not only lowering LDL cholesterol, but also blood pressure, and triglycerides. It may also increase HDL cholesterol, which is often thought as the good cholesterol.
Other studies show that you may also improve markers such as the diastolic pulse, systolic blood pressure, hbA1C, sugar levels, weight and BMI, and abdominal girth.
Cholesterol Is Dangerous To Your Health
As discussed above, cholesterol is essential for wellness. Your hormones would be a wreck without enough cholesterol. Your fat-soluble vitamin levels would be insufficient. Your cells would also be starved of proper nutrients and fluid levels.
The general culture talks about cholesterol as if its a fat-food monster that clogs your arteries and tries to kill you. Which brings us to:
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Keto Diet And Cholesterol: Does It Help Or Hurt
Given the fact that the ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet one which emphasizes foods like coconut oil, butter and meat this leaves many people wondering: Is the keto diet bad for your heart? Despite what you might think, the keto diet has actually been associated with improvements in cardiovascular health.
Is the keto diet safe for someone with high cholesterol? Because keto is rich in fats, including saturated fat and cholesterol found naturally in animal-derived foods like eggs and meat, many people will experience an increase in cholesterol after beginning the keto diet. However, studies suggest the connection between the keto diet and cholesterol is actually positive.
Recently, weve come to understand that higher cholesterol isnt always a bad thing, and rather that experiencing chronic inflammation;as well as;elevated triglycerides, due to causes like an overall poor diet, insulin resistance and unhealthy lifestyle, is likely a much bigger threat.