On Fri, 25 Jul 1997, Troy Gilchrist wrote:

> Read PROTEIN POWER, Chapter 7, titled "Cholesterol Madness." The doctors
> explain the metabolism of cholesterol very clearly.

Yes, I've read this and agree that it is a good explanation of
the metabolism of cholesterol, up to a point.  That is, it
explains clearly the conditions under which cholesterol is and is
not produced in the liver.  But the Eades don't say anything
about the ways in which the body gets rid of excess cholesterol.
This process involves the bile acids made by the liver, which are
absorbed by fibrous matter in the intestines and excreted.  If
little or no fibrous matter is present, this doesn't happen.

Gary Ditta recently sent me a reference to research indicating
that weight loss causes a transient elevation of serum
cholesterol levels.  This is apparently caused by the release of
the cholesterol that was previously in the fat into the blood.
The fat is burned, but the cholesterol is left behind.  If this
is the case, then once that excess cholesterol is disposed of,
the low-carb diet should prevent it from building up again.  I
don't know whether this is what's happening in my case or not.  I
have lost a significant amount of weight in the past few months
(35 pounds), so it is possible.  If this is the case, then I
would expect a  high-fiber diet to correct the problem fairly
quickly, since my diet is still low-carb, and after that I should
need only a moderate intake of fiber to maintain good levels.

Todd Moody
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