[log in to unmask] wrote:

>
> I don't think I'll ever reach a point where I'm satisfied that I
> understand what's going on with cholesterol, but my working hypothesis
> (on which I guess you could say I'm betting my life) is that it is the
> small-dense LDL subfraction that causes the reaction that Brown and
> Goldstein describe (but saturated fat downregulates the hepatic
> receptors of *all* LDL), so it is the small-dense LDL, rather than
> overall LDL, that is "bad."  And small-dense LDL is correlated with
> triglycerides...

I'm with you. Remember too that the small dense ldl particles rise with
the tryglyceride level -- which is generally reduced with a reduction of
carbohydrates. Low TGs are associated with the large 'fluffy' so called
benign LDL particle. I too have never bought the significance of the
Brown-Goldstein partly because the human race has a long history eating
saturated fat without injury and the fact the fat made via de novo
lipogenesis is saturated -- in us as in all animals. I can't for the
life of me understand why the fat we store from excess carbs should be
harmful to us. Being overfat may be a problem -- but the problem might
have more to do with excess carbos rather excess saturated fats
themselves. Of course, since we preferentially burn glucose when
available any ingested saturated or other fats would go right to adipose
tissue.

Liz