On Thu, 29 Mar 2001, Dianne Heins wrote:

> I'm still slogging my way through the archives when I have time, so if
> you've already answered this, my apologies...  but the Eades talked about
> two types of LDL--a more dense and a "fluffy" type--was your increase
> significant in the "fluffy LDL" or was that something that's hard to get
> tested?  Since you've had an ongoing struggle with that, I was curious to
> know if that applied to you...

That's a key issue.  I've never had my LDL composition measured,
so I really don't know.  This is not done in routine lab tests.
In fact, LDL itself isn't measured in normal bloodwork.  It is
calculated from TC, HDL, and TG.

The theory that the Eades support is that it is the small-dense
LDL that is atherogenic, not the total LDL.  They are not alone
in this.  See
http://www.cabi.org/catalog/JOURNALS/samples/pns/html/pns58163.htm

As a general thing, the amount of small-dense LDL is directly
proportional to TG levels, so a reduction in TG should mean a
reduction in small-dense LDL, and an increase in the fluffy kind.

On low-carb paleo, my total cholesterol went up about 80 mg/dl.
Most of that increase was LDL, with a small HDL increase.  But TG
dropped from 300 or 400 to 96, and it stays low as long as I keep
calories under control.  If I do a high-calorie phase, TG goes
up.  There's no real surprise there, but it's another reason to
reject Ray Audette's claim that calories don't matter.  They do.
In the four years that I have been on paleo, my HDL has slowly
increased, from 32 to 52.  My total cholesterol has dropped a
bit.  It was 302 (actually spiked to 320 for a short time).
Lately it seems to stay at about 275.

All this may or may not be good, depending on how you look at it.
The TG:HDL ratio certainly got better, and that is the number
that the Eades think is important.  But LDL:HDL got worse, and
that's the one that many others think is important.  So the
general picture is somewhat ambiguous.  I know from reading posts
at eatprotein.com that my response is not unusual.  That's why I
cautioned Dori that you can't just say that eating this way
will reduce LDL or improve your lipids.  It may raise LDL and as
to whether it improves lipids, that depends on what you count as
an improvement.  People have to do their own research and make up
their own minds about that.  The scientific picture is in
turmoil, I think.

Todd Moody
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