My latest blood test results
 

I received this report this morning and couldn't be happier. I talked about this in previous posts and said I would update it. So here it is:

My very first TSH test for thyroid came in at 8.88

My next test, after making some diet changes, came in at 5.71

Then I decided to take a small amount of Kelp, in tablet form, for the iodine. And today my TSH was 2.93

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Cholesterol:

--- ---------------- Today's Report..........................6 months ago
Total Cholesterol.........143........................... ...............182

HDL............................60................. ............................68

LDL.............................67................ ............................100

Triglycerides.................78.................. ...........................72


So the biggest improvement was for total cholesterol and LDL. LDL made a big move from 100 down to 67.

How did I do it? For a long time I was puzzled because my diet was about as good as I could possibly get it with all natural whole foods etc.. But about 5 days before I was due to get blood drawn, I came up with an idea.

I had been listening to a lot of radio talk shows, on and off. And, more and more, I was finding them to be aggravating because of lots of bad news and commercials. So I decided to keep the radio turned off completely for 4 days prior to having blood drawn, hoping that less stress would translate to lower LDL.

But I never expected LDL to go from 100 down to 67 in just 4 days. I'm totally amazed.

Correction: After I posted I remembered one other change I made. After I got the results showing my LDL at 100, I decided to stop eating my weekly ration of 3 whole eggs. But it was only 3 eggs per week, not a big change, although it could have helped. Some people say that dietary cholesterol doesn't cause high cholesterol.

Amazing accomplishment! Congratulations!

I'm speechless. :ho:

How do you know it was 100 just 4 days before you blood was drawn? Isn't it possible it went down to 67 right after you had your blood tested six months ago?

Congratulations, but my understanding is you need to look at the ratio of good to bad and your good also decreased - so not sure how to interpret your results. Also your triglycerides increased - not much and probably not a blip on the radar screen, but hope you are working with a physician (holistic or traditional) to interpret this for you.

Could be the snapshot effect.

Or maybe cortisol is the culprit it is reputed to be.

Or were you swigging Metamucil?

The optimal LDL is 100 so aren't you concerned that yours is too low. The size of the lipids are more important than the numbers, however, they do not test for size.

My LDL went from 138 to 110 and my trigl went from 138 to 55 in one year. I eat 2 fresh eggs every day, either for breakfast or egg salad for lunch. I actually eat everything, and have a sweet tooth. I do not eat out too often, as I think I can cook better and the food is too salty, too much fats....do all my own baking, keeping away from trans fats. I drink a glass of kefier and a heaping tablespoon of coconut oil everyday.

I am still doing physical work and walk a little. I can only think of one thing different during this time....I started taking turmeric and astaxathin for Inflammation. Time magazine had a multi-page write up a few years ago...INFLAMMATION THE SILENT KILLER....inflammation is the cause of all aging diseases, and increases cholesterol ,,,so address the inflammation and you will lower your lipids.

:shrug:

Main thing is your are being proactive and not just looking for meds to change numbers.Good work

too funny.

:evil6:

:bowdown:hysterical!

I suppose anything is possible but why would it go down right after I had my blood tested?

I edited my original post to include the following correction: I had been eating 3 eggs per week as an experiment to see what changes, if any, might occur. So after my LDL went up to 100, I stopped eating the eggs.

But, as I said, it was only 3 eggs per week (1 on Mon., Tue. and Wed.) Being essentially a vegan, I kind of doubt that alone would account for the large decline in LDL. Some even say that dietary cholesterol is not a factor in raising cholesterol. I think it could be a factor if someone eats an excessive amount of cholesterol. But I don't consider 3 eggs per week to be excessive.

It was actually, Ancel Keyes, the father of the lipid hypothesis who said “There’s no connection whatsoever between the cholesterol in food and cholesterol in the blood. And we’ve known that all along. Cholesterol in the diet doesn’t matter at all unless you happen to be a chicken or a rabbit.”

Congratulations on lowering your triglycerides.

It's also becoming more and more accepted that high cholesterol does not cause heart disease, but low cholesterol is a leading factor to early on set dementia. I'd be careful about getting your cholesterol numbers too low.

Thanks, my GP was very pleased and even seemed a little surprised. He said, "whatever you're doing, keep doing it." Everything on the test was good. Even my B12.

Because I'm essentially a vegan, I have been taking a B12 supplement since 2006. But I take just a small fraction of what is recommended and what most people take. In most stores I believe the smallest tablet contains 500 mcg. After cutting them in half twice, take only 125mcg every other day. That's about 62.5 mcg. per day instead of 500mcg. And yet the doctor said my B12 blood level was perfect.

I found 100mcg tablets by mail order so next I will try cutting them in half and will take 50mcg per day. We'll see how that goes on future blood tests.

I'm not even sure what Metamucil is. :) Perhaps it's a laxative? As a vegan, I eat so much natural fiber I don't need any help.

Cortisol? I think that's more likely the cause.

According to the testing lab, 100 is the highest it can be without being too high. In other words, it's the upper limit of "normal". Who says 100 is optimal? Could that be influenced by the meat and dairy associations? And what do they say will happen if it's too low?

Turmeric? I started using turmeric on my food a couple of months ago as a seasoning and I really like it. This was after reading that it's used a lot in India and they have a lot less cancer. How much could turmeric have helped my cholesterol? And why would I have inflammation in the first place? My BMI is 18 and I eat an anti-inflammation diet.

Or, unless a person just happens to be a slow processor and cholesterol builds up in the body, because of too few cholesterol receptors.

Thanks!

High cholesterol doesn't cause heart disease as long as it doesn't become oxidized and inflamed. Overweight and obese people usually have inflammation so for them high cholesterol CAN cause heart disease.

Information about low cholesterol being a leading factor to early onset dementia: I have never heard of that from any of my sources. Do you have a source for that other than those who recommend a high protein high fat diet?

100 LDL is optimal, it is right on my lab report. Yes, cholesterol is needed for every cell in the body, and especially the brain. Most people think that cholesterol is this "evil thing that is bad". Every person has inflammation, read the article in Time Magazine. "Inflammation the Silent Killer"

I never bought into the notion that eggs were bad, egg is the perfect protein, especially farm fresh. They also contain lesithin (sp?) which counteracts the cholesterol. Cholesterol is not a problem, it is the things we eat the makes cholesterol "sticky". Personally, I think "whatever God makes is ok". It is all the artificial so-called food that is bad....Fake eggs in a carton...man made oils, corn, soybean, canola. Just google them and see how they are made. Also, try cooking with them...it is impossible to clean a pan or stove. Just what do you think they are doing to your arteries?

Remember when they said "No butter", you must have margarine...well, guess what, margarine is the bad guy. Eggs, do not eat eggs...now eggs are fine. Hey, there is cholesterol in fish also but I wouldn't give it up.

The problem is all the Fake, chemical things in our food...forgot to mention the chemical sugar...how good is that for the brain. Like I said, whatever God created, so I will believe it is okay to eat.


Tumeric needs to be taken as a supplement as you cannot get enough in food, also, it does not taste good and stains.

In India people consume it in their food from the time they a very young so naturally, they are ahead of the game.

Not all labs are the same: When I had my blood tested back in Feb., 2014, the result was, "LDL 100" and along side it was the word "High". This analysis was done by LabCorp. Their "Reference Interval" for LDL is 0 - 99.

My recent blood test on Sept. 17th. was done by Quest Diagnostics and the result was "LDL 67" Their "Reference Range" is <130 mg/dL. I assume that means anything less than or up to 130 is acceptable.

Neither lab specifies one number as being correct for everyone.

The human body has many automatic mechanisms to control various functions, so I believe that one's cholesterol level is just another one of those mechanisms. When cholesterol is low, it's because the need is low. When cholesterol goes up, it's because the body demands more for cell repairs or rebuilding. Trust your body. If you live a healthy lifestyle, your body will respond with the appropriate level of cholesterol.

Note: The above statement is for the average healthy person.


I agree.

Yes, it's a matter of degree; we need some to fight infections etc.


The debate about eggs has been around for a long time. I read a book in the 70s by Carlton Fredricks and he said dietary cholesterol should not be a problem. And he mentioned, as you did, the thing about eggs containing lecithin. Where we might disagree is about what makes "cholesterol sticky". I believe it's saturated fat that makes blood cells get sticky and clump together.

I tend to agree. Any food products from grain fed animals is not natural. Animals in the wild, that pick and choose what they eat, have a very low percentage of body fat and their fat is of a different composition. And, of course, manufactured/processed foods are not good.

Personally, I wouldn't eat butter or margarine because they are not natural whole foods. They represent extracts of fat and both are saturated. Before the agricultural revolution, there were no such products.

God didn't make butter, oils, granulated table sugar or artificial sweeteners, among other things.


I like the taste of Turmeric and I use a lot of it for lunch and dinner.

How is that with dairy?

as in eggs, sorry that's not vegan

I think if you were a true vegan your cholesterol would be below 140 perhaps 130.

Don't get me wrong your numbers are good they can be better.

There's enough protein in veggies, no need for eggs or meat of any kind.


One last point about food if you really want to get up to speed watch the movie "forks over knives" it's an eye opener, the folks behind were famers before doctors, so much for farm fresh

I haven't had any dairy for many years now. I tried having 3 eggs per week for about 6 months as an experiment but now I stopped.

Maybe next time I'll get my cholesterol below 140. I think I can do it now that I understand the role that "peace of mind" plays in lowering cholesterol.

I remember reading about some of the Chinese having total cholesterol as low as about 85? They were among the healthiest but I always wondered how they did it. Now I suspect it must have something to do with living in remote areas of China. I believe they are essentially cut off from noise pollution and news contamination. They live a quieter more peaceful existence.

An ancient Chinese curse goes like this: "May you live in interesting times."

My cholesterol was better than most. 127 Dr. gave me results of labs today. Sugar was good. Thyroid was a little off and I will see Dr. Hamilton Fish about reducing the amount of Methimazole...again. Getting the meds right is tricky when your Thyroid over functions.

I think good cholesterol figures means I have a lucky break genetically. I am so glad that there are statins that can drop high cholesterol for people whose diet doesn't change the high numbers.... because one thing I know for danged sure, it doesn't have any thing to do with noise pollution.

I don't take statins. My numbers are just my genetic good luck. I don't drink alcohol either and I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of juices (LOVE V8) and don't eat a lot of meat, fish, poultry or fat.

I meant to say that eggs are COMPLETE protein, all the amino acids, I don't believe any other food has complete protein, maybe I am wrong.

VPL, there are a few UNREFINED oils, coconut, grapeseed and olive. You must check the label to make sure it is" first cold pressed". It is the refined oils that are the problem, soy, corn and canola, they start with GMO seed, which means, they can withstand all the roundup and pesticides...they use chemicals to extract.... bleached and deodorized with more chemicals and then put "all natural" on the label.

Coconut water from "young green coconuts" are a super food. This was used during WW11, in the Philippians for plasma as it is the closest to human blood. They are sold in Asian food stores. A little tricky to get the water and pulp out. Dr. Winston would know as he spent a year there.

The Villages is known for the activities and vibrancy.

Amino acids are found in animal sources such as meats, milk, fish, and eggs. They are also found in plant sources such as soy, beans, legumes, nut butters, and some grains (such as wheat germ and quinoa).

You do not need to eat ANY animal products or dead animals to get all the protein & aminos you need in your diet.

[url]http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/proteins/inc

Can't post this link, internet problem?

Now that you have brought that up....................;)

Food and diet advocates how can we live without them. My blood test numbers are very good but I'll bet you other things are killing me like the passage of time.

I hear what you're saying Bonanza.
However in this case, the thread was clearly titled, so we had a choice to ignore it.
Sharing blood test results on TOTV may be a source of pleasure and interaction to a poster that doesn't have a strong social support group that would be interested.

Jimbo, I have avoided soy because I thought it contained estrogens that could promote breast cancer. Perhaps that's outdated information?

I think so this article says it's the other way around, but it's not an authority,

when searching google, always do so by results in last 12 months to get new info

What's The Deal With Soy And Breast Cancer?

What do you have to back that up? (Remember we are talking about stress.)

Yes, thank you. It's the same reason that everyone is here and no one needs to be reading this thread if they are not interested in the subject of health.

My opinion, for what it's worth, I wouldn't eat soy and you are wise to stay away from it too. One study (I don't have a link to it) showed that long term soy consumption caused brain atrophy in men. The study consisted of a few thousand men. This comes from the book, "Beyond The 120 Year Diet". I was a long term user and I felt symptoms coming on. When I read about it, I stopped using soy and the symptoms went away.

From my personal experience, I have been on thyroid medicine for over 50 years. At one point, I was constantly having blood drawn and the medication adjusted. After about 3 times the doctor called and asked what else changed in my diet. When we eliminated different things to no avail, soy milk was the culprit FOR ME. I eat very little meat (just prefer other things and don't care if someone is a steak eater) and found out real quick tofu would not be a meal choice for me.

No, you're not wrong. Egg whites are an excellent (complete) source of protein. When I was practicing the Zone philosophy I used to eat 3 egg whites as part of my breakfast. But then I went on to learn more about different types of protein and the effects they have on the body. Animal protein and vegetable protein have different effects and risks.

My oil of choice is Extra Virgin (first cold pressed) olive oil. (I'm not familiar with coconut or grapeseed oil.) I use only very little olive oil. I use a measuring spoon for one teaspoon at lunch and one for dinner. Yes, it has a little saturated fat but nuts do to. Even plain steel cut oats contain a little saturated fat.

VPL, a great book is "Fat Chance: Surviving the Cholesterol Controversy and Beyond". You might want to get "Premium Select" OL from the Olive Oil Store. Just a quote from the book, "The addition of heat during processing or even during cooking destroys these important antioxidants and polyphenols.


Grapeseed oil and coconut oil, unrefined, are good for cooking as they have a high heat tolerance. I make my own salad dressings using the premium select, and grapeseed oil. Commercial dressing are made with soy or canola, and other cheap ingredients. Trader Joes has a great California OL, Consumers gave it a high rating, and it is priced right.

Jimbo, I know it's off topic, but how do you google a topic for ONLY recent health information?
It seems that medical knowledge and recommendations are changing at the speed of light.
I've noticed that when a poster quotes from a book that is five or ten years old, the information is often outdated.