Re: Cholesterol and Plant n-3s (was Potassium)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/19/05 11:24:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,

talithakumi@... writes:

> So what would be considered high if

> 268 is good?

_____

Well to begin with your total cholesterol is a worthless figure if you have

more detailed information. Your HDL is really high, (considered " good " ) and

your LDL is a little high by mainstream standards, but generally your HDL to

total is considered a better guideline and researchers have been saying in more

recent times that vLDL is a much better predictor of heart disease than LDL or

total cholesterol.

Then there are others who don't think cholesterol is very meaningful at all,

except in consideration with other factors. How is your health otherwise?

____

> This reminds me of another question I had if you or anyone else could

> tell me. I read in Ann Gittleman's book Beyond Pritikin that linseed

> and soy oil interfere with GLA production. Is that true? Is flax oil

> then not a good oil for omega 3?

_____

I'm not sure what her logic is with soy oil, except maybe that it has

substantial shorter-chain n-3s (also high in n-6s I thought) but flax oil is

high in

shorter-chain n-3s which are going to compete with the enzymes that desaturate

the shorter-chain n-6s into GLA.

I don't think it makes much sense to use added plant oils to get GLA, DGLA,

AA, EPA, and DHA. Flax oil isn't a great source of n-3s not only because

loading yourself with enormous amounts of plant n-3s in order to gain a much

smaller amount of the longer-chain n-3s found in animal foods could crowd out

the

enzymes necessary to desaturate and elongate plant-n6s, but also it's more PUFA

than you need to get the same fatty acids you could have gotten pre-formed

from animal products, not to mention many people simply can't make those

conversions.

You can get pre-formed DHA and EPA from fish oil or cod liver oil, and you

can get small amounts of GLA in organ meats, oatmeal, nuts and seeds, and you

can get pre-formed DGLA and AA in butter fat and organ meats. A balanced diet

would give you the shorter-chain plant n-3s and n-6s without adding plant oils.

Chris

____

" What can one say of a soul, of a heart, filled with compassion? It is a

heart which burns with love for every creature: for human beings, birds, and

animals, for serpents and for demons. The thought of them and the sight of them

make the tears of the saint flow. And this immense and intense compassion,

which flows from the heart of the saints, makes them unable to bear the sight of

the smallest, most insignificant wound in any creature. Thus they pray

ceaselessly, with tears, even for animals, for enemies of the truth, and for

those

who do them wrong. "

--Saint Isaac the Syrian

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much, Chris! I knew you guys on this list would be the

ones to ask about this.

Okay, so I looked on my lab sheet and found the vLDL cholesterol which

was 20. Ah, and now I see that the ref range is 10-40. So, it is

okay. My HDL ratio is 3.0 and LDL ratio is 1.8. According to their

risk ranges, I'm okay there, too. Triglycerides is 102. So looks

okay there, too. Okay, so now this is starting to make some sort of

sense to me. It kinda threw me off guard because my doctor even

called me at home just to tell me that my cholesterol was high and

that the LDL was high. That call might have given me a heart attack

instead of my cholestrol level. LOL Geepers, I guess I should

remember that her specialty is hematology, not cardiology. LOL AND

the best thing of all is that I've been eating like 2-4 sunny side up

eggs each morning for about 2 years (free-ranged, of course) and bacon

with hashed browns fried in the bacon fat. LOL Now I can rest at

ease that it really is okay to do that!

I think my health is good otherwise(at least no major dis-ease

symptoms), except I'm wondering about my potassium level. I did read

last night that you can have normal potassium levels, but low blood

serum levels, so hopefully that's my case. I've been trying to

increase my potassium level because I've always been on the low side,

and I've always had some dry skin problems (which I've read could be a

symptom from low potassium). I had started supplementing with

magnesium and drinking a little raw whole milk for calcium and vit D

to help with potassium absorption and was surprised that my potassium

level went lower--3.3, normal range being between 3.5-5.5. My sodium

level was normal. I know that potassium and sodium influence each

other. So now I'm trying to figure out a way to slightly raise my

potassium. Pratick suggested using Celtic Sea Salt, which I have now.

Ack! I thought I was done. I have another question. I've recently

increased my vit C intake via a large daily fruit smoothie--2 oranges,

2 kiwis, 1 banana, 1 fat slice of pineapple, and a few strawberries if

I have them on hand. Now my iron panel came back all high. I was

under the impression that if your body had adequate iron, then you

wouldn't really absorb much through diet. I had spent 2 full years

phlebotomizing (500mL monthly)to reduce my iron overload from 19

months of red blood transfusions (86 units in all). My ferritin had

gone down to 234(down from 1500), total serum iron 60, sat 25%. After

a 4 month break from phlebotomies and no further red cell

transfusions, my ferritin jumped back up to 433, total serum iron 124,

and sat 50%. Ack! I'm wondering if that all came from diet OR

somehow the increased vit C intake is mobilizing some deeper stored

iron deposits which is now reflecting in my blood level. Any thoughts

or added insight would be appreciated. If I'm absorbing too much

iron, that's bad; but if I'm mobilizing stored iron, that could be

good cuz then I can remove it via phlebotomy. At any rate, I'm

schedule to phlebotomize again. Oh, joy.

Re: the flax oil. Thanks! I'll stop using it now and switch back

over to the CLO. I always feel more at ease when I have some

understanding of " why " I'm doing something.

Take care,

Marla

> In a message dated 2/19/05 11:24:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> talithakumi@s... writes:

>

> > So what would be considered high if

> > 268 is good?

> _____

>

> Well to begin with your total cholesterol is a worthless figure if

you have

> more detailed information. Your HDL is really high, (considered

" good " ) and

> your LDL is a little high by mainstream standards, but generally

your HDL to

> total is considered a better guideline and researchers have been

saying in more

> recent times that vLDL is a much better predictor of heart disease

than LDL or

> total cholesterol.

>

> Then there are others who don't think cholesterol is very meaningful

at all,

> except in consideration with other factors. How is your health

otherwise?

> ____

>

> > This reminds me of another question I had if you or anyone else could

> > tell me. I read in Ann Gittleman's book Beyond Pritikin that linseed

> > and soy oil interfere with GLA production. Is that true? Is

flax oil

> > then not a good oil for omega 3?

> _____

>

> I'm not sure what her logic is with soy oil, except maybe that it has

> substantial shorter-chain n-3s (also high in n-6s I thought) but

flax oil is high in

> shorter-chain n-3s which are going to compete with the enzymes that

desaturate

> the shorter-chain n-6s into GLA.

>

> I don't think it makes much sense to use added plant oils to get

GLA, DGLA,

> AA, EPA, and DHA. Flax oil isn't a great source of n-3s not only

because

> loading yourself with enormous amounts of plant n-3s in order to

gain a much

> smaller amount of the longer-chain n-3s found in animal foods could

crowd out the

> enzymes necessary to desaturate and elongate plant-n6s, but also

it's more PUFA

> than you need to get the same fatty acids you could have gotten

pre-formed

> from animal products, not to mention many people simply can't make

those

> conversions.

>

> You can get pre-formed DHA and EPA from fish oil or cod liver oil,

and you

> can get small amounts of GLA in organ meats, oatmeal, nuts and

seeds, and you

> can get pre-formed DGLA and AA in butter fat and organ meats. A

balanced diet

> would give you the shorter-chain plant n-3s and n-6s without adding

plant oils.

>

> Chris

>

> ____

>

> " What can one say of a soul, of a heart, filled with compassion? It

is a

> heart which burns with love for every creature: for human beings,

birds, and

> animals, for serpents and for demons. The thought of them and the

sight of them

> make the tears of the saint flow. And this immense and intense

compassion,

> which flows from the heart of the saints, makes them unable to bear

the sight of

> the smallest, most insignificant wound in any creature. Thus they pray

> ceaselessly, with tears, even for animals, for enemies of the truth,

and for those

> who do them wrong. "

>

> --Saint Isaac the Syrian