You may have heard that a paleo diet can help you lose weight. That’s most likely because it’s filled with lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds while being low in carbohydrates and processed and sugary foods.
However, researchers are also studying how the Paleo Diet might affect your cholesterol.
Good and bad cholesterol
You have two types of cholesterol in your body: HDL, often called good cholesterol, and LDL, or bad cholesterol.
LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. It contributes to the buildup of fat in your arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This can increase your risk of serious cardiovascular problems such as a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, carries LDL cholesterol from your arteries to your liver. There your body breaks it down and gets rid of it. High HDL levels protect against heart attacks and strokes.
Triglycerides, the most common type of fat in your body, are related. High triglyceride levels along with high LDL cholesterol or low HDL cholesterol can lead to fat build-up in the arterial walls and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
The Paleo Diet
If you follow the Paleo Diet, you can eat a lot:
- fruit
- Vegetables, nuts and seeds
- Lean meat, with an emphasis on grass-fed animals or game
- Fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, and albacore tuna
- Oils made from fruits and nuts, such as olive oil or walnut oil
You generally avoid:
- Grains like wheat, oats, and barley
- Legumes like beans, lentils, peanuts, and peas
- Dairy products
- Refined sugar
- salt
- Potatoes
- Food that is heavily processed
A diet high in whole foods is healthier than one high in processed foods. It can offer health benefits such as:
But does this contribute to lower cholesterol levels? The answer: it depends.
No straight answer
In the absence of a precise nutritional plan that defines the Paleo Diet, it is impossible to say how it will affect a person’s cholesterol levels, says Alix Turoff, a registered dietitian and nutritionist.
“The Paleo Diet restricts certain foods like grains, dairy products, legumes, and added sugars, but doesn’t specify how much of the ‘allowed’ foods you should eat,” she says.
“This creates a lot of variation in the way people follow this diet. … Some people may be eating a lower-fat / higher-carbohydrate Paleo diet, while others may be eating a higher-fat / low-carbohydrate Paleo diet, which would have a different impact on cholesterol. “
For example, the Paleo diet has no limits on red meat, such as beef, pork, or lamb, which is high in saturated fat. Because of the key role saturated fat plays in high cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends that it make up less than 6% of your daily calories. That’s about 11 to 13 grams for most people. You can get to this level quickly with foods like bacon (about 1 gram per slice) and lean beef (about 4.5 grams per 3.5-ounce serving).
Another important part of the relationship between cholesterol levels and diet is fiber, which is closely related to carbohydrates.
“It’s important to note that fiber has important cholesterol-lowering benefits. And since fiber is part of carbohydrates, the only way to get fiber into your diet is by consuming carbohydrates, ”says Turoff. “For someone who wants to lower their cholesterol levels by limiting their carbohydrate intake, they should also be aware that their fiber intake could also decrease.”
The best solution is vegetables, which thanks to their complex carbohydrates are rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. These are different from simple carbohydrates like added sugars, which can raise your cholesterol levels if you overeat them.
In addition to the amount of fat and fiber you eat, things like activity levels and even your genes can affect cholesterol levels.
“There is a subset of people who may experience less favorable trends in their blood lipid levels after following a paleo diet. In this case, besides other lifestyle factors, the amount of saturated fat can also be optimized, ”says Tara Allen, nurse and certified nutrition coach.
A study of 44 adults on the Paleo diet found that their LDL cholesterol rose by 12.5 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL) and total cholesterol by 10.1 mg / dL after 10 weeks. Triglycerides were also slightly increased.
But, says Allen, “the Paleo diet has also been shown to increase HDL levels, the ‘good’ cholesterol, and lower blood sugar levels – a major contributor to blood vessel damage.”
More research is needed on how the Paleo Diet affects cholesterol.
“We have some strong research that shows that a low-carb diet can be effective in improving markers of cardiovascular disease such as total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides,” said Turoff. “There are also studies showing that a low-carb diet can increase cholesterol levels. Again, it probably comes down to the specific breakdown of the low carb diet. How low in carbohydrate? How Much Total Fat and Saturated Fat?
“The consensus isn’t there yet to say definitely how a low-carb diet will affect cholesterol levels, and it will likely take longer-term studies to give us more insight into this.”
If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels or how your diet might affect them, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.
“Tell them about your concerns,” said Lola Adeyemi, MD, doctor specializing in prevention and public health and co-founder and chief operating officer of Magna Carta Health. “Often times they can guide and help you monitor your health and wellbeing. It’s not just about following a “low-carb diet”; It’s about managing your overall health. You can set a level at which you want your cholesterol level to be and when and how to keep it on track. Combining that with exercise is a long way. ”
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