133. Cholesterol on an Animal Based Diet, with Dave Feldman

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Nov 1, 2021

Dave Feldman, citizen scientist famous for The Cholesterol Code and self-experiments, explores why LDL often spikes on animal-based or low-carb diets. He explains rapid LDL shifts tied to metabolic state. They discuss cholesterol carriers, inflammation versus causation in plaque, lean mass hyperresponder patterns, and plans for coronary imaging to clarify risk.

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INSIGHT

Endothelial Injury Likely Precedes LDL Entry

Physical penetration of LDL across intact endothelium is physically implausible without inflammation opening junctions.
Feldman and Paul emphasize endothelial gaps open with inflammation to allow monocytes/macrophages entry, implying inflammation may precede LDL retention.

INSIGHT

Atherosclerosis Not Reproduced By LDL Alone In Healthy Models

No clear animal model shows atherosclerosis from raised lipoproteins alone without vascular injury or other abnormalities.
Feldman reports researchers have not reproduced plaque formation in healthy vasculature solely by increasing lipoproteins.

ANECDOTE

Crowdfunding Launched The Lean Mass Hyperresponder Study

Feldman crowdfunded the lean mass hyperresponder study at Low Carb Houston after traditional funding failed, raising roughly $250k.
The study will recruit people with LDL ≥190, HDL ≥60, TG ≤80 and a >50% LDL rise after diet change for CTA scans at UCLA.

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If you are interested in lipids, you’ve probably heard of Dave Feldman and his work. If not, you’ve got some homework to do, and I think you’ll be amazed at what you find. Dave’s work can be found at cholesterolcode.com where he details his multiple, meticulous self-experimental projects. Prior to cholesterol adventures Dave was a senior software scientist and an engineer. He brings this “out of the box” thinking to the world of medicine and we are all better off for it.

He began a low-carb, high-fat diet in April 2015 and has since learned everything he could about it with special emphasis on cholesterol. He saw his own lipid numbers spike substantially after going on the diet and spotted a pattern in the lipid system that’s very similar to distributed objects in networks.

Time Stamps:

0:09:20 Podcast begins with Dave Feldman

0:09:45 Responding to the common question: "I feel so good on Animal-Based, but my cholesterol is sky high. What's going on?"

0:20:05 The importance of context in regards to cholesterol

0:26:20 Just because cholesterol is involved in asc sclerosis, that does not mean it is the cause of asc sclerosis

0:33:50 Inflammation and it's role with asc sclerosis

0:36:00 Do we have any experiments that shows LDL is directly harmful to humans?

0:47:05 The more saturated fat you eat, the higher your LDL goes, but does this result in more chronic disease?

0:57:35 PUFA's are essential for humans, but if you're eating saturated fat from grass-fed ruminant animals, you will not become deficient

1:02:44 Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and healthy individuals

1:07:40 Macrophages of genetically characterized familial hypercholesterolaemia patients show up‐regulation of LDL‐receptor‐related proteins: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5323824/

1:14:20 A 72-Year-Old Patient with Longstanding, Untreated Familial Hypercholesterolemia but no Coronary Artery Calcification: A Case Report: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5991918/

1:15:20 Chimpanzee VS Human LDL

1:15:45 Chimpanzee serum lipoproteins. Isolation, characterisation and comparative aspects of the low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein-BH: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6477668/

1:25:05 Distribution of glycosaminoglycans in the intima of human aortas: changes in atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8477876/

1:29:20 The importance of hemostasis and how it relates to blood clots

1:35:40 Xanthoma in lean-mass hyper responders who do not have FH

1:40:50 Low Triglycerides–High High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/647239

1:44:00 Hyperlipidaemia does not impair vascular endothelial function in glycogen storage disease type 1a: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0021915094900728

1:47:35 If a patient has a rising LDL, but is otherwise healthy, what does Dave suggest?

1:53:00 https://citizensciencefoundation.org/ and where to find more of Dave's work

1:54:30 Dave's current diet

Sponsors:

Heart & Soil: www.heartandsoil.co

White Oak Pastures: www.Whiteoakpastures.com, use