Is keto good for someone who has high cholesterol?

Hello Lynelle!

Thanks for stopping by! I love this question because there is so much misconception floating around about eating fat on a keto diet and the risk of problems with cholesterol because of it.

Ok, so check this out. For most people who start on a ketogenic diet, their LDL will decrease and their HDL will increase. For this reason, someone may have a higher level of cholesterol on their test but it is a result of the good cholesterol increasing. Typically, as long as the LDL (bad) cholesterol stays low, the overall cholesterol number is less important. (within reason of course!)

In my opinion what we need to pay attention to is the blood sugar levels, triglycerides, HDL count and high sensitivity c reactive protein (which measure the amount of inflammation in the body and can help to evaluate an individual for risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). If you do have inflammation and are on a ketogenic diet, it is probably because of nuts, dairy, artificial sweetners, flavors or colors.

I hope that helps!

Becky