How does following Atkins effect HDL levels?
HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from the blood vessels back to the liver to be disposed of or recycled. A high level of HDL is desirable because its cardio-protective. When controlling carbohydrates the HDL generally increases especially as the triglycerides (another risk for heart disease) go down. It was Dr. Atkins experience that it took up to 3 to 6 months for the HDL to reach its best level. The addition of omega 3 fish oils can be very helpful in improving these values. As there are no good medical interventions for increasing HDL cholesterol, low carb is an important tool and should be recognized as such. This is especially true for people with metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes and heart disease. Presentation on Metabolic Syndrome PPT /Flash A low calorie, low fat plan generally does not improve these important risk factors for vascular disease. To review the findings on low carb vs. low fat on cardiovascular risk factors check out the research section.
