Confused!

[Marjorie Bradbury]

I have just been advised by my Doctor that I am borderline Celiac and have to avoid gluten.  However, my Cholesterol needs lowering, as it is 5.2 at the moment.  I find that what I should eat for one problem is not what I should eat for the other.  Where do I start?  I am very confused.  At present, I do not drink alcohol, eat cakes or biscuits, chocolate etc and do not smoke.  I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, so what do I eat to keep both problems at bay?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @Marjorie Bradbury!

I'm not sure why you feel eating gluten free to address celiac disease is at odds with lowering cholesterol. Can you elaborate on your thought process there?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Those are the only three sources of gluten. So, to address the celiac issue you would need to avoid all foods containing those three grains. There are many other healthy, gluten-free foods you can still consume that will help you address the cholesterol problem such as fresh fruits and vegetables. There are also alternative grains that do not contain gluten such as oats, quinoa, sorghum and buckwheat. I think cutting down on red meat consumption is also supposed to help lower cholesterol.

And, has your doctor talked to you about taking a statin medication to lower cholesterol?

Edited August 5, 2024 by trents

[Wheatwacked]

47 minutes ago, Marjorie Bradbury said:

I am borderline Celiac

No such thing.  In the UK there are tax benefits and follow ups that come with an official diagnosis you might want to look into.  So is he giving you an official diagnosis or is it just his personal advice?  But at least your doctor got the avoid gluten part right.  Celiac Disease and the western diet cause vitamin and mineral deficiency, that in turn cause various symptoms and are often mistaken for other diseases.

A-number-1. Do Not avoid gluten, shun it.

Resistance is futile and will just extend your recovery.  Once gluten free you will be healthier than your peers.

Gluten is only good for the businesses that sell it, not for you despite the advertisements.

Before you go crazy, see what your new diet does.  With out the high inflammatory wheat your pain and suffering may just go away.

Oddly I have high glucose, high triglycerides and high cholesterol and get about 700 calories a day from sugar (mostly Red Bull with its B vitamins and the antioxidant Taurine. Haven't felt better in years.  Triglycerides and Cholesterol trending down, HDL and kidney eGFR moved into good range.

I take clonidine for blood pressure.  All the other BP meds and glucose meds are debilitating to me.  Will not touch statins.

If a low fat diet reduces cholesterol, why are 50% of Americans obese?  We been avoiding red meat, eggs, fats and sugar since the 70's

A study in San Francisco a few years ago found the by substituting an equivelent amount of egg for a bagle, the egg people lost weight.  Beef, and eggs are the best source of choline.  Choline makes bile flow.

The four fortifications that helped me most: 

• vitamin D3 10,000 IU a day
• Choline for gut and cardiovascular inflammation.  It reduces homocysteine.  1000 mg a day or better is Phosphatidyl choline (by the way a low fat diet does not lower cholesteral)
• Thiamine  250 mg several times a day at first
• Iodine I take 1200 mcg a day.