Managing familial hypercholesterolemia
Hi, I am a 26-year-old man, and hypercholesterolemia runs in my family. Despite weightlifting and cardio training paired with a mostly whole-food-plant-predominant diet my ldl and total cholesterol levels are always at the top of the accepted "healthy" range. What approaches or supplements could I consider to lower those levels in a better/optimal value?
Game Changers / James Wilks JRE
Years ago when these first came out I kind of stubbornly brushed them both off (that is, the Doc and also James' grilling of Chris Kresser with the help of Avi Bitterman MD) and kept my blinders on. Since then, I've came to the conclusion that actually the research behind veganism is actually pretty robust and some of the 'cons' that bodybuilding circles commonly mention such as 'nutrient deficiencies' are very weak and easily addressed (both directly but also within the argument itself) Which brings me to my question: have you watched either of the documentary and/or the JRE episode, and if so, what are/were your thoughts? As mentioned above, I did a complete 180. Thank you - big fan! Cameron
Metabolically healthy - BMI out of range
All my blood work indicates I am metabolically healthy (lipids, A1C, thyroid, liver) and my doctor says I am well nourished. My BMI is under 17.5%. The Veterans Administration nutritionist said if I eat 1400-1600 calories. (I am currently eating 1700) I will slowly add weight and plateau at 45 kg. My weight is not increasing but I worry if I add calories from the wrong sources my lipids and liver will have issues. Adding good fats caused my lipids to be poor and adding carbs raised my triglycerides which the endocrinologist said caused liver fibrosis. My lipids and liver are great now so how does someone determine the balance between metabolic health and healthy BMI? Lisa
A recent rise is sodium-loaded electrolyte supplements
There has been a recent rise in electrolyte supplements on the market and many of them containing a lot of sodium. One popular one is LMNT which I am seeing a rise of popularity in a few sports, one being CrossFit. My concern is around people who are doing a one hour CrossFit class a day and taking this supplement daily with has a gram of sodium in. Often times, I am sure this will be on top of an already high-salt diet in many cases. Looking on their website they have an article pushing back on the FDA's recommendation against limiting sodium where they (Rob Wolf) has attacked the recommendation and stated it is wrong. Even to the point that Salt intake isn't an issue for blood pressure or heart health. The article is here: https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/the-fdas-misguidance-on-sodium/?variant=16358367199266&_gl=1*3gd4ge*_gcl_au*MTg4MzM3MDUzMS4xNzIyNTI2OTgy*_ga*MTcwNDQzMzExMS4xNzIyNTI2OTgy*_ga_BKZV7MVXM7*MTcyNDIzMDI5MC4yLjEuMTcyNDIzMDQxMi41My4wLjA. I'm hoping you can apply some nuance here and pick apart his argument. Thanks, Lewys
Caffeine metabolism + individual variation
I'm curious to know what the literature says about the variation in how different individuals respond to caffeine. Is it true that there is a genetic predisposition to caffeine metabolism? Some seem to be able to consume it with little impact while others, such as myself, can only handle small amounts. For example, if I want to have coffee, I need to drink decaf. While I am able to have caffeinated teas (black, oolong, green, and white), I have to be very conscious about the quantity I drink, whether I have eaten food, time of day, etc. Finally, are there any recommended strategies for (1) discovering one's unique caffeine metabolism and (2) mitigating "over-caffeination"? Thank you, Danny and Alan, for all the work you do here. So grateful for the resource of Sigma. - Jessica Schroeder