LDL and statins on low carb with David Diamond, PhD — Diet Doctor Podcast

Dr diamond is such a giant against a sea of deceptive researchers. No money or fame is involved. I admire him. Doing the right thing as a scientist.

This is by far the best discussion of lipoproteins, cardiovascular risk and lipid-lowering drugs I have ever heard! And I am a retired physician.

52:55 for cognitive effects of interfering with cholesterol production. As Diamond says, your brain needs cholesterol to make memories. And as Georgia Ede says, "The brain makes its own cholesterol. Why would it make something really bad for you? It wouldn't. It's really smart. It's a brain."

Doc immediately told me to take statins. Did research. Didn't want to take the risks and wasn't clear it would help. Stopped eating sugar. 1 year later: normal levels, best shape of my life. Now three years later: weight, numbers, health maintained easily.

By the 16 minute mark- my husband clearly understood why I wanted him off his statins. Thank you

Professor David Diamond should be nominated and won the Nobel Peace Prize! The world needs more scientists like him.

Update, my latest LDL 200, HDL97, Tryg67; this time my dr became very upset and told me I was going to drop dead one of these days from CVD/stroke. She pushed meds again. One more time I requested a CAC test, and finally, she wrote the order. But she did prescribe something without my approval because I pick up my allergies med and this cholesterol-lowering (not statin) that actually lowers tryg with little impact on LDL. I know she thought she was having my best interest in mind, but that is simply wrong; however, I did not want to get her in trouble. Fast forward, I did my CAC test, and my result is 0 in all coronary arteries and the heart parameters are unremarkable. My risk for vascular disease shows as minimal, actually, as better than 100% of people my age (I am 66). Case closed; no more pushing cholesterol-lowering medications. Usually, I call to discuss my lab reports, this time she calls me quick to say everything was good. I guess it was hard to accept a mistake and see the patient you were harassing in the face. I am glad I stood my ground, but there might be people with high levels of chronic disease that benefit from medications. The problem is that Drs follow written standards of care that pile everybody under one umbrella. We are not copies of each other; human physiology is specific to each.

I have seen over the past 5 years 3 different doctors who all insisted that I take statins for my high LDL and total cholesterol levels despite my low triglycerides and high HDL levels. I refused the statins. One doctor dropped me as a patient due to my refusal to take them. I no longer trust most physicians. If I break a bone or need antibiotics or treatment for some acute condition I will absolutely seek medical help but for anything else? No thanks.

Best quote: "You are not going to find health in a pill!" Dr. David Diamond

My mother was on statins for years and refused to question her doctor. Her cholesterol level was around 2.5, which is extremely low, but the doctor kept pumping her with statins. Looking at the statin side effects, the only ones she didn't have were the ones that only apply to males. The side effects of the statins are actually the effects of low cholesterol. Her doctor kept giving her more and more pills to counteract the side effects. She got dementia and diabetes. More pills. Then the pills gave her ulcers. More pills. In the end she was so sick she could barely eat at all. The damn doctor killed her, through his own ignorance. My own doctor told me I should take statins because my total cholesterol was 6.3. I took the prescription and threw it in the bin. I have lost all faith in doctors and since I have a science background, I have much more faith in my own research. Low carbs, zero sugars, zero seed oils, and plenty of saturated of monounsaturated fat are working for me. The LDL hypothesis, like the saturated fat is bad hypothesis, is just plain wrong. And above the age of 60 high cholesterol is actually protective.

I was put on Statins - before being on them, my LDL was 3.9 mmmo/l - My A1C was Normal, My Triglycerides were normal, My Tri/HDL ratio was less than 1 (mmo/l) - but they screamed I needed to be on statins STAT reciting risk factors taken from who knows when at the behest of who knows what!... I was not obese nor overweight 6'1 @ 185lbs. Since taking going on statins, my ALT (Liver Enzymes) doubled. My AIC went from normal to "At risk". My subsequent blood work had my ALT doubling again and my A1C creeping towards pre diabetes as well as other odd abnormalities in almost every subsequent blood work since going on the Statins. So I did some research - I could find a lot of sources with compelling arguments to not (for my scenario) be on statins. It seemed to me this Statin religion was a big pharma cash cow. I Did more research. Things got scary I'll tell ya. From what I was searching you would think articles and videos etc stating " you should be on Statins" would also be coming at me - but no. Why were there basically none of these? I did the best of my own research and I couldn't find a logical reason to be on them - my blood work (other than a lower LDL count) were screaming "somethings not right here". So, this week - in front of a new, young, "progressive" Dr. I told him, I've done research, and I have found there is not a lot of evidence that these will be beneficial for me in fact to the contrary - I dont want to be on these anymore. He looked at me with that look that says "I have to tell you - that you understand the risk of coming off them - to not have my licence suspended - but I cant disagree with you". So Im off! And I have a feeling that my liver will thank me.

September 2023: I had my yearly exam with my primary care provider (an internist MD who says he is an expert on lipidology and cholesterol) yesterday, and I told him my concerns about statins. I cited the Mayo Clinic and the National Institute of Health (USA). He said this made him angry; he compared my remarks to those of anti-vaxxers, and said that this was nonsense, coming from functional medicine practitioners, who are killing their patients by not prescribing statins. I expected him to disagree, but not to be so dismissive. Now I am looking for another primary care provider.

I’m on the low carb, no sugar, no processed pdts diet and I have low triglycerides, high Hdl and also high LDL….my primary doctor wants to put me on statins but the statins are giving me increased muscle aches! I just dropped my statin medication and feeling so much better and happier! Thank you for sharing this information and will greatly help many more people like me!😅

I went low carb and intermittent fasting 2 meals. My labs at the time show my LDL 170, but my HDL 63 and Triglycerides were normal 92 with a good HDL/trigl ratio. I was however prediabetic. Fast forward, I did my labs again this month, and my A1C is fixed, no longer showing I am prediabetic. Once again she tries to prescribe me statins. These are my recent labs, LDL 173, HDL 90%, and triglycerides of 76, bp is always normal too. Once again she said, the total is higher now, I asked do you think HDL is bad a 90%, and trygly 76. "No it is actually very good, she responded. The risk ratio is actually 1.46 now. Case closed she insisted no more. All my liver and kidney, CBC, minerals are WNL. I am a happy camper, and I will continue my newfound way of managing my health with added exercise.

When I took the statin I tested my brain age and it had desastrours effect on my brain age. I refused it, and I am back to my young age! Started my low carb high protein diet, walking 3.9 miles a day and am back to normal!

I just saw this interview by chance and found it incredibly illuminating and helpful. At 75 I am heathy but have high LdL (small particle) that my cardiologist wants to treat with statins. I recently had a calcium score test at my request and the results were 1.39 which shocked my doctor who had to do some back pedaling but he is still certain as he has been for the last 7 years that I need to take statins which made me feel 'unwell' - so I stopped taking them and will never take them again. Based on this article I recognize my sweet tooth is what is getting the better of me and I also need to do resistance training so whatever sugar I do ingest has a place to go. Mechanistically this all makes sense to me. So I plan to look into the low carb diet ideas out there and give them a try. I have also listened to Dr Stephanie Seneff and recommend her YouTube discussions on statins and anything else she decides is worth talking about. Advocating for ones own good health is not only worthwhile, it is interesting! Dr Scher, please bring Dr Diamond back for an updated conversation. Thank you!

Dr. David Diamond is another unsung hero in this modern day and age. Thanks so much for your priceless research. God bless you!

I have had very high cholesterol since 1993, therefore taken statins until February 2022 when I decided to stop them. Of course, my numbers went through the roof, November 9, 2022 my lab results were: total 635, obviously my body was still detoxing from statins and healing from years of abuse with sugar, wheat and seed oils. BUT!!! As of March 10, 2023 my total cholesterol was 236. I was amazed, I made sure it was really my report. Thrilled my body is healing! AND getting healthy. I had other great numbers, LDL went from 535 to 123, Triglycerides went from 84 to 69. HDL-C went from 76-91 . Insulin resistance <25. I'm thinking the reason my numbers were so high in November I was losing fat, but the fat was still in my bloodstream. I'm not a medical clinician, but I watch a lot of great doctors talk about cholesterol and the carnivore/KETO diet. I began low carb way of eating 6/2021, Keto September 2021, Carnivore April 2022. With everything I've learned there is no turning back. I'm loving this way of eating.

Wow! This was a great interview and discussion. Every doctor that can prescribe a statin drug along with every cardiologist should be required to sit through this video.

Love this guy. He is helping me by reinforcing the decision I made to not take a statin and to treat my metabolic syndrome with a keto diet.