My health markers after eight years on LCHF
Scary stuff – or?
In the summer of 2006, I started eating an LCHF diet and since then I have continued to do so. It has now been eight years and I decided it was time for a thorough checkup.
According to certain fat and meat phobics, I should have been dead a long time ago. Personally, I’m planning to hang in there for about 50 more years. So who’s going to be right?
Here’s the result from my recent blood work:
Background
I’m basically healthy. But as a 42-year old dad to a small child, with some sleep deprivation, and who regularly works 60-hour weeks, this is probably the time when health should start to fail.
If LCFH doesn’t save me.
I’ve eaten an LCHF diet for eight years, at times very strict, at other times less strict. Plenty of butter, eggs, meat and heavy cream – and vegetables. For the last six months I’ve also done intermittent fasting, 16:8, on most weekdays ( I skip breakfast).
Results
Here’s a summary of my results 2007-2014.
The recent test results are in the colored columns. Numbers converted to US units to the right.
Comment
The wild rumors about how dangerous LCHF is long term, don’t get validated in my blood work. After eight years on LCHF they are excellent, just as when I started. There simply aren’t any big changes during these years.
Many things are typical and the trends are also confirmed in studies on low-carb diets:
- Low triglycerides (good)
- Excellent HDL cholesterol levels
- Nice ApoB/AI ratio
- A low fasting blood sugar and a low HbA1c (good)
- Low, but normal, insulin levels, measured as C-peptide (probably excellent)
- A normal weight and a normal waist circumference
- A low and good blood pressure
To summarize, all problems associated with the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes usually improve on LCHF. Obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high insulin levels and dangerously disturbed cholesterol numbers (high triglycerides and low HDL).
My test results also show that the inflammatory level in the body – as measured CRP – is non-detectible on all test occasions.
With these results in mind the fantasy talk about long-term risks with LCHF doesn’t seem to be valid, at least not in my case. Perhaps you’ll have to put up with me for about 50 more years.
Weight
I’ve kept my weight at a normal weight level effortlessly and without any calorie counting during these years. I’ve gone up and down a few pounds within the normal range.
During my experiment with a strict LCHF diet and ketone measuring, I lost 12 lbs/5 kg. They came back when I returned to liberal LCHF, but disappeared again when I added 16:8.
My experience is that the latter is clearly the easier alternative. At least if you’re like me, and not that sensitive to carbohydrates. So I will continue with liberal LCHF with the addition of 16:8 on weekdays.
What Do You Think?
What has happened to your health markers on LCHF?
Previously
Great Cholesterol Numbers After 4 Years on an Ultra-Strict LCHF Diet