Cutting Fat Makes Good Cholesterol Go Down and Bad Cholesterol Go Up
Reducing saturated fat intake lowers LDL-C but increases Lp(a) levels in African Americans: the GET-READI feeding trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lowering saturated fat increased Lp(a) — a cholesterol that’s mostly genetic and thought to be diet-resistant.
Lp(a) was long considered ‘unchangeable’ by diet — this study proves it can spike dramatically with low-fat, high-carb eating, especially in African Americans.
Practical Takeaways
If you're African American and have high Lp(a), avoid extreme low-saturated-fat diets — consider a moderate-fat, high-fiber, low-refined-carb approach instead.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lowering saturated fat increased Lp(a) — a cholesterol that’s mostly genetic and thought to be diet-resistant.
Lp(a) was long considered ‘unchangeable’ by diet — this study proves it can spike dramatically with low-fat, high-carb eating, especially in African Americans.
Practical Takeaways
If you're African American and have high Lp(a), avoid extreme low-saturated-fat diets — consider a moderate-fat, high-fiber, low-refined-carb approach instead.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Lipid Research
Year
2023
Authors
Hayley G. Law, Muhammad A. Khan, Wei Zhang, Heejung Bang, J. Rood, M. Most, M. Lefevre, Lars Berglund, Enkhmaa Byambaa
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Claims (6)
When African Americans switch to a lower-fat, higher-carb diet, more of them end up with dangerously high levels of Lp(a)—a blood fat that raises heart disease risk—even though their other bad cholesterol goes down.
When African Americans eat less saturated fat (like butter and fatty meat) and more carbs (like fruits and whole grains), their bad cholesterol (LDL) goes down, but another dangerous blood fat called Lp(a) goes up—so one risk goes down while another goes up.
When African Americans cut saturated fat and eat more carbs, their good cholesterol (HDL) and its main protein (apoA-1) also go down—so while bad cholesterol drops, some protective factors drop too.
African Americans’ Lp(a) levels rise more than other people’s when they cut saturated fat—meaning their bodies react differently to the same diet change.
High intake of dietary saturated fats elevates circulating low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in humans.