September/October 2004
HEALTH BYTES

Carb-related drop in “good” cholesterol is okay

      Proponents of low-carb diets have noted that high carbohydrate consumption can lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), a form of cholesterol that helps arteries stay healthy. A new study has found that lower HDL levels resulting from eating carbs aren’t harmful, since LDL levels drop in the same proportion. Researchers have noted that the ratio between HDL and LDL levels is more important than the actual levels themselves. In the study, men who consumed a diet with 58 percent of their total daily calories from carbohydrates showed an average 10 percent drop in HDL levels; however, LDL levels dropped in equal proportion, maintaining the ratio of good-to-bad cholesterol. Researchers noted that high-calorie intakes, rather than carbs, are most responsible for extreme dips in HDL.

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