Why does cholesterol increase when on a diet?

One little-known fact is that when you first start dieting, your cholesterol levels can increase.

The liver produces most of the cholesterol the body needs to maintain its functions. In addition, we also need to obtain cholesterol from our daily diet, especially from animal-based foods, according to the nutrition and health website Eat This, Not That! (USA).

Diets that drastically cut calories can cause a temporary increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the blood.

One drawback is that consuming large amounts of animal fat causes the liver to produce more cholesterol. This, in turn, significantly increases blood cholesterol levels.

To lower cholesterol, we can adopt healthy habits such as limiting animal fats and prioritizing lean, protein-rich meats like chicken breast. Additionally, maintaining regular exercise, managing stress, and quitting smoking are also effective ways to control cholesterol. Another way to lower cholesterol is to manage weight.

According to Heart UK, if cholesterol levels exceed healthy limits, losing 10% of body weight can effectively lower cholesterol. Rapid weight loss is desirable for many. However, what not everyone knows is that losing weight too quickly can increase blood cholesterol levels. However, this condition is only temporary and is a normal part of the biological process.

A study published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition thoroughly analyzed the impact of calorie-restricted diets on cholesterol levels in three individuals. The first case involved a 48-year-old man who lost 25 kg in five months after following a diet that reduced his calorie intake by 500 to 800 calories per day.

Before starting the diet, his "bad" LDL cholesterol was 148. But when he started the diet, his LDL cholesterol level increased to 188. However, after maintaining the diet for a period of time, his LDL cholesterol continued to decrease and stabilized at 72.

Similar phenomena were observed in the other two study cases. These included a 70-year-old woman who lost over 18 kg in 3 months and a woman who lost nearly 36 kg in 8 months. This was when they first started the diet. Their LDL cholesterol levels initially increased but then gradually decreased and stabilized at low levels.

Researchers explain this phenomenon by suggesting that when people go on diets, cholesterol in their fat cells is released into the bloodstream. This is what causes cholesterol levels to rise.

However, this is normal and part of the weight loss process. The body will eliminate this cholesterol.

However, the increase in LDL cholesterol levels when first starting a calorie deficit diet doesn't always occur. This is more likely to happen in people who lose a significant amount of body weight, according to Eat This, Not That!.

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