Heart disease experts have always emphasized the importance of maintaining low levels of LDL cholesterol, commonly known as "bad cholesterol."

Here comes David Feldman, an engineer who was on the verge of developing diabetes. In an effort to better his health, he made the decision to try a low-carb, high-fat diet. Even his sister and father followed suit. As a result, his LDL cholesterol levels increased, but his family did not experience the same effect. Many people believe that genetics play a crucial role in how the body processes a high-fat diet, but David's findings challenged this notion.

As if he was debugging a problem, it fueled his curiosity to explore the reasons behind this inconsistency. In this episode, David Feldman presents the lipid energy model, how high levels of LDL cholesterol may not always equal the risk of heart disease, and the goals of the Citizen Science Foundation to further the research on the field of cholesterol and lipidology.

Quick Guide
01:22 Introduction
07:08 The effects of a low-carb, high-fat diet on him and his family
13:39 An engineer debugging a problem in his health
16:32 Metabolism and how fats are moved in our bodies
21:51 The lipid energy model and atherosclerosis
28:55 LDL cholesterol levels and their relation to heart disease
31:33 Studies on high levels of LDL through the Citizen Science Foundation
43:55 Lowering the LDL
48:23 Closing and contacts

Get to know our guest
David Feldman is an engineer who initiated the Citizen Science Foundation dedicated to advancing citizen science in the field of cholesterol and lipid research.

“Metabolism is this counterbalance between anabolism, which is the building up of stuff, and catabolism, which is the breaking down of stuff. And metabolism is how good you are at building up and breaking down stuff in a good balance. That's really what metabolism is. And nowhere is that more important than fuel. We care a lot about how good you are at putting fuel away, that you're consuming, and getting it back out.” - David Feldman

Connect with him
Cholesterol Code: https://cholesterolcode.com
Citizen Science Foundation: https://citizensciencefoundation.org/
Own Your Labs: https://ownyourlabs.com/
Twitter:   / realdavefeldman  

Episode snippets
14:03 - 15:24 - Dysfunctional lipid metabolism
18:21 - 19:45 - Good metabolism
32:13 - 34:19 - To gather data through the Citizen Science Foundation
38:15 - 39:49 - Reopening the conversation that not all high LDL is bad
46:06 - 46:56 - Not putting patients into medical treatments when it's not needed


Follow Dr. Ovadia:
Twitter: @iFixHearts
Website: OvadiaHeartHealth.com
Metabolic Health Quiz: iFixHearts.com