The Cholesterol Paradox with Dave Feldman
Primal Edge Health participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs and therefore, may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. This comes at no additional cost to you, and all the prices and availability are accurate at the time of publishing.
A “bad” lab result can feel like a betrayal. You clean up your diet, cut the junk, and start feeling sharper. Then your lipid panel comes back and the doctor circles LDL like it’s the only thing that matters. That’s the paradox a lot of low-carb and carnivore folks run into. Health markers improve, cravings drop, energy climbs, but the cholesterol story gets more complicated.
Tristan Haggard sits down with Dave Feldman to unpack why cholesterol is not a single-variable issue and why the body moves lipids around for reasons that go far beyond “clogged pipes.” Dave comes at the topic with an engineering mindset. He treats the lipid system like a network that adapts to changing fuel demands, activity, and repair needs. Instead of arguing from ideology, he runs experiments and watches the numbers move.
Jump To:
Listen to the Episode Now
Click play on the podcast player below or watch the video on Youtube.
Meet the Guest
Dave Feldman is the founder of The Cholesterol Code and the Citizen Science Foundation. He’s known for testing lipid hypotheses with self-experimentation and crowd-sourced data, especially in people eating low-carb, ketogenic, and carnivore-style diets.
Connect with Dave on X, YouTube, or visit CholesterolCode.com for more.
Episode Highlights
Dave explains why calling LDL “bad cholesterol” muddies the whole conversation. LDL is a particle that carries cargo, and its levels can change depending on what your body is using for fuel. He walks through the VLDL to LDL lifecycle and why LDL is not just leftover trash floating around waiting to cause damage. He also argues that LDL plays roles in immune defense and possibly repair, which is why the idea of “zero LDL” is not as simple as it sounds.
The most eye-opening part of the episode is how dramatically Dave can shift LDL in a short window. He describes experiments where intense resistance training caused a temporary dip in LDL, and he explains a theory for why. If the body is repairing muscle tissue and building new cell membranes, it may pull more lipids out of circulation. Then he shares the “white bread experiment,” where he intentionally ate a diet nobody would recommend.
In this episode:
- Why LDL is often misunderstood, and why “bad cholesterol” is an oversimplification
- How VLDL drops off fatty acids and remodels into LDL, and why that process matters for interpretation
- The role triglycerides may play as a key marker of fuel that is not being cleared well from the bloodstream
- What Dave’s resistance training experiment suggests about repair, fuel demand, and temporary LDL changes
- The white bread experiment, and what a rapid LDL drop can and can’t tell you about health
- Why all-cause mortality and broader risk context matter more than chasing one number
Please subscribe and give a 5-star rating on your preferred podcast platform!
Meet Our Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by CHOQ. Choq is our first choice for natural supplements to positively impact energy, mood, and stress resilience throughout the day. Shop now and use our code BIG53LIFE for 53% off all subscriptions for life!
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. The content presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or dietary changes. Reliance on any information provided by this article is solely at your own risk.
