I've been watching this for several years and it is still not clear but I am leaning slightly in favor of things like MCT Medium Chain Triglyceride Coconut Oil.
Not simply HDL v LDL; there are several kinds of LDL including VLDL. There are plasma lipoprotein particles classified as HDL, LDL, IDL, VLDL and ULDL, and the LDL come in at least two different sizes.
The key seems to be inflammation rather than cholesterol. So eating lots of anti-inflammatories (Omega-3, fruits, berries , vegetables, and anti-oxidants) and reducing inflammatories like sugar and omega-6. The more colorful the food (outside of meat) the better, it seems generally but not always of course.
A Doctor Explains Why Saturated Fat In Coconut Oil Isn't A Problem
By Mark Hyman, M.D. Functional Medicine Doctor
excerpt
Studies show saturated fat raises LDL, yet it also raises HDL ("good" cholesterol). On the other hand, sugar lowers HDL. Ultimately, the ratio of total cholesterol to LDL cholesterol better predicts heart attacks than LDL on its own. Coconut oil can contain up to 40 percent saturated fat, yet interestingly, countries with the highest intakes of coconut oil have the lowest rates of heart disease.
While some research shows coconut oil contains higher amounts of saturated fat and does increase total cholesterol, those amounts do not increase our heart attack or stroke risk. In fact, one study among lean, heart-disease- and stroke-free Pacific Islanders who consumed up to 63 percent of their calories from coconut fat found total cholesterol rose but so did their "good" HDL.
I have a link from 2009 by the same doctor, so it is not something new, but there is increasingly research supporting him.
Heart disease is not caused by high cholesterol so taking statins is 'waste of time', research finds
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141486827
At least two types of LDL
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-sheridan/ldl-cholesterol-size-does_b_8372366.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
