• Tokelau islanders consume a diet really high in saturated fats (40-50% of their calories), mostly from coconut. Other staples are fish, breadfruit, and some tubers (by the time the measurements were done these starchy plants were part of the diet). Their total cholesterol was 182 mg/dL, LDL 119 mg/dL, triglycerides 80 mg/dL. All data from "Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau."
• Masai people have "low" total cholesterol according to this study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14193818?ordinalpos=84&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum. I cannot get a number, but it definitely is less than 200 mg/dL. I remember reading a number around 140 mg/dL once.
• Please tell me if you have data on other groups. Maybe I just found data on the exceptions instead of the norm.

There are different types of saturated fat. Some types raise cholesterol and some are neutral. The HG also don't buy feed lot meat and get plenty of exercise.  They don't drive their SUV 2 miles to the gym to exercise on a treadmill.

No matter how hard we in modern society try to emulate HG society it is nearly impossible.  Maybe we don't drive our SUVs to the gym, but most of us don't live close enough to work that we walk to work. When we do get to work, sitting while driving, we are stuck in a cubicle 8 to 10 hours a day, only to have a commute back home.

You original post said: "saturated fats (40-50% of their calories), mostly from coconut..  Coconut oil is a type of medium chain saturated fatty acid that is quickly used by the body as energy. But, that may only apply if you are using the energy in tasks, such as hunting or gathering. If they were sitting on the couch watching TV the coconut oil may have a different effect. 

Also, although the Tokelau islanders are claimed to be 'healthy' their average life expectancy is 63 years. That's about 19 years less than Australia and 15 years less than the USA.

Quote from: ajmesa on April 07, 2010, 09:44:06 PM

Despite having good cholesterol ratios (low risks of CHD), why is it that a lot of paleo eaters have high total cholesterol?

Paleo Dude is correct.  It's because we sit around all day instead of standing up and walking around all day.

It's also because, on average, paleo dieters are older.