How to Increase HDL

Heart diseases are a common cause of death in developed countries. Every year, millions of people fall prey to these diseases. Lack of exercises, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are some common causes of heart diseases. Cholesterol is often associated with cardiac arrest. However, one needs to understand that cholesterol is not entirely bad for your heart. In fact, the type of cholesterol called HDL, actually protects your heart from diseases. It is the LDL or bad cholesterol that you should be looking for. Although, HDL is naturally processed by the body, there are number of ways in which you can stimulate the HDL production in your body.

How to Increase HDL Naturally

Aerobic Exercises
Forms of aerobic exercises such as jogging and walking elevate your heartbeat, which is beneficial for synthesis of HDL cholesterol. Even cycling is known to increase your heartbeat, hence exercising is definitely good for HDL production. Performing these exercises for at least 20 to 30 minutes for 3 to 4 times a week can significantly increase HDL cholesterol. Moreover, these exercises are also great for weight loss, which in turn has a positive effect on HDL cholesterol production. Exercising is a good way of increasing HDL for men, women and children alike.

Weight Loss
As mentioned above, weight loss can considerably increase your HDL levels. Since, obesity is the prime cause of heart diseases, shedding those extra pounds can indeed do you a lot good. If you have fat accumulated around your abdominal region, then you are in a dire need of losing weight. You may choose any type of exercise to lose weight. Weight loss can also be achieved through the medium of controlled diet. In either case, you will improve your HDL levels which will be beneficial for your heart.

Quit Smoking
Smoking has a very adverse effect on your health. It is not just bad for your heart, but you are also at the risk of developing various forms of cancer. Hence, smoking cessation is the best solution to get rid of all the health problems induced by smoking. If you quit smoking, you will notice a substantial rise in the HDL cholesterol in your body.

Moderate Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol, when consumed in small quantities can be actually beneficial for your heart. Many doctors advise their patients to drink one or two drinks per day, to stimulate the HDL production in your body. However, if you exceed your consumption than the prescribed limit, you are at the risk of developing several health problems, including heart and liver failure.

Eliminating Trans Fatty Acids
Cutting down the intake of trans fatty acids is a must as they not only increase the level of LDL, but also reduce the HDL level in the body. However, cutting down on trans fatty acids may not be an easy task as they are an indispensable ingredient of many of our favorite foods. Any food with a nutrition label that reads 'partially hydrogenated vegetable oils' should be avoided, for they are the source of trans fatty acids.

Diet
Diet is the most important source to increase HDL. Incorporating foods like canola oil, avocado oil, or olive oil which are basically monounsaturated fats can increase HDL cholesterol levels, without increasing the total cholesterol. Fats in peanut butter are also good for your heart. Oats, fruits, vegetables and legumes, which contain soluble fibers, should be consumed, if you want to increase HDL and lower LDL. Additionally, you may also elevate your HDL levels by consuming fish oil, cranberry juice and other low fat foods.

If you wish to increase HDL fast, then you should combine the methods given above. Since, these techniques are a step towards healthy living, you should certainly adhere to them and adopt a healthy lifestyle in general.