How to Raise HDL Cholesterol

There's a preconceived notion in many people's minds when they hear the term 'cholesterol'. We feel that it is bad to have cholesterol-increasing foods in our diet, which is the root cause of many a heart-problems. However, this notion is not entirely true. The reason for it being, cholesterol is of two types - good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol consists of the high density lipoproteins (HDL) in blood with various positive health advantages, while on the other hand, bad cholesterol are all the low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and triglycerides having the negative effects. So, it's important to keep the bad cholesterol levels down and the desirable HDL levels normal, to have a healthy heart. Before moving on to know how to raise HDL cholesterol, let us see what are the advantages of keeping normal HDL levels and exactly what are these levels.

Advantages of HDL Cholesterol

HDL is the good cholesterol required by the human body to keep in check the bad cholesterol levels. It has a dual effect with advantages of its own while curbing the bad effects of LDL or VLDL. The advantages of HDL are as listed below.

• HDL cholesterol, as the name suggests, has the highest density of proteins. They pick up and carry the LDL and VLDL cholesterol from the cells they interact with to the liver where they are metabolized, thus minimizing the bad cholesterol levels.
• HDL removes the unwanted LDL from the plaque of arteries, thus decreasing the risk of artery blockage and heart strokes.
• HDL maintains healthy cell walls and aids in the production of bile acids, which help in fat digestion.
• HDL also helps in the production of Vitamin 'D' and the chemical messengers of our body, which are the various hormones.

Normal Levels of HDL Cholesterol

Obesity and inactive lifestyle are the primary causes of increasing bad cholesterol. Every adult needs to undergo a thorough medical check-up at least every three years to know your body's overall immunity to diseases. HDL levels are measured in terms of mg/dL (milligrams/deciliter). For men, normal HDL levels are from 40-60 mg/dL and higher. For women, these levels range from 50-60 mg/dL and higher. 'Higher' means this extra HDL will be beneficial to our body. But on the other hand, if these levels drop below 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women, then it is a cause of alarm, and you need to take requisite steps to raise HDL level. Let us see how to raise HDL cholesterol levels.

How to Raise Low HDL Cholesterol

If you find out that your HDL levels are not up to the mark, then here are some of the major steps you need to take to bring them to normal and minimize your risk of heart disease. There are two ways to raise your cholesterol levels - naturally and with food. Whenever we make something happen naturally, it takes minimal efforts and gives maximum results. Of course, it depends on one's perception whether the efforts are less or more. On the other hand, there are various foods, which if consumed in appropriate amounts, can help raise HDL levels.

How to Raise HDL Naturally
How many times we must have heard that the best way to stay healthy is through exercise? And how many of us have ever given a serious thought to it? But, however clichéd this advice may sound, if you have the problem of low HDL levels, exercising is the way to go. Initially, at least 30 minutes of low to medium intensity of exercise everyday and gradually doing the high-intensity ones can go a long way in ensuring that your body metabolism functions at its optimum levels. Stress-relieving exercises like aerobics or yoga will certainly help. Remember, couch potatoes are most prone to have the ill-ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. Hence, it is imperative that you have active lifestyle. Also, increasing HDL naturally depends on how you curb your habits of smoking and alcohol consumption. Ill-effects of smoking are widely known, so simply quit smoking to help your chances of increasing the HDL levels. On the other hand, alcohol consumption, if done in moderation, is actually good to increase your low HDL levels, but you need to take care that you don't overdo it, simply because it can lead to several liver and heart problems.

How to Raise HDL with Food
This is the easiest way to go about increasing your HDL levels. Anyone will love this option. Isn't it? Well, that's not true. You just can't go about eating anything and everything. A proper, healthy diet is what is required to attain normal HDL level. Now, firstly get the misconception out of your head, which many people have that only non-vegetarian foods help to increase HDL cholesterol. Even vegetarian foods like oats, peanut butter, legumes, fruits and vegetables, which contain soluble fibers help to achieve the HDL targets. Foods containing monounsaturated fats like canola oil, avocado oil and olive oil are good as well. Orange juice, bran, barley, garlic, cocoa, almonds, walnuts and rice are some of the best sources of vegetarian food to help increase HDL cholesterol. On the other hand, non-vegetarian diet can include eggs, fish with omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc. This diet provides the required good cholesterol in abundance.

All these foods along with daily exercise can go a long way in helping you achieve your normal HDL levels. Just make sure that you consume these foods in proper amounts and your meal and sleep timings are not erratic. These ways to raise HDL will most certainly help you to stay free from the heart complications and to lead a healthy and stress-free life.