Increase HDL Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a substance naturally present in our bodies. It is soft and wax like in appearance, and is used in the production of cell membranes and some hormones. However, when there is excess cholesterol in our bodies, it collects in the arteries, narrowing them, and consequently reducing or stopping the flow of oxygen carrying blood to the heart.

Cholesterol has two components; LDL, (bad cholesterol) which causes the buildup and blockage in the arteries, and HDL (good cholesterol) which prevents the buildup of bad cholesterol in the arteries. In the past, whenever a person realized they had high cholesterol, they were always told to lower their LDL. However, it is only recently that the importance of raising HDL levels has been stressed. Here are some ways of how to increase HDL levels, and hopefully, give yourself a shot at a long, healthy life.

Healthy Cholesterol Levels

The level of a persons cholesterol levels is measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. The average mans HDL (high density lipoproteins) cholesterol ranges from 40 to 50 mg/dL, and for the average woman, the figures stand at 50 to 60 mg/dL. However, to decrease chances of heart disease, everyone should try to get their HDL level at or above 60 mg/dL. Depending on your numbers, you can try to raise HDL cholesterol naturally, or may need to use some medications.

Ways to Increase HDL Cholesterol

Healthy Weight: There are countless reasons why you should maintain a healthy weight, and raising your HDL is only one of them. The good news is that by losing even a few pounds, you can improve your HDL level, if you're overweight. On an average, you can increase cholesterol by 0.35 mg/dL for every 2 pounds of weight you drop. That translates to about 1 mg/dL for every 6 pounds.

Healthy Foods: A healthy diet, low in fat and rich in fiber goes a long way in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. No more than 25 and 35 percent of your total daily calories should come from fat, however, saturated fat should account for less than 7 percent of this amount. If you are wondering what to eat to lower LDL cholesterol and increase the HDL, then it is high fiber foods (soluble fiber) like oatmeal and oat bran, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, fatty fish and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Try to eliminate saturated and trans fats from your diet, instead of which use healthy fats such as olive oil, peanut and canola oils, which are foods that increase HDL cholesterol by lowering LDL cholesterol.

Exercise: About two months of regular aerobic exercise can help for increasing HDL cholesterol by about 5 percent, in people who are otherwise healthy. The recommendation to good health and raising HDL is the same; walk briskly for 30 minutes everyday, or at least five times a week. However, you needn't stick to walking, as other forms of aerobic exercise such as raking leaves, running, swimming, cycling and playing basketball also work. The key is to increase your heart rate and work up a sweat.

Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol Consumption: A big damaging factor to HDL is smoking. Not only does smoking lower HDL cholesterol, it may even cause chemical changes to it, in the process stripping it of its beneficial qualities. While it may not be easy, if you smoke, you must quit. By quitting, you can increase HDL fast, by up to 10 percent. Now we're not asking that you give up alcohol too, but if you are serous about your health, you will limit your consumption to one drink a day if you are a woman, and one to two drinks a day if you are a man.

These methods are very easy to implement for raising the HDL cholesterol. Not only do they help in this specific area, they also improve a persons overall health. Your doctor may recommend some medications to help lower LDL cholesterol (they may even increase HDL cholesterol), such as niacin, fibrates and statins.