How to Raise HDL Cholesterol Level
HDL cholesterol is that type of cholesterol that carries the excess cholesterol to the liver for processing, thereby keeping the walls of arteries clean. This in turn reduces the risk of heart disease. When it comes to HDL cholesterol, most doctors seem to think that the higher the number the better. Knowing how to increase the HDL in your cholesterol, then, is essential.
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Things You'll Need
- Report of your overall cholesterol level including your HDL and LDL levels.
Instructions
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Know what your HDL level is. Just knowing your overall cholesterol level isn't enough. You need to have a blood panel that includes the measure of HDL and LDL cholesterol in your blood. Ideally your HDL cholesterol should be above 40 mg/dl, but higher is better, and most experts believe that having a level about 60 mg/dl is the best protection against heart disease.
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To increase your HDL level, make some simple lifestyle changes. First, add exercise. New studies have shown that for raising HDL levels, the longer you exercise, the better. In other words, exercising hard for 20 minutes is less effective than a 1-hour walk. If you don't currently exercise, add some gentle aerobic activity every day, regularly increasing the quantity until you are getting at least 60 minutes of cardio activity each day.
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Lose weight. Not only can excess weight result in lower HDL levels but also higher levels of LDL cholesterol -- the "bad" cholesterol. Especially if you carry most of your weight in your abdominal area, the weight can put you at a great risk for heart disease. Losing just 10 percent of your body weight can do much to increase your HDL levels and decrease your risk of heart disease.
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Stop smoking. If you smoke, you have already heard this refrain, but to increase your HDL levels, stop smoking and see those levels improve. Smoking actually reduces your HDL, so stopping the bad habit can increase those levels without much other effort.
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Drink some alcohol. Although the benefits of drinking for other health benefits are sometimes in dispute, studies have shown that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol (about one to two drinks a day) can increase your HDL levels. If you drink more than that, you can cause other health problems, including increasing your risk of heart disease in general.
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Increase the monounsaturated fats in your diet and get rid of the trans fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats are those fats that come from avocado oil, olive oil and even the fats found in peanut butter. These can increase your HDL level without increasing overall cholesterol. Trans fatty acids, on the other hand, are found in many packaged and processed foods (often listed as "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil") and serve only to increase the level of bad cholesterol in your blood. Get them out of your diet and you can greatly increase your HDL levels.
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Add more soluble fiber to your diet. Eat at least two servings of soluble fiber a day. Soluble fiber is that kind of fiber found in most fruits and vegetables, oats and legumes. These increase the HDL level in your blood while decreasing the level of LDLs in your blood.
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Tips & Warnings
Allow six months between tests to see a rise in your HDL cholesterol level. Be consistent in your efforts. While one slice of pizza won't throw your efforts off, it's important to remain consistent in your dietary and lifestyle efforts.
