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How Do You Get Good Hdl Cholesterol

Hdl Cholesterol Bad News About This Good Cholesterol

How to Increase Low HDL Cholesterol
Lower your LDL bad cholesterol. Raise your HDL good cholesterol. For years, thats what doctors nationwide have advised their patients.

And certainly, its vital for heart health to lower LDL levels. The research is indisputable.

But a growing body of data is causing scientists to question the goodness of raising HDL.

Focus on lowering your LDL bad cholesterol, and dont worry about the HDL, advises Dr. Barnard.

One recent study, published online in The Lancet and led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, M.I.T., and Harvard, utilized powerful new databases of genetic information. They found that people who inherited DNA that gave them naturally higher HDL levels throughout their lives had no less cardiovascular disease than people with genes that gave them slightly lower levels of HDL. *

I have long questioned the assertion that HDL is unequivocally a good cholesterol, commented R. James Barnard, PhD, of UCLA Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and author of more than 190 studies on lifestyle and disease.

For starters, epidemiological data do not match up.; Studying populations throughout the world where heart disease is rare, scientists have found that LDL levels are indeed very low, but so are HDL levels often 20 to 30 mg/dL.

Post-Pritikin, the mens HDL had converted to anti-inflammatory despite the fact that total HDL had gone down a little.

Bottom Line:

Simple Ways To Raise Your Hdl Cholesterol

When you receive your annual health screening, one of the things that you get tested for is your cholesterol level. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of your body. Your body needs cholesterol to help produce certain hormones, cell membranes, vitamin D, and bile acids that aid your digestive system.

Many adults are hard-wired to believe that cholesterol is bad for your health. This is only partly true. High levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. However, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is great for your overall health and helps reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

According to WebMD, HDL cholesterol can help reduce your risk of heart disease by:;

  • Removing LDL cholesterol
  • Transporting LDL cholesterol it to the;liver;where it can be reprocessed
  • Acting as the maintenance crew for the inner walls of your;blood;vessels HDL scrubs the wall clean and keeps it healthy;

In general, people with high HDL cholesterol are at lower risk for heart disease, whereas those with low HDL are at a higher risk of heart disease. For optimal heart health, adults should aim for an HDL level of 60 mg/dL or higher. An HDL level less than 40 mg/dL is considered to be low and puts you in the high-risk category.

Tip: Remember that not all olive oil is created equal. Always be sure to use extra-virgin olive oil to enjoy all of its health benefits.;

Image created by Nensuria – Freepik.com

What Do Hdl And Ldl Mean

LDL and HDL are the two main types of cholesterol that make up your total cholesterol.

  • HDL , or good cholesterol, may protect the body against narrowing blood vessels
  • LDL , or bad cholesterol, may make arterial narrowing worse

There is a third type of cholesterol called VLDL , which is another type of bad cholesterol produced in the liver, and contains a high amount of triglycerides.

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What Is Good Cholesterol

HDL stands for high-density lipoproteins. It is commonly known as good cholesterol due to its essential function in the body because it carries away other bad, harmful cholesterol from the body and gives it to liver to remove unnecessary & unhealthy cholesterol from the body. Its believed that higher levels of HDL reduce the risk for various heart diseases.

HDL Cholesterol Levels

HDL levels should be kept higher in general.

  • Risk factor: less than 40 mg/dL
  • Borderline low: 41 mg/dL to 59 mg/dL
  • Optimal: 60 mg/dL or higher.

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How to Boost HDL

When we talk about appropriate cholesterol levels then, we can say that higher levels of HDL cholesterol also considered as good cholesterol may benefit your heart.;It potentially removes excess fat from blood, helps arteries to be clean and clear, and may protect you against heart disease,;heart attack,;and stroke.

So whats the best way to have a good amount of HDL in body is to take medication or you can bring out a new healthier lifestyle. Although many people;take required medication to control their;cholesterol level but it is suggested to do it through simple changes in lifestyle.

There are many habits that are great for your overall health and positively can also help to boost HDL.

Here follows some of those:

  • Keep blood pressure under control
  • Intake healthy fats
  • Adopt healthier cooking methods

Foods for HDL

  • Soy products

How To Increase Good Hdl Cholesterol

Pin on Cholesterol

By Annie Price, CHHC

Its a very common misconception that cholesterol is generally bad and high levels are always cause for serious concern. But what if I told you that there is a type of cholesterol thats not only good at higher levels, but also decreases your risk of major health issues like heart disease? I have great news: This type of cholesterol really does exist. Its called HDL cholesterol, and its our good cholesterol.

So if there is a cholesterol that is actually good for us, how can we naturally increase its levels? The short answer is lifestyle.;Your lifestyle actually has the single greatest;impact on your HDL cholesterol level. So making changes to daily and completely controllable habits like diet and exercise can equate to healthier;HDL cholesterol levels, which can;lower your risk for life-threatening health issues.

Lets get started on improving;those HDL cholesterol numbers because positive change can literally start today!

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What About A Low

Substantial evidence now shows that a low-fat diet often reduces rather than increases HDL levels. This result is not specifically caused by not enough fat, but rather, is caused by consuming too many carbohydrates. The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have quietly stopped recommending low-fat diets for heart disease prevention. Indeed, it is low-carb diets and not low-fat diets which are associated with higher HDL levels.

Add Coconut Oil To The Diet

Studies have shown that coconut oil may reduce appetite, increase metabolic rate, and help protect brain health, among other benefits.

Some people may be concerned about coconut oils effects on heart health due to its high saturated fat content. However, it appears that coconut oil is actually quite heart-healthy.

Some studies have shown that coconut oil tends to raise HDL cholesterol more than many other types of fat.

In addition, some studies have shown that coconut oil may improve the ratio of low-density lipoprotein , or bad, cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. Improving this ratio reduces heart disease risk .

One study examined the health effects of coconut oil consumption in 40 females with excess abdominal fat. The researchers found that those who took coconut oil daily had increased HDL cholesterol and a lower LDL-to-HDL ratio.

In contrast, the group who took soybean oil daily had a decrease in HDL cholesterol and an increase in the LDL-to-HDL ratio .

However, more recent reviews suggest that the research into coconut oil and cholesterol is of poor quality, is not conclusive, and often reports that coconut oil can raise the levels of LDL cholesterol. Therefore, more research is needed .

Most studies have found that these health benefits occur at a dosage of about 2 tbsp of coconut oil per day. It is best to incorporate this into cooking rather than eating spoonfuls of coconut oil on their own.

Also Check: Which One Is The Bad Cholesterol Hdl Or Ldl

Why Is Hdl Helpful

LDL causes plaque build-up, and, over time, can lead to heart attack and stroke. HDL works in your bloodstream like a scavenger or cleaner. It removes the bad LDL cholesterol from the blood, taking it to your liver to be excreted.

Its critical to keep your LDL low ideally, under 100. You also want to keep your HDL high ideally, 50 milligrams per deciliter of blood or higher.

When HDL levels dip below 40 milligrams per deciliter, your risk of heart disease rises.

Are Test Results Accurate

What is Cholesterol? | LDL and HDL | Good and Bad Cholesterol

HDL cholesterol testing is extremely common and frequently used to evaluate cardiovascular risk. Like any test, though, HDL cholesterol tests are not perfectly accurate. Certain factors that can influence accuracy of any single test include:

  • Individual variability: There can be some differences in HDL cholesterol levels based on individual factors like stress or posture during the test. Minor variation can also occur between laboratories.
  • Acute illness: Levels of cholesterol in the blood are affected by inflammation, so infections or other illnesses that produce inflammation may interfere with the accuracy of HDL cholesterol tests.
  • Certain blood disorders: Some conditions that affect blood cells cause an increase in a type of protein, known as an M protein, in the blood. In people with these conditions, HDL cholesterol tests may show a lower level of HDL cholesterol than is actually present in their blood.

Point-of-care and at-home tests that use a fingerstick blood sample are nearly as accurate as laboratory testing, but there may be more variability in accuracy based on the brand and the quality of its test.

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Cut Out The Trans Fatty Acids

Trans fatty acids;are likely present in many of your favorite prepared foods anything in which the nutrition label reads “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils” so eliminating them from the diet is not a trivial task. But trans fatty acids not only increase LDL cholesterol levels, but they also reduce HDL cholesterol levels. Removing them from your diet will almost certainly result in a measurable increase in HDL levels.;

What Is Bad Cholesterol

LDL refers to low-density lipoproteins which is often known as bad cholesterol. It is considered to be unhealthy for body because it collects in the walls of your blood vessels, that increases the chances of health problems like a;heart disease or;stroke. But;all cholesterol arent dangerous, your body needs some amount of it to protect its nerves and build healthy cells and hormones.

LDL Cholesterol Levels

There are a few numbers that can be determined while checking onto your LDL. The lower the number count remains the better it is for you. Thence, we have taken out a few important figures of low cholesterol in adults.

  • Good- Less than 100mg/dL & below 70mg/dL;;;;;;;;
  • Moderately high- 130159mg/dL
  • Very high- 190mg/dL and above, .;

Causes of Low Density Lipoprotein

Every effect has a cause, so there must be some factors that lead to increase in low cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, there are some factors you can control such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet. But some factors are beyond your control like your genetic build up that might make it more difficult for your body to remove;LDL;cholesterol from your blood or break it down in the liver. Some people with medical conditions are also grasped in the unhealthy cholesterol levels. These conditions include:

  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Hereditary

High-Cholesterol Food to Avoid

For instance, these below mentioned products contain high levels of LDL cholesterol:

Also Read: Foods To Increase Blood Count

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How To Lower Cholesterol: Know Your Fats

The American Heart Association recommends that just 25% to 35% of your daily calories come from fats such as those found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. For healthy people, saturated fat should comprise no more than 7% of your total calories. On a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, that’s about 140 calories worth of saturated fat. If you need to lower your LDL cholesterol, limit saturated fat to 5% to 6% of calories, or about 11 to 13 grams of saturated fat on a 2,000-calorie diet. Reduce trans fats to less than 1% of your total daily calories. This means avoiding fried foods and many junk foods.

Hdl: The Good But Complex Cholesterol

cholesteroltest can you get rid of high cholesterol?

More HDL cholesterol is better, but the benefits may depend on how you get there.

In the simplest telling of the cholesterol story, HDL fights LDL . Like knights in shining armor, HDL particles patrol the blood vessels, snatching cholesterol from circulating LDL particles and from the dangerous, gooey plaque that lines artery walls. The knights of the HDL cholesterol carry their fatty cargo to the liver for recycling or disposal.

The;real;story isn’t quite so simple. HDL cholesterol is turning out to be a much more complex substance than we once believed. Instead of a single kind of particle, HDL cholesterol is a family of different particles. Although they all contain lipids , cholesterol, and proteins called apolipoproteins, some types are spherical while others are doughnut-shaped. Some types of HDL are great at plucking cholesterol from LDL and artery walls while other types are indifferent to cholesterol, and some even transfer cholesterol the wrong way into LDL;and;cells.

To further complicate matters, different HDL types do more than just carry cholesterol. Some protect LDL from being chemically altered by oxygen, a change that makes LDL extra harmful to artery walls. Under some circumstances, though, they can do just the opposite. Various HDL particles can ease inflammation in artery walls, stimulate production of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps artery walls relax, and help prevent blood clots from forming inside arteries.

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Switch To A Healthy Balanced Diet

A good example of a diet that can improve HDL-cholesterol and help decrease the risk of heart disease is the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, herbs, and spices. It is also high in monounsaturated fats found in olive oil .

Fruits, Vegetables, and Fiber

Studies suggest that fiber, found in fruits and vegetables, is beneficial in general, while eating processed carbs can have a negative effect on HDL-cholesterol .

Olive Oil

Saturated fat, found in dairy and fatty cuts of meat, increases both LDL and HDL. Replacing saturated fat with âhealthy fatsâ has been shown to lower both LDL and HDL cholesterol .

Numerous studies have shown that supplementing your diet with olive oil can help lower total cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Olive oil contains antioxidants called polyphenols that are responsible for its heart-protective properties .

Olive oil also improves cholesterol profiles by improving HDLâs ability to mediate proper cholesterol transport. A study in 26 healthy human volunteers suggests that olive oil improves cholesterol profiles by increasing the production of the proteins ABCA1 and ABCG1 which transport fats across cell membranes .

Olive oil also helps to increase the anti-inflammatory properties of HDL. A study performed in 20 healthy adults consuming extra virgin olive oil for 12 weeks had increased levels of a protein associated with HDL that helps to mediate HDLâs anti-inflammatory properties .

Almonds & Almond Flour

Cake with only 10 grams of carbs have we died and gone to heaven?? When you substitute regular wheat flour for almond flour, true magic happens in the kitchen. Not only do you benefit from a serving of plant-based protein and get a delectably fluffy texture in your baked goods,;but you’ll also experience the heart-healing power of nuts. Almonds have been found to increase low HDL cholesterol levels in coronary artery disease patients, according to a Journal of Nutrition study, as well as in healthy subjects. For a simple almond flour mug cake recipe click here, don’t miss Wholesome Yum’s recipe.

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If You Drink Consider A Glass Of Wine

While the jury is still out on this recommendation, several studies over the past few decades have suggested that moderate alcohol consumption may help cholesterol management.

Specifically, animal studies have found that a compound called resveratrol, found in grapes and red wine, has a positive impact on coronary arteries.

“Moderate use of alcohol has been linked with higher HDL levels,” Romano explains. ” would be up to one drink a day for women and men.”

While the results are promising in animal studies, human trials are still gathering information. Until then, researchers can’t say for certain whether a nightly glass of pinot noir will raise your HDL cholesterol.

Major Lipids In The Human Body

How To Raise Your HDL Cholesterol? Naturally – How I Do It! ~~~Nancy

Lipids are a heterogeneous group of compounds which are relatively insoluble in water and soluble in non-polar solvents. Triglycerides , cholesterol, and phospholipids are the major lipids in the body. They are transported as complexes of lipid and proteins known as lipoproteins.

TGs : TGs are formed by combining glycerol with three molecules of fatty acid. TGs, as major components of VLDL and chylomicrons, play an important role in metabolism. When the body requires fatty acids as an energy source, the hormone glucagon signals the breakdown of the TGs by lipase to release free fatty acids. TGs are water-insoluble, non-polar neutral fats. These are not the structural components of biological membranes. TGs synthesis and storage mostly occurs in liver and adipose tissue. Free fatty acids and glycerol must be activated prior to the synthesis of TGs into acyl-coA and glycerol-3-phosphate respectively.

Phospholipids: Phospholipids are TGs that are covalently bonded to a phosphate group by an ester linkage. Phospholipids perform important functions including regulating membrane permeability and in maintaining electron transport chain in mitochondria. They participate in the reverse cholesterol transport and thus help in the removal of cholesterol from the body. They are involved in signal transmission across membranes and they act as detergents and help in solubilization of cholesterol.

  • Chylomicrons

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What Causes Low Hdl Cholesterol

There are many reasons why some people have low HDL and others have high HDL. Genes appear to play the most important role by determining how much HDL cholesterol your body makes and the proportion of different subtypes.

Lifestyle choices also affect HDL levels. Smoking, carrying too many pounds, and lack of physical activity tend to lower HDL. So does a diet high in refined carbohydrates . Medications such as beta blockers, anabolic steroids, progestins, and benzodiazepines can also depress HDL.

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