What Foods Raise Good Cholesterol

Cocoa And Dark Chocolate

Nope, your eyes arent tricking you. Both cocoa and dark chocolate contain compounds that can lower bad cholesterol and help you get to a healthier total cholesterol level overall.

How? It seems that both foods help prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing, which can up the risk for heart disease.

The key to reaping the benefits is enjoying cocoa and dark chocolate in a healthy context.

Instead of guzzling a sugary hot chocolate with whipped cream, stir cocoa powder into your morning oatmeal or yogurt. If opting for dark chocolate, make sure the cocoa content is at least 75 percent and stick to a 1-ounce portion.

Healthy Fats From Avocados

But now comes the real all-rounder: the avocado! The fat content of almost 30% in the ripe state may seem alarmingly high at first, but this very fat is very healthy! The avocado consists mainly of unsaturated fatty acids, which are good for the body. With its many positive properties, it truly belongs to the superfood category.

Eat More Fish To Boost Hdl Cholesterol

Including fish in your diet can increase HDL cholesterol in a short period of time. In a study published in February 2014 in the journal PLoS One, researchers concluded that a diet rich in foods including fish showed an increase in the size of HDL particles in the body, which could help improve cholesterol transport through the body. The researchers saw the positive effects of a diet that included fish in as little as 12 weeks.

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are the type of fatty acids found in fish, can help increase your HDL cholesterol, Ahmed says. Two servings of fatty fish per week, including salmon, mackerel, or albacore tuna, can help you hit your omega-3 goals. Youll also get omega-3s from flaxseeds, mixed greens, and walnuts in your diet.

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Easy Ways To Raise Good Cholesterol And Avoid A Heart Attack

Sometimes its easier to start doing something healthy than to stop doing something unhealthy. Here are some easy, tasty ways to raise your HDL healthy cholesterol and lower your LDL lousy cholesterol.

The National Institutes of Health says that a desirable total cholesterol level is under 200.

You want your LDLthe main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in your arteriesto be under 100.

Your HDLthe street-sweeper that removes extra cholesterol from your arteries and sends it to your livershould be 60 or higher for maximum heart and stroke protection.

Add these foods to your diet to raise your HDL :

• Avocado and avocado oil
• Beans and legumes such as lentils and peas
• Chia seeds
• Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, sardines and rainbow trout
• Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• High-fiber fruit such as prunes, apples and pears
• Nuts and seeds such as Brazil nuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans and cashews
• Olives and extra-virgin olive oil
• Soy
• Whole grains such as oatmeal, 100% whole grain bread and brown rice

Fruit And Vegetables Against High Levels Of Cholesterol

It should be clear to everyone by now that fruit and vegetables belong to a balanced and healthy diet like the amen to prayer. Be it the melanzani or the apple, both are very healthy for the human organism. Apples and pears are rich in pectin, which lowers the LDL concentration in the blood. So, for example, you can already refine your breakfast with fruit in the morning. There is also nothing better than starting the day with a Bircher muesli with freshly grated apple:

• 4tablespoons grated or chopped hazelnuts

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Tests For High Ldl Cholesterol

There are several different tests doctors use to check for high LDL cholesterol levels

• Direct LDL Test This test is purely to measure your LDL levels and does not test or check anything else. This test can be carried out at any time of the day, regardless of whether you have eaten or not.
• Fasting Cholesterol Test This type of test measures HDL and LDL cholesterol, as well as fats and something known as triglycerides.
• Simple Cholesterol Test This is the test most commonly carried out by the doctor in his surgery, the results of which will determine whether the person requires any further testing. This test is basic and simply measures cholesterol level, whether you have eaten before the test or not will have no bearings on the results.

These Top 6 Foods Lower Levels Of Cholesterol Naturally

• Nutrition
• These top 6 foods lower levels of cholesterol naturally

Cholesterol, level of cholesterol, cholesterol levels these terms have certainly been heard more often in recent years. Cholesterol problems are being diagnosed more and more often, especially among the older generation. The influence of cholesterol on health is quite considerable if the level of cholesterol in the blood is too high, vascular calcification can occur, for example.

Doctors often prescribe medication to lower the level of cholesterol. But the right diet or a long-term change in diet can also contribute a lot to keeping your cholesterol level naturally low. We will now tell you which foods are healthy for you and your cholesterol, how you can avoid falling into a cholesterol trap by eating a healthy breakfast and how you can prevent having to take medication.

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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.

Saturated And Unsaturated Fat

There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Eating too many foods high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood.

Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat.

Foods high in saturated fat include:

• meat pies
• cakes and biscuits
• foods containing coconut or palm oil

Eating foods that contain unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat can actually help reduce cholesterol levels.

Try to replace foods containing saturated fats with small amounts of foods high in unsaturated fats, such as:

• oily fish such as mackerel and salmon
• nuts such as almonds and cashews
• seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• avocados
• vegetable oils and spreads such as rapeseed or vegetable oil, sunflower, olive, corn and walnut oils

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So Which Food Products Lower The Level Of Cholesterol Naturally

Animal products with a high fat content, such as fatty meat, whole milk, cheese or butter, as well as heavily sweetened foods and large amounts of alcohol, increase the level of cholesterol and should therefore be avoided. But which foods have the opposite effect and have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels? We have summarised the top 6 for you here:

How To Decrease Your Cholesterol Levels

In most people, high HDL is not harmful, so it doesnt necessarily require treatment. The action plan depends largely on how high your levels are, as well as your overall medical history. Your doctor can help determine whether you need to actively lower HDL levels or not.

Your overall cholesterol levels may be decreased by:

• not smoking
• drinking alcohol in moderate amounts only
• getting moderate exercise
• reducing saturated fats in your diet
• managing underlying health conditions, such as thyroid diseases

The American Heart Association recommends that everyone over the age of 20 gets a cholesterol test every four to six years. You may need to test more frequently if you have risk factors for high cholesterol, such as family history.

More research is needed to further understand how high HDL can be harmful in certain people. If you have a personal or family history of either high cholesterol levels or C-reactive proteins, talk to your doctor about steps you can take to regularly monitor your HDL levels.

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Is Dietary Cholesterol Harmful

Research has shown that dietary cholesterol does not significantly impact cholesterol levels in your body, and data from population studies does not support an association between dietary cholesterol and heart disease in the general population .

Though dietary cholesterol can slightly impact cholesterol levels, this isnt an issue for most people.

In fact, two-thirds of the worlds population experience little or no increase in cholesterol levels after eating cholesterol-rich foods even in large amounts .

A small number of people are considered cholesterol non-compensators or hyper-responders and appear to be more vulnerable to high-cholesterol foods.

However, hyper-responders are thought to recycle extra cholesterol back to the liver for excretion .

Dietary cholesterol has also been shown to beneficially affect the LDL-to-HDL ratio, which is considered the best indicator of heart disease risk .

While research shows that its unnecessary for most people to avoid dietary cholesterol, keep in mind that not all cholesterol-containing foods are healthy.

Here are 7 healthy high-cholesterol foods and 4 to avoid.

Here are 7 high-cholesterol foods that are incredibly nutritious.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in cancer-fighting polyphenols and cardio-protective monounsaturated fats. And when it comes to looking lean, it’s backed by some pretty strong facts. A study published in the journal Obesity found that an EVOO-rich diet resulted in higher levels of a fat-blasting hormone known as adiponectin than a high-carb or high-protein diet. As for cholesterol? An Italian study recently found that replacing corn oil with extra virgin olive oil was able to lower LDL levels in healthy individuals.

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Cholesterol And Heart Health

Cholesterol is found in every cell in your body, according to an article from MedLinePlus. It helps your body produce hormones and vitamin D. Even though it’s important, you don’t need any extra cholesterol through your diet. Your body makes enough.

If you have too much cholesterol floating around your bloodstream, it can combine with other elements like fat and calcium to create plaque, explains an article from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Plaque can stick to the sides of your arteries, where it will calcify and harden. A little bit of plaque isn’t dangerous, but over time plaque builds up. Eventually, it can block the artery and prevent blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis, according to the National Heart, Lunge and Blood Institute.

If this happens in the small arteries that send blood to the heart, called the coronary arteries, it can block blood flow to the heart. This is called coronary artery disease, and it’s the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, according to an article from MedLinePlus.

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It’s important to keep your cholesterol levels under control to prevent plaque from building up. Atherosclerosis is a long-term process, so that sooner you start the better.

To be safe, you generally want your LDL levels to go down and HDL levels to go up. A guide from MedLinePlus shows that men above age 20 should have:

Facts About Good Cholesterol

• HDL cholesterol normally makes up 20%-30% of your total blood cholesterol.
• There’s is evidence that HDL helps protect against the accumulation of plaques in the arteries.
• Research suggests that a five-point drop in HDL cholesterol is linked to a 25% increase in heart disease risk.
• In prospective studies – that is, studies that follow participants for a certain period to watch for outcomes — HDL usually proves to be the lipid risk factor most linked to heart disease risk.
• HDL cholesterol levels are thought to have a genetic factor in some people.
• Women typically have higher HDL cholesterol levels than men. About a third of men and about a fifth of women have HDL levels below 40 mg/dL. Doctors consider levels of less than 40 mg/dL to be low.

Researchers from the Netherlands who analyzed 60 studies concluded that the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is a better marker for coronary artery disease than LDL measurement alone.

“Boosting HDL is the next frontier in heart disease prevention,” says P.K. Shah, MD, director of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Shah says that if the new drugs designed to increase HDL levels prove effective, they could potentially reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes by 80% to 90% — and save millions of lives. HDL-boosting drugs are now being tested.

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Common Misconceptions About Foods And Cholesterol

Just because a food contains cholesterol does not mean it will raise cholesterol levels. In fact, the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans of 2015-2020 removed the recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol to 300 mg per day, stating that adequate evidence was not available. Extensive research does not show that eating foods that contain cholesterol causes heart disease.

However, many foods remain feared for the belief that they increase the risk for heart disease or harm overall health. Some of these foods are highlighted below:

In addition to these foods, there has been concern over the recently trending ketogenic diet and its role in cholesterol levels. This style of eating limits nearly all sources of carbohydrates and instead gets a majority of calories and other nutrients from high-fat foods and protein. This diet includes eating large amounts of meat, eggs, cheese, and other high cholesterol, high saturated fat foods.

While it may seem as though this style of eating would be harmful to cholesterol levels, current research does not support this so far.

Guide For Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

The complete Pritikin Program for lowering cholesterol with little or no medication. Includes recipes and 5-day meal plan. The Ultimate Guide for Lowering LDL Cholesterol Naturally

If your LDL levels are still too high after trying these 6 nutrition-based approaches, talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications like statins, but give these 6 tips your best shot, encourages Dr. Danine Fruge, MD, ABFP, Medical Director at the Pritikin Longevity Center. The right eating plan, like Pritikin, can be powerfully beneficial and there are no adverse side effects.

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More Ways To Improve Your Cholesterol Levels

• Move more: For lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends
• An average of 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week

Weigh less: Losing weight can positively impact HDL and LDL cholesterol numbers

Go with your gut: Research shows that the microbes in your stomach can influence your cholesterol levels and heart disease risk, so eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and fermented foods daily is a good idea

Talk with your doc: Before making dramatic changes to your diet or exercise routine, talk with your doctor about your cholesterol levels and how they affect your risk for heart disease and stroke

Find out how healthy your heart is. Our free Heart Risk Assessment can help you pinpoint your personal risk factors for heart disease so you can start taking steps to decrease them today.

If you think someone is having a heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately.

If you or someone in your family experiences chest pain, one of our many Medical City Healthcare emergency locations or Accredited Chest Pain Centers has you covered. With average wait times posted online, if you do have an emergency, you can spend less time waiting and more time on the moments that matter most.

Find a fast Medical City ER near you or visit Medical City Virtual Carefor non-emergency medical treatment from your computer or smartphone.

The Connection Between Your Cholesterol And Food

As we get older, our cholesterol levels change and so does the connection between your cholesterol and food.

Doctors are not really sure how aging affects the composition and function of HDL, aka high-density lipoproteins levels however, research has proven there is a significant change from our youth, and the food we eat plays an intricate part.

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Is Low Cholesterol Harmful

We are all aware of the potential harm that high cholesterol levels can cause, but what, if any, are the risks posed by low cholesterol?

According to the Mayo Clinic, individuals who suffer from very low cholesterol levels are at risk of developing a variety of serious health conditions. A low total cholesterol level has been linked to depression, cancer and other disorders.

While high LDL cholesterol is not a good thing, if it drops to a worryingly low level a doctor may need to assess the person to determine how they can raise their cholesterol to a normal level.

As with high LDL cholesterol levels, diet can have a huge impact on a person who is believed to have low cholesterol numbers. Giving up smoking and taking regular exercise is also recommended. Eating foods high in fat is NOT recommended, because even though cholesterol levels are low eating too much fat can still cause a number of health problems.

Here are a few ways to raise HDL cholesterol healthily and naturally:

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