Raise HDL Cholesterol Levels

HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, has long been thought to correlate to heart-heath. HDL, often called the "good" cholesterol, functions as a shuttle that takes cholesterol from the blood stream (where it can form a blockage and lead to heart disease, also known as atherosclerosis) and transports it to the liver. Naturally, you would think having a higher HDL level would reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease; however, science is just beginning to show us that HDL is far more complex than we realized, and that there are many more factors involved in formation of atherosclerosis. While HDL performs an important function in removing cholesterol from your system, it is now believed that simply raising your HDL cholesterol will not decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease. If you are trying to decrease your cardiac risk, focus on a healthy diet and exercise instead of specifically raising your HDL cholesterol levels.

Steps

Understanding HDL Better

1. Realize that HDL is not cholesterol. Contrary to popular belief, HDL is not a type of cholesterol; rather, it's a type of cholesterol carrier or shuttle. There's only one type of cholesterol and it's essential to the body because it's needed to make all cell membranes and some hormones. However, cholesterol doesn't dissolve in blood (it's hydrophobic) so it must be carried by protein-based transporters. HDL is a essentially a cholesterol scavenger because it picks up excess "free" cholesterol in your blood and carries it back to your liver for recycling, processing, and/or excretion. HDL is the smallest of the 3 lipoproteins (LDL and VLDL being the other main ones) and it carries the least amount of cholesterol.
   • HDL is called "good" because it supposedly reduces the build-up of cholesterol in arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis.
2. Understand new findings. For many years, it has been thought that raising a person's baseline HDL level would also decrease his risk for cardiovascular disease. But this way of thinking is now being retired by scientists, as new information shows that it's more important to look at how HDL functions than simply how much HDL is in the body.
   • Scientists now believe that cholesterol-efflux capacity, which is a function of HDL, is what is really important to cardiovascular health.
   • It is not yet clear whether sex, race, obesity, insulin sensitivity or resistance, or inflammation influences cholesterol efflux capacity.
3. Remember that HDL is made by the body. Like all lipoprotein cholesterol carriers, HDL is made by the body (liver) and not found in food. The amount of HDL made is mainly genetically determined and is also related to the need for cellular repair, but all lipoprotein levels are influenced somewhat by diet and exercise programs. On the other hand, cholesterol is not only found in food (especially animal products such as meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and butter), but it's also made by the liver and, to a much lesser extent, the lining of the small intestine..
   • The liver removes cholesterol from the body by secreting it in bile, which is eliminated in the feces. This cholesterol regulation impacts lipoprotein levels, including HDL levels.
4. Understand that HDL works in tandem with LDL. Low-density lipoprotein or LDL is often called "bad" cholesterol, but really it's just a transporter that shuttles cholesterol away from the liver towards cells, including the damaged membranes of arteries. The problem occurs when the cholesterol in arterial walls builds up too much, because it attracts macrophages and triggers the formation of plaques — the hallmark sign of atherosclerosis or clogged arteries. HDL is always working in tandem with LDL and trying to balance the amount of cholesterol needed to repair the cracks and fissures in the arteries versus limiting too much accumulation of it.
   • In a physiological sense, there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” cholesterol, although certain types of lipoproteins are considered more health-promoting than others.

Increasing HDL With Positive Lifestyle Choices

1. Lose weight by exercising if you're too heavy. Carrying around extra weight definitely impacts your HDL levels. In fact, if you are overweight, losing just a few pounds can improve your HDL levels — for every six pounds you lose, your HDL levels may increase by 1 mg/dL. Focus on reducing your daily calorie consumption and exercise on on a regular basis. Just 30 minutes of walking each day can lead to safe, consistent weight loss.
   • If your BMI (body mass index) is higher than 30, then you need to trim down for the sake of your overall health, not just your cholesterol numbers.
   • It appears that the most benefit of exercise on HDL cholesterol comes from programs that continue for a long period of time and involve mixed activities, such as aerobic and resistance training.
   • Within two months, daily aerobic exercise can raise HDL levels by about 5% in otherwise healthy adults. Start by exercising briskly for 30 minutes at least five times per week, either by walking, running, cycling, or swimming.
2. Quit smoking. In addition to being correlated to a variety of diseases, including lung cancer, smoking cigarettes also has an unhealthy impact on cholesterol and LDL/HDL ratios. In essence, smoking tends to lower HDL levels (by an average of five points) and increases total blood cholesterol. Even secondhand smoke lowers HDL. The toxic compounds in cigarette smoke damage the insides of blood vessels and trigger the deposition of cholesterol in efforts to repair the damage. The net effect is plaque formation and a cholesterol ratio that favors LDL. Research proves the quitting smoking has a direct effect on raising HDL levels — in some cases, by as much as 10%. Talk with your doctor about safe options for quitting, such as nicotine patches or gum to help wean yourself off cigarettes.
   • Smoking damages virtually every organ of the body and causes all sorts of cardiovascular related problems, which contribute significantly to premature death.
   • Smoking is estimated to increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by up to four times compared to non-smokers.
3. Drink alcohol in moderation. Ideally, you shouldn't drink any alcohol because ethanol is toxic to the body and a known carcinogen. Regardless of its blood thinning properties, the net effect of ethanol on health is negative. However, at moderate levels (no more than one alcoholic beverage daily) some forms of alcohol have been linked to raising HDL levels. More specifically, red wine consumption is believed to be beneficial to cardiovascular health due to its high antioxidant content, which helps prevent blood vessel damage. Consequently, less cholesterol is needed as "bandaids" to repair arterial damage, which increases the liver's production of HDL in order to shuttle the cholesterol out of the bloodstream.
   • If you currently don't drink alcoholic beverages, don't start in efforts of raising your HDL levels. There are many more healthy methods.
   • The antioxidants in red wine have no relationship to the alcohol, so drinking fresh grape juice or eating the grapes raw is likely to provide at least as much cardiovascular benefit, if not more.
4. Choose healthier fats. A healthy diet always includes some fat — between 25–35% of your daily calories should come from fatty acids. However, saturated fat (from animal products) should be minimized (no more than 7% of daily calories) because it contains cholesterol and healthy plant-based fats should be focused on instead. As such, choose more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, as well omega-3 fats that are found in fish and flax seed. Avoid trans fats, because they are most damaging to blood vessels and can have the most negative impact on HDL levels. Keep in mind that eating cholesterol-rich food doesn't have a big impact on blood cholesterol levels because the liver plays an important regulatory role.
   • Good sources of monounsaturated foods include olive, peanut, sesame and canola oils, most nuts, and avocados.
   • Good sources of polyunsaturated fats include soybean and sunflower oils, walnuts, tofu, and fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel.
   • Trans fats (hydrogenated fats) are found in many processed foods including cookies, crackers, fried foods and margarine.
5. Eat more dark-colored fruits and veggies. All fresh produce has health benefits, but those colored dark red and purple may both raise HDL and lower LDL levels. As noted above, grapes and other dark fruits are rich in antioxidants, particularly colorful compounds called anthocyanins. Research shows that consuming anthocyanins (in fruit or as supplements) can increase HDL levels by almost 14%, while decreasing LDL levels. Excellent sources of anthocyanins include plums, purple and red grapes, raspberries, blackberries, purple cabbage, and eggplant.
   • Eating more fruits and veggies also increases your fiber intake, which has been shown to help control total blood cholesterol levels.
6. Talk to your doctor about medications. Although statin drugs are relatively effective at lowering total blood cholesterol levels, they don't have much impact on HDL levels (no more than a five to 10% increase). However, other medications, such as high-dose niacin and fibrates, can raise HDL levels significantly. High-dose niacin (Niaspan, Niacor) is usually considered the most effective medication for increasing HDL levels, although it's exact method of action is not clear. Niacin, also called vitamin B3, is a powerful vasodilator (relaxes arteries and lowers blood pressure) and some studies claim it can raise HDL levels by more than 30% in some people. Niacin must be started at low levels and can have a flushing effect that most people find very unpleasant.
   • Keep in mind even though the medications may raise your HDL, this will not increase your cardiovascular health.
   • Various over-the-counter preparations of niacin are available, but prescription types are preferred due to less side effects (mainly flushing of the skin at high doses).
   • Fibrate medications include fenofibrate (Lofibra, Tricor) and gemfibrozil (Lopid).

Tips

• Losing weight via exercise is especially important if your body is “apple” shaped, since fat accumulation around the waist seems to reduce HDL.
• Reduce consumption of added sugars. Research indicates that the more calories that come from added sugar, the lower a person's HDL levels. As such, avoid soda pop, ice cream treats and most store-bought baked goods.
• Some research shows that eating 50 g of dark chocolate daily can improve the antioxidative action of HDL cholesterol.

Warnings

• Consult with your doctor before starting any serious exercise regimen.

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