Cause of Low HDL - Nominating Three Strong Candidates

HDL is considered good cholesterol and most experts believe that having a large number of these molecules floating around is the single most important factor in achieving cholesterol health. Think of these little fellows as scavenger molecules that round up excess cholesterol and send them out to pasture in the form of solid waste. YeeHa!

But what could cause our dashing cholesterol fighting cowboy to fall off of his horse only to get attacks by a runaway herd of fat? In this article the cause of low HDL we will explore three of the most common reasons.

*Smoking: Smoking can stop a cholesterol roundup faster than you can say heat attack! Not only is smoking a major cause of low HDL it also raises total cholesterol, constricts blood vessels, and accelerates the buildup of dangerous plaque inside the artery. Smoking doubles the risk of heart attack regardless of total cholesterol readings. This fact was supported by a recent study involving 106,745 men over a ten year period. The results concluded that even among men with very low cholesterol levels, smokers had a risk of heart attack and stroke that was 330 percent higher than that of nonsmokers.

*Inactivity: If you are sitting on your couch puffing it up reading this article on your laptop I would suggest that you hire a paramedic before the big one hits. Hey, maybe he can bring his ambulance along just in case.

Inactivity is a major cause of low HDL and when combined with other risk factors can be a serious health concern. According to the American Heart Association a steady dose of only moderate to light exercise four or more times a week will raise HDL and lower LDL (bad cholesterol).

*Being overweight: If it looks like you are trying to smuggle a bowling ball into your kitchen strapped just above your waist then you could be overweight. According to the cholesterol Education Program being as little as 15 percent overweight is a major risk factor for heart disease. Losing weight can help you lower your LDL and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your HDL, and lower your triglyceride levels.

What Next? Lowering cholesterol, in most cases, is about changing old habits, adopting new healthier habits, and enlisting the help of convention medications such as statins or lowered-cholesterol.com natural cholesterol reducing remedies if needed. Put simply, this basically means finding ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL (bad cholesterol levels). Certainly the aforementioned statin drugs will be one of your options but they do carry a number of serious label warnings. The side effect risks have made natural cholesterol reduction supplements combined with diet modification an alternative treatment combination worth considering.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternative health products and natural living, with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at purchaseremedies.com Purchase Remedies.com