How To Raise HDL Cholesterol

A contributing factor in cardiovascular diseases is high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a naturally occurring sterol produced in the liver and it plays a vital role in creating vitamin D and ensuring the normal functioning of the bodies cells. Cholesterol only becomes a problem when there is too much of it in our system. This article will define HDL cholesterol. It will show why it is good to raise cholesterol HDL and how to do it.

High cholesterol is generally due to diets that include plenty of animal products and fatty foods, particularly foods rich in saturated or trans fats. When the cholesterol enters the body it is absorbed into the bloodstream along with triglycerides or fat molecules. As it is not soluble in the blood it needs to be transported throughout the body by attaching itself to something. This something is a group known as lipoproteins. There are 5 types of lipoproteins that transport cholesterol.

These are :

Chylomicrons,

VLDL Cholesterol,

IDL Cholesterol,

LDL Cholesterol,

and HDL Cholesterol.

In short, the cholestrol that is important to our health is transported on the low density lipoprotein or LDL Cholesterol and high density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol.

HDL versus LDL cholesterol.

LDL is often known as bad cholesterol because it will bind to the artery walls when flowing through the bloodstream. This leads to atherosclerosis and possibly blood clotting. Conversely HDL is known as good cholesterol because it removes LDL cholesterol from the blood. Thus to prevent cardiovascular diseases you want to work towards increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing LDL cholesterol.

So how do I raise my HDL cholesterol?

Some things that are thought to produce low HDL cholesterol are smoking and obesity. Avoid or stop smoking if you want to increase HDL cholesterol. If you have 25% body fat in males and 35% body fat in females then you are clinically obese. You should take action to lower this body fat by modifying your eating habits, doing regular exercise or both.

This should be applied to everyone, obese or otherwise. Regular exercise is one of the best ways of raising HDL cholesterol, especially aerobic exercise. A number of clinical trials have reported that by doing at least 120 minutes of exercise a week in 40 minute sessions on a regular basis the HDL level can be increased by 2.5mg/dL. The normal cholesterol HDL ratio is supposed to be 40mg/dL.

Another way to improve the overall health of the body is to eat a healthy diet. Moderate your intake of dairy and animal fats. Moderate your intake of saturated and trans fats. Try to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Try to eat more whole grain foodstuffs, like cereals.

HDL cholestrol removes LDL cholesterol to the liver for excretion. By raising the HDL level you can effectively lower the harmful effects that excess cholesterol in the body will have on your heart and arteries. The key to raising HDL cholesterol in exercise and diet. Before you start an exercise program check with your doctor that it is ok.

High cholesterol is usually treated by making changes in your lifestyle. Find out more about a lowcholesteroldieting.com/High_Cholesterol_Diet.html high cholesterol diet and how it can help you to lower your overall cholesterol ratio at lowcholesteroldieting.com lowcholesteroldieting.com Adrian Whittle writes on issues related to reducing cholesterol and how to monitor cholesterol levels.