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HDL
- The GOOD Cholesterol
While it has been
known for a number of years that high HDL cholesterol levels
(the "good" cholesterol) seem to confer some degree of protection
from heart disease, until relatively recently almost all the
attention in the "cholesterol wars" has been focused on lowering
total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels (the "bad" cholesterol.)
Low HDL cholesterol levels are an independent risk factor
for heart disease. That is, even if their total cholesterol
and LDL cholesterol levels are normal, people with reduced
levels of HDL have an increased risk of early coronary artery
disease.
It appears that it's not the HDL itself that is good, it's
the "vehicle." The HDL molecule is a complex molecule consisting
of protein, lipids and cholesterol. HDL carries fat deposits
out of your arteries and back to your liver where they are
passed to the bowel and excreted.
HDL should be over 35, and the higher the better (except for
alcoholics who have falsely elevated HDLs). It is not uncommon
for healthy people to have HDL numbers in the 60s. LDL should
be under 100, and the lower the better.
Changing your HDL/LDL ratio can have a significant impact
on your risk for heart disease. For every 1 percent you decrease
your LDL, you risk for heart attack goes down by 2 percent.
For every 1 percent your HDL goes UP, your risk of a heart
attack goes DOWN by 3.5 percent!
What's the best way to raise HDL?
First, eliminate the "bad fats" from your diet. These are
the hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats found in
margarine and commercially prepared baked goods such as crackers,
cookies, bread, chips, candy and snacks. Read labels, and
buy only those foods that list "cold pressed or "expeller
pressed" when describing the type of oils used. |
If you are still
using margarine, vow to make that pound in your fridge the
last one that will reside there. Butter, although it contains
cholesterol, is a lot LESS apt to drive up your LDL than the
synthetic, hydrogenated fats which inhibit fat metabolism
in your liver.
To raise HDL, try a tablespoon of flax oil each day. Replacing
bad fat with good fat will make the LDL numbers go down, and
the HDL numbers go up. It is not uncommon for those who take
flax oil consistently to have HDL readings in the 60s and
70s.
What else can you do to improve your HDL/LDL ratio?
- Aerobic exercise. Regular aerobic exercise
increases HDL levels.
- Lose weight. Obesity results not only
in increased LDL cholesterol, but also in reduced HDL
cholesterol. If you are overweight, reducing your weight
should increase your HDL levels while decreasing your
LDL levels.
- Stop smoking. If you smoke, giving
up tobacco will result in an increase in HDL levels.
- Eat more fiber. Soluble fibers are
found in oats, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and result
in both a reduction in LDL cholesterol and an increase
HDL cholesterol.
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