How to Raise Good Cholesterol (HDL) Levels

In the past, it was common advice to lower your cholesterol level in order to avoid the risk of coronary heart diseases. But a shift has taken place and the approach turned to raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol to combat low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. To do this, however, a change in lifestyle is essential.

Ways To Raise Good Cholesterol (HDL) Levels

Quit smoking. One of the many disadvantages of smoking is that it lowers HDL cholesterol so quitting will naturally increase HDL levels.

Get rid of excess weight. By trimming down, a few pounds can actually make a difference. Approximately .35 mg/dL increase in HDL levels can be expected when you lose 2 pounds of excess weight.

Be more physically active. Aerobic exercise, done regularly for at least 30 to 60 minutes, is said to increase HDL cholesterol. If you can manage to exercise everyday, the better chances of increasing your HDL levels.
Stay away from trans fat. Food with trans fat lowers HDL cholesterol and boost LDL levels so stop eating most prepared food with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Go for monounsaturated fat instead (e.g. olive, canola and avocado oils).

Moderate alcohol intake. Studies show that drinking alcohol (specifically red wine), but only moderately, can raise your level of HDL cholesterol. This is limited to a drink a day for women and a maximum of two drinks for men.

Having cholesterol in our body is normal and it’s even necessary to maintain a healthy body. That’s because cholesterol, in itself, is not bad. You only need to focus on raising your good cholesterol and keeping the bad cholesterol low.

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