Recently I had got my
cholesterol checked and I thought of getting more information regarding
the same andI collected the following from
the net which I hope will be useful to many of the
readers.This article gives information how to raise HDL (good)
cholesterol.
The information given in
this page is entirely for general guidance only. It is not given as a
medical advice. You are requested to consult your doctor for all
matters.
Even if your total cholesterol is within prescribed limits, a
low level of HDL less than 35mg/dL is
considered as a risk factor. The risk of heart disease is elevated. It
is observed that even small increases in HDL cholesterol could reduce
the risk of heart attacks. For every 1 mg/dL increase in HDL
cholesterol, there is a 2 – 4% reduction in the risk of coronary heart
disease.
The HDL
cholesterol level can be raised by simple life style
modifications. Regular aerobic exercise within your target heart rate
and weight loss will help in raising the HDL cholesterol level. Do
aerobic exercise (brisk walking, jogging, etc.).
Take Foods that raise HDL cholesterol
levels:
a)Eat half a raw
onion a day. It raises HDL (good) cholesterol an average
of 25% in most people.
b)Eat at least two servings of foods
high in soluble fibre like whole grains,
oats and oat bran, brown rice, citrus fruits, apple grapes etc. and
legumes and lentils. The soluble fibre raises HDL levels and helps in
lowering total cholesterol.
c)Use cooking oils which are
high in monosaturated fats such as canola or olive
oils.
d)Increase your
consumption of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish,
cold-pressed flaxseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil,
dark green vegetables, etc.
e)Eat at least two
servings of soy (phytoestrogens)
products. Tofu, tempeh, and TVP (texturized vegetable
protein) may help raise HDL levels. Include at least two servings each
day.
Avoid
1.Trans fatty acids
i.e. hydrogenated oil or vegetable shortening (Dalda, Rath,
and Vanaspati in India). Choose a liquid or semisoft variety
of margarine in your diet Trans fatty acids
are found in and many fast foods and French fries, baked goods such as
cookies, crackers and cakes. Remember, the softer the spread, the less
trans fat it contains.
2.Refined carbohydrates
like sugar and refined flour. These have shown to
raise blood cholesterol and
triglycerides.
3.Avoid food sources of cholesterol such as
egg yolk, liver, kidney, brains,
etc.
4.Avoid high fat dairy products such as
regular milk, cheese and cream.
5.Reduce alcohol intake. However, alcohol (wine
or beer) in moderation may raise HDL levels. However, if your do not
drink, don't start to raise HDL, it is not a medicine.
The LDL HDL cholesterol
ratio is more important than individual levels of HDL
cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. However, recent heart Foundation
recommendation is that irrespective of the ratio, one should try to
reduce the LDL cholesterol.
Total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio (Total /
HDL) is found by dividing total cholesterol by HDL
cholesterol. The total cholesterol is the sum of HDL, LDL, and the VLDL
(1/5 of Triglycerides). The safe total/HDL
ratio is less than 4. The
LDL/HDL ratio is more important ratio than
total cholesterol/HDL because LDL is a measure of bad cholesterol and
HDL is a measure of good cholesterol.
LDL/HDL is therefore an accurate measure
of heart disease. The risk levels of different values of
LDL/HDL ratios are:
Hi sri unniyetta, Youe blog about Cholestrol is capable of removing many a block in the artery and blowing up certain myths about the deadly good, bad , ugly choestrol.It proves, call a stroll , a stroll and whistle the tune from the movie The good, bad, ugly.Thank you-Shashi
hi Sri. you blog is very important . i hope many will read it. there is one more thing to say. the regular doctors say not to eat eggs. natural doctors day EAT AN EGG EVERY DAY. it has all youneed for balancing the cholesterol. the hdl and ldl,
