How to Raise Your Good Cholesterol Levels

Low HDL Levels Can Lead to Heart Disease

There are two types of cholesterol. Low-density lipoproteins, commonly referred to as LDL, is the bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol is HDL, or high-density lipoproteins.

If you've been advised to lower your LDL levels, and you've been successful in bringing that level down to around 100, you may still be at risk for heart disease if you HDL levels also went down.

Your HDL levels should be around 45 to 50 if you're a male. If you're female, they should be around 60. Anything lower than that, and you need to take steps to raise it.

Why do you need a higher level of high-density lipoproteins? Bad cholesterol builds up in your arteries when your body fails to properly process and dispose of it. The good cholesterol, HDL, aids in the process of disposing of bad cholesterol. These lipoproteins "scrub" the arteries, thus preventing build up, and carry the excess cholesterol to the liver for processing.

A lower level of HDL doesn't allow for excess cholesterol to be removed, resulting in risk for heart disease.

How, then, do you raise HDL cholesterol without raising the LDL?

1. Get to and maintain a healthy weight
Many, too many, middle aged and older people are overweight, and carry most of that weight around their waists. This concentration of fat causes lower HDL levels. Getting to a healthy weight in which your body is properly proportioned will raise your HDL and help you keep a lower LDL level.

2. Eat the right fats
Your body needs certain fats for cellular function. Avoiding all fats can lower your LDL, but it also lowers your HDL. While cutting out trans fat and saturated fats is necessary, you do need to take in some monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as found in canola oils, olive oils, and certain nuts.

3. Exercise, exercise, exercise
Regular exercise is one of the better ways to raise your HDL. Not only does it help you to maintain your healthy weight, exercise increases your heart rate. This causes your body to do "internal aerobics". The high-density lipoproteins will increase to meet demand.

4.Quit smoking
If you smoke, stop. Smoking reduces HDL levels, as well as raises LDL levels.