There are several lifestyle changes you can make to ensure your good cholesterol stays ahead of the bad. Here are six tips from experts.
gets a bad rap. But the truth is, you need it to live, let alone lead a long, healthy life. Without this waxy, fat-like substance, you couldn’t make sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, adrenal hormones that help regulate blood pressure and , or essential nutrients such as vitamin D.
Floating through your bloodstream, two different fat- and protein-containing carriers, called lipoproteins, carry cholesterol to and from your cells. At healthy levels — ideally less than 100 milligrams per deciliter — low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, delivers the cholesterol you need into your tissues for cell stability and healthy function. Meanwhile, , scavenges the excess cholesterol and carries it to your liver, which breaks down the cholesterol and removes it from the body, says , medical director of cardiology at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Illinois. Hence the name “good cholesterol.”
However, when HDL levels are low — typically defined as less than 40 mg/DL — LDL can build up in the blood vessels, earning it the reputation of “bad cholesterol.” This buildup can cause plaque to form in the arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack or .
Thankfully, research has shed new light on several lifestyle changes you can make to ensure your good cholesterol stays ahead of the bad. Here, experts share their top six methods for raising HDL levels and keeping your heart happy:
1. Be a cardio bunny.听聽can help keep your weight down and HDL levels up. For instance, in one study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, by walking or running 50 to 60 minutes per day, five days per week for 12 weeks, overweight men聽聽their body fat, insulin resistance, blood pressure and 鈥渂ad cholesterol鈥� levels while upping their 鈥済ood cholesterol.鈥� Meanwhile, an analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., walking, cycling or continuous swimming for at least 15 minutes) consistently聽.
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Thinkstock
Increase your HDL levels:聽Perform at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise daily, Mushtaq says. Examples include brisk walking or light jogging,聽聽or cycling. On a scale of 1 to 10, you should feel like you鈥檙e working at about 4 to 6.
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Thinkstock
2. Quit smoking.听聽can do a number on more than your lungs, actually reducing the body鈥檚 concentration of HDL cholesterol. Fortunately, it鈥檚 never too late to quit: One review published in Biomarker Research concluded that HDL levels can rise by as much as聽聽of quitting.
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Thinkstock
Increase your HDL levels: Giving up cigarettes isn鈥檛 easy, but it can be done. According to Mushtaq, quitting cold turkey is the most effective method. Research in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people who quit abruptly were more likely to be smoke-free at four weeks than those who gradually cut back (49 percent versus 39.2 percent). Try nicotine patches and gum to help tamp down cravings.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
3. Go nuts.听Eating a small serving of almonds (about eight kernels) daily is enough to raise HDL levels by as much as聽聽after 12 weeks, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition聽.听Researchers believe the nutrients in聽聽help limit the amount of LDL cholesterol that the body absorbs from foods while increasing the amount expelled by the body.
(海角精品黑料/Colleen Kelleher)
海角精品黑料/Colleen Kelleher
Increase your HDL levels:聽Pair a small handful of almonds with a piece of fruit for a snack, add slivered almonds and berries to yogurt or use sliced almonds as a topping for green beans or grain salad, recommends registered dietitian nutritionist聽, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis
4. Stick to moderate amounts of alcohol.听聽can drastically increase your risk of heart disease (not to mention other conditions), but drinking moderate amounts of alcohol has been shown to raise HDL. A study in PLoS One suggests that聽聽鈥� defined as one drink per day for women and two for men 鈥� may help increase the transfer of proteins involved in moving HDL through the bloodstream.
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Thinkstock
Increase your HDL levels:聽If you don鈥檛 drink, there鈥檚 no need to start. However, if you do drink, keep yourself in check by limiting yourself to one drink per day if you鈥檙e female and two drinks per day if you鈥檙e male. One drink equals 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.
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Thinkstock
5. Limit processed foods.听罢丑别听聽is rife with processed foods, which contain high amounts of trans and saturated fats. When consumed in excess, trans and saturated fats have a negative effect on cholesterol levels, according to Mills.听聽in particular have been shown to lower HDL levels.
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Thinkstock
Increase your HDL levels:聽Check food labels for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated ingredients, which contain trans fats, Mills says. Cut back on prepared desserts, packaged snacks, fried foods and powdered creamers.
(AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
AP Photo/Larry Crowe
6. Get your fiber.听Fiber does more than regulate bowel movements. According to a report published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, once ingested, soluble fiber (which, unlike insoluble fiber, absorbs water during digestion) helps to聽聽in the bloodstream. Unfortunately, the average American gets only about half the daily recommended intake of 25 to 30 grams.
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Thinkstock
Increase your HDL levels:聽According to Mills, some of the best cholesterol-lowering sources of fiber include beans, lentils, apples, blueberries, flax seeds and oatmeal. However, adding too much fiber too quickly can cause gastric distress (think:聽听辞谤听). Mills recommends increasing your fiber intake slowly and drinking plenty of water to help keep your gut happy.
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