HDL Cholesterol

HDL Cholesterol
By Sarah Thomas

You might know that HDL is the good kind of
cholesterol, but there’s a lot more to learn about what it can
do for you. And you can’t just assume that you have a sufficient
level of it in your body and leave it at that. Have you ever
tried to check the level of bad you have? If you’ve
got a very high level of LDL cholesterol—the bad stuff— you
probably also have a level of HDL that is very high, too.

Only a few years ago, the findings of various studies showed
that low levels of HDL were correlated with heart
disease. What that means is that it doesn’t matter if the
overall level of blood is normal; if you have a low
level of HDL in your blood you’ll still be at risk for heart
disease. A normal level of HDL for men is 40mg/dL and for women,
50mg/dL.

The question you’re probably asking is this: what makes this
cholesterol “good”? Well, it’s not really the itself
that is beneficial, but rather the “drive.” HDL molecules are
composed of lipids, protein, and a kind of that
wipes down artery walls, removing the build-up of cholesterol.
Then it moves it to the liver where it gets eliminated via the
gastrointestinal tract.

It’s concerning that while low levels of HDL can be a big risk
factor for patients, there are some doctors that focus mainly on
helping them lower their total and bad levels. By
doing so, they neglect the level of HDL in the blood, which is
equally important.

Who is most in need of increasing their levels of HDL
cholesterol? The answer: men who have an HDL level under 40mg/dL
as well as women

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with a level under 50mg/dL. Both men and women
with these numbers should try to increase their HDL levels even
if they have total and bad in the normal range.

What are some ways to increase HDL levels?

* One of the best ways to boost good is to do
physical exercise. Try to do any activity that raises your heart
rate during a 30 minute period. It can be anything: jogging,
walking, swimming, or cycling, for example.

* If you lose weight, it will do more than just help in
increasing your HDL levels; it will also lower your LDL level as
well.

* You don’t need to become a vegetarian or choke down bland
foods to improve your diet. You should just try to eliminate
high foods that you eat. You can always find
substitutes that are equally tasty.

* Leave the pack behind. By quitting smoking you can boost the
level of HDL by as much as 20%.

These are but a few methods to help increase good cholesterol.
If you’re still having trouble doing so, talk to your doctor.
Being aware is the first step towards a healthier you.

About the Author: Sarah Thomas provides articles on
http://www.health-fire.com. You can find more of her work at the
site http://www.green-tea-guide.com and
http://www.cholesterol-zone.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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