If you suffer from low HDL cholesterol, it is pretty imperative that you increase it as soon as possible. As you are probably aware there are two types of cholesterol in your body the HDL (which is classed as the good cholesterol), and the LDL (which is classed as the bad cholesterol). The fact is that neither of them are the good guy or the bad guy, in fact both of them are needed in the right balance for your body to function properly. Ultimately what you want is reasonably low levels of LDL and reasonably high levels of HDL. The reason for the high levels of HDL cholesterol is because you want this one to be mopping up the LDL to take it back to the liver for reprocessing. If there is too much LDL in your system then it is possible that this can lead to cardiovascular problems.

How to Raise Low HDL Cholesterol

* Increase Your Omega3's - Most people are lacking omega3 in their diets, in fact omega3 deficiency is now the sixth most common form of preventable death in the United States. While the Omega threes from walnuts can be good for your heart, you ideally want to be increasing the Omega threes from oily fish such as salmon and tuna. The reason for this is because the essential fats in them are known to help raise low HDL cholesterol, decrease LDL cholesterol and also help reduce high triglyceride levels.
* Exercise - Exercise can play a key part in getting the correct balance in your cholesterol levels. Most people when they hear the word exercise conjure up vivid pictures of intense workouts and expensive gym memberships, fortunately this does not have to be the case. Researchers now recognize that when it comes to exercise helping to raise low HDL cholesterol levels it is the duration that is important not the intensity. So by doing something as simple as walking briskly for 30 minutes a day 5 to 7 days a week would be extremely beneficial.
* Lifestyle Changes - There are certain things that you can cut out that would also be helpful. For instance if you are a smoker quitting the habit would be a great start. Food wise you ideally want to cut out as best as you can foods that contain trans fats; these kinds of foods are normally fast foods or ready made meals that contain hydrogenated vegetable oil. In addition to this you could also increase the amount of soluble fiber you eat from foods such as oat bran as this is also known to be beneficial in helping with cholesterol levels.

By making the simple lifestyle changes such as watching the amount of fast or ready made food that you eat, increasing your omega-3's and exercising more then you will be able to raise your low HDL cholesterol levels. In an ideal world these are the kind of actions you want to be taking to avoid going on medications being prescribed to you for the rest of your life such as statins.



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