What You Should Know About HDL Cholesterol
Some studies point to the fact that HDL cholesterol or the good cholesterol, when maintained high, can protect from heart disease. The same effect can be achieved by lowering the LDL cholesterol or the bad cholesterol, although in a much lesser measure. A rather disturbing piece of news from recent studies is that if you have low HDL cholesterol levels, it may be indicative of your high risk of heart disease. This means that even if your total cholesterol and LDL levels are normal, if your HDL cholesterol level is low, the risk of heart attack is still high. This shows that the HDL cholesterol is able to protect from heart disease. Studies are now conducted to discover what the main ingredients are in the HDL cholesterol that protects the heart from diseases. The Truth About HDL Cholesterol Some preliminary studies which have been conducted showed that HDL cholesterol contains a very complex molecule. This molecule is made of protein, lipids, and cholesterol. Its role is to clean the walls of the arteries, and removing the bad cholesterol from it. It deposits it with the liver for cleansing. The HDL cholesterol can unclog the arteries. Because of this, doctors nowadays who find that HDL cholesterol is low in their patients recommend them to increase the HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. This means that even if the person has normal levels of cholesterol in the blood, but reduced HDL cholesterol, he should make an effort to increase it. Some Methods To Increase Good Cholesterol One way to increase HDL cholesterol level is by losing weight. This is because obesity is one of the leading causes for heart attack. Loosing weight not only help increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol, but it is also good for overall health. It has also been that aerobic exercise can increase the HDL cholesterol levels. Another way to increase HDL cholesterol level is to cut out smoking and consumption of alcohol. If you smoke and drink in excess, you are at higher risk of developing heart disease and may even suffer heart attacks. You should also add plenty of fiber to your diet. They should be consumed daily to increase the good HDL cholesterol.
|
