Five Ways To Increase HDL

Interestingly the way we look at cholesterol has changed dramatically in recent years due to new research suggesting that the key to healthy cholesterol is not as much about general cholesterol readings as it is about the ratio of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL). This has lead to a scramble to find ways to increase HDL by most of the major drug companies. There are currently a number of drugs in late stage trials designed to do just that. Will they work? Or they safe? Only time will tell.



But ironically many natural remedies and activities we do every day may be the best medicine to increase HDL levels. In this article titled "Ways To Increase HDL" we will explore the obvious ways to accomplish this as well as the not so obvious ones that just might make your head spin. So hold on for the ride starts now!



*Exercise: Have you ever considered not taking the closest parking slot at the supermarket or your favorite mega store? If you are the one in every one hundred that does this I salute you, and your HDL does as well. According to the American Heart Association moderate exercise lasting over twenty minutes, three times a week, pushes up good cholesterol and drives bad cholesterol down. A 20 minute walk to pick up the milk your forgot? Maybe not, but you get the idea.



*Diet: Watching what you eat is a very important part of any successful cholesterol management program. We know that holding saturated fat down to around ten percent is a very important factor in reducing LDL or bad cholesterol levels but what you might not know is that certain foods are cholesterol dynamos, not only accomplishing the obvious but increase HDL and well. The three most prolific are avocados, apples, and garlic. While olive oil is great tasting and considered a super food in the battle against cholesterol by the Mayo Clinic there is conflicting research about whether it actually raises HDL or not. Nevertheless, it is worth a mention.



*Guggul Gum (herb): You will not find this herb in the chewing gum section! Clinical studies have suggested that guggul can indeed help to lower triglycerides, increase high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Experts have also stated that guggul does not appear to trigger serious adverse reactions in those who take it. Guggul is an extract of gum resin of the Commiphora mukul tree (myrrh) which natively grows in India so unless you live in India, or plan on visiting, chances are your guggul gum will be a part of one of the many natural cholesterol supplements containing it.



*Red Yeast Rice: Rice fermented in yeast that turns red over the course of a couple of month. Wow, that's sound appetizing! Red yeast rice has been shown to have similar effects to those of prescription statin drugs with one added benefit, it increases HDL. It has been used in the practice of Chinese herbal medicine for years and to this day is still a part of Chinese and Asian diet and culture.



*Policosanol: Found in beeswax and sugar cane, policosanol has been shown to increase HDL and decrease LDL as well as problematic triglycerides.



So there you have it a combination of exercise, foods, and herbs each capable of increasing HDL on their own. But many natural health minded individual have taken this a step further by combining their strengths, and have found a combination of moderate exercise, implementing HDL super foods, and natural cholesterol reducing remedies to be a powerful three step plan to increase HDL.