Boosting HDL  

Why Is HDL Good Cholesterol?

HDL high density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol is the so-called "good cholesterol" you've probably heard about. But you may not understand why HDL considered to be "good cholesterol."

As explained in our article on HDL and LDL cholesterol, there are two main kinds of "lipoproteins" or types of fat in the bloodstream.

Now, when you hear the words "fat in the bloodstream," you naturally tend to think, "That can't be good."

But actually, HDL, or high density lipoprotein, is good because it helps keep your heart healthy and your blood vessels clear and open.

To understand why HDL is good cholesterol, you need to understand a bit about the other type of cholesterol: LDL. It's generally known as "bad" cholesterol, and there's a reason.

LDL cholesterol (LDL stands for low density lipoproteins) is the stuff that sticks to artery walls, forming a substance called plaque. This plaque and clogs up your circulatory system. Your organs and tissues don't get all the oxygen and nutrients they need to function at top efficiency.

Plus, when plaque narrows your blood vessels, your heart has to work harder to pump blood all over your body. This condition is known as high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure places additional workload on your heart, which eventually wears the heart down.

A cardiologist we know refers to HDL cholesterol as the "scrubbing bubbles" of the bloodstream. HDL attracts bad fats that are in the system and sweeps them away. They're eventually flushed out of the system before they can cause trouble.

That's one of the reasons doctors are always telling you to raise HDL cholesterol levels by get some quality exercise. When you increase your heart rate, it forces your HDL into contact with your LDL. As a result, your LDL gets cleared out and your doctor is very happy next time he or she looks at your cholesterol levels.

Boosting HDL through diet It's also important to remember that certain foods contain a lot of LDL, and other foods contain a lot of HDL. The more you focus on HDL foods in your diet, the healthier you will be.

High HDL foods include fruits, vegetables, certain kinds of nuts, and grains. Olive Oil and Canola Oil contain a lot of monounsaturated fatty acids, which raise your HDL level. Omega 3 fatty acids, like those found in salmon, are high on the list of HDL-friendly foods.

LDL foods to avoid You've probably heard plenty in recent years about all the foods that contain a lot of bad cholesterol. Beef, pork and poultry put more LDL into your system, although pork and poultry have less than beef.

Convenience foods, which are usually highly processed, and fast foods (especially fried fast foods) generally increase the level of bad cholesterol and should be avoided. This is a tough recommendation to follow in this day and age, but it's important.

We have a number of articles on this website about diet and cholesterol - both good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. To read them, click on cholesterol free foods, cholesterol lowering foods, how to increase your HDL, and how to lower your LDL.
 

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