How to Improve HDL Naturally

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) bind to excess cholesterol in your blood and carry it back to your liver. A high HDL level therefore means that there are fewer low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in your blood, which decreases your risk of heart disease. You can make several lifestyle changes that can increase your HDL level.

Things You'll Need

• Cholesterol test results
• Canola oil
• Olive oil
• Peanut oil

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Instructions

• 1

  Monitor your HDL cholesterol. Your HDL level should be at least 60mg of HDL per deciliter of blood (mg/dl.) The health risk of low HDL becomes significant when it drops below 50mg/dl for women and 40mg/dl for men. Your HDL level may also be expressed in units of millimoles per liter (mmol/l.) Multiply by 0.03 to convert mg/dl to mmol/l for HDL measurements.

• 2

  Quit smoking to improve your HDL level by up to 10 percent. Your doctor can offer a variety of smoking-cessation options, and smoking cessation programs typically combine medication with counseling. Smoking tends to lower your HDL level and reduce its beneficial effects.

• 3

  Keep your weight at a healthy level. Each 6 lbs. of excess weight that you lose can improve your HDL level by 1mg/dl. A sensible weight loss plan should combine a healthy diet with regular exercise.

• 4

  Engage in aerobic exercise such as cycling, running, swimming and walking. Aerobic exercise may also be any other activity that raises your heart rate significantly. These activities can raise your HDL by five percent within two months if you were previously sedentary. A typical program will consist of 30 minutes of brisk exercise, five days each week.

• 5

  Reduce the amount of fats in your diet. A healthy diet should provide 25 to 35 percent of its calories from fat, and saturated fat should only provide seven percent of the total calories in your diet. The best sources of fat include canola, olive and peanut oils.