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Food to Increase Good Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels lead to fatty solid deposits on the arteries. As these solids (known as plaque) build up, your chances of suffering a heart attack, stroke or general heart disease increase. Cholesterol itself is broken down into two main categories: LDL (low density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol) and HDL (high density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol). While LDL increases the body's tendency to accumulate plaque, HDL actually protects the body and prevents plaque. To increase your HDL levels, adopt a diet high in healthful fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsatured fats, and low in saturated and trans fats.

  1. Identification

    • HDL and LDL cholesterol are both indicated on a total lipoprotein blood test. Your total cholesterol should stay below 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood. More specifically, your HDL levels should stay above 40 mg/dL. For the most protection against plaque build-up, your HDL levels should stay above 60 mg/dL. Just as important is the ratio between LDL and HDL. High HDL cholesterol won't help much if your LDL is also extremely high. LDL levels should remain less than 100 mg/dL with anything above 160 mg/dL considered "high" by the American Heart Association.

      As low density lipoproteins work their way through your body, they cling to solids and deposit them to your arteries and organs. When LDL particles cling to your arterial walls, blood flow to the heart is reduced. HDL on the other hand removes the solids from your blood before they can clog your arteries. The Mayo Clinic notes that HDL cholesterol may also have anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory effects on your arteries. As HDL increases, LDL will decrease since HDL removes the lower density lipoproteins from your blood.

    Foods High in Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fats

    • Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are sometimes referred to as "good" fats because they help to lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. The easiest way to increase your polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat intake is to cook with oils that are high in both good fats and low in "bad" saturated and trans fats. Extra virgin olive, canola and peanut oil all contain healthy levels of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

      Substitute healthy oils into your meal whenever possible. For dinner, cook a lean piece of meat such as chicken or bison in a tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil. Rather than eat bread and butter with your dinner, dip bread into a bit of seasoned olive oil. Do not douse your salad in creamy salad dressings. Rather, stir up two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of lemon juice, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pour that over your greens. In addition to olive oil, look for butter substitutes that contain healthy oils and no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Products such as Smart Balance contain a combination of oils that will help to raise HDL levels.

    Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

    • In additional to good fats, look for foods with omega-3 fatty acids. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids help to raise HDL cholesterol and reduce overall cholesterol. Fish such as salmon and anchovies have excellent omega-3 levels. For a healthy dinner option, marinate a piece of wild salmon in olive oil and garlic for an hour. Then saute the fish in an additional tablespoon of olive oil. As a side, cook brown rice mixed with nuts. Nuts such as walnuts and almonds contain high omega-3 levels that may improve your HDL/LDL ratio.

      Whenever possible, look to add foods high in omega-3s in your existing meal. Avocado is a delicious garnish that contains plenty of omega-3s per serving. Slice up an avocado and top your fish or chicken with it. Other omega-3 and antioxidant rich foods that work as good garnishes, sides or even desserts include pomegranates and blueberries.

    Substituting Saturated and Trans Fats with Good Fats

    • As you choose cholesterol-friendly foods, pay close attention to foods' nutritional data labels. Avoid foods with high saturated and trans fat content such a certain cheeses (e.g. cheddar and brie), fried chicken and onion rings. Or look for ways to make typically unhealthy foods high in saturated and trans fats healthier. Rather than deep fry chicken in a high fat oil, remove the skin, coat in flour and spice and pan fry in HDL-promoting olive oil. Transform onion rings the same way. Do not batter onion rings with eggs or other high fat foods. Use flour and then pan fry in olive oil.

    Alcohol

    • Although alcohol in large amounts poses a great health risk, moderate alcohol consumption may actually raise your HDL levels. If you decide to drink a glass of red wine or a beer with dinner to improve your HDL levels, note that anything more than a glass a day (for women) or two glasses a day (for men) is considered "too much." Excess drinking will increase your chances of heart disease, liver disease and certain cancers of the gastrointestinal tract such as esophageal cancer.

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