How to Increase HDL Cholesterol

You probably hear a lot of talks about cholesterol being bad for your health. You probably hear people tell you not to eat fatty food items because they can give you high cholesterol level. You also probably hear people advise you to eat cereals and oatmeal to reduce your cholesterol level. Of the many things you hear, do you know how many of them are true? What suggestions should you take and what should you ignore? In order for you to have the right understanding about the whole thing, here are the things that you need to know. Here are simple discussions about cholesterol and what they do to your body. There are also tips on how to increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol.

You must understand that if somebody tells you that cholesterol is bad for your health, that somebody does not fully know what he or she is talking about. You see, there is what you call good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. HDL or high-density lipoprotein is what is considered as good cholesterol while LDL or low-density lipoprotein is what is considered as bad cholesterol.

LDL carries cholesterol to your organs. If there is too much LDL, you can expect that cholesterol will be deposited in the linings of your blood vessels. These deposits are called plaques. You might ask how bad plaques are. Plaques can hamper proper flow of blood. They make the passageway of blood narrow. HDL is called good cholesterol because it has the ability to pick up excess cholesterol. If you have enough HDL, cholesterol can be prevented from being deposited in your blood vessels. Therefore it is important that you increase you HDL level and lower your LDL level.

The first tip on how to increase HDL cholesterol is to do a lot of physical activities. Some of the things that you can do are running and jogging. You can run or jog for at least 30 minutes a day. If you go to a gym, you can spend a good amount of time on the treadmill or the stationary bike.

Then you must watch what you eat. You are not required to totally remove fats in your diet as some would suggest. What you need is to choose the right sources of fats. It is better to go for sources such as olive or canola oils instead of animal fats.

Lastly, you also need to do some lifestyle changes. You must seriously consider giving up smoking – it will lower your HDL. You must also consider going easy on alcohol. Studies show that a little amount of alcohol could help increase HDL. A couple glasses of glasses are enough. Going beyond that is discouraged.

Instead of just believing anything and everything that you hear from people pretending to be experts, just follow these tips on how to increase HDL cholesterol.

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Cholesterol Medications

Cholesterol medications are another way of keeping cholesterol under control along with a healthy diet.  There are many different types of cholesterol medications from which to choose.  Those who may need medication need to keep several factors in consideration.

There are generally four types of cholesterol medications: statins, fibrates, resins and nicotinic acid.  Statins and resins, or bile acid-binding drugs, are used to lower LDL or bad cholesterol.  This is usually the type of medication used by diabetics.  Statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor).  However, side effects for statins can include abdominal pain, cramps, constipation, gas, liver abnormalities, pain and weakness such as muscle soreness and upset stomach.

Likewise, resins, which make bile by using cholesterol, include cholestyramine (Questran, Prevalite and L-Cholest), colestipol (Cholestid) and colesevalam (Welchol).  Effects of resins are typically bloating, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, gas, heartburn and stomach irritation.

Fibrates lower triglycerides and in some cases increase HDL or good cholesterol but are not good for lowering LDL.  Fibrate medications include bezabifrate (Bezalip), fenofibrate (Lofibra and Tricor)and gemfibrozil (Lopid).  Known side effects of these particular medications are anemia, blood-thinning medications more effective, diarrhea, increased risk of gallstones and upset stomach.

Nicotinic acid or Niacin works by affecting the actual production of blood fats in the liver.  It lowers triglycerides and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol.  Diabetics must be careful in using this cholesterol medication since it may raise blood sugar levels.  Niacin may either be prescribed or bought as a dietary supplement.  However, users should be warned to not try to substitute the supplement for an actual prescription should one be necessary.

Side effects for Niacin include flushing, itching and stomach upset.  Those prescribed Niacin may also receive liver monitoring since the medication can cause toxicity.  Non-prescribed forms of Niacin should not be used to lower cholesterol and tend to come with the most effects.

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