Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a dreaded word for many individuals but in reality it is a substance that helps our body manufacture hormones, some vitamins and other functions. There are two kinds of cholesterol in the body, the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (hdl) and the low density lipoprotein cholesterol (ldl). Both of these kinds of cholesterol are manufactured by our body and can also be in the foods that we eat.

High hdl cholesterol is something that one can be relieved to have whereas, the high ldl cholesterol should be taken care of. High hdl cholesterol signifies that these dense lipoproteins have a high presence in your blood stream. High hdl cholesterol level helps eliminate the risk of heart disease by transporting the ldl which have accumulated in the arteries back to the liver for excretion or recycling. There are many different ways to get high hdl cholesterol in order to fight off high ldl cholesterol. The liver is the organ that manufactures the body’s cholesterol.

Having a low level of the high density lipoprotein is something of a risk for heart diseases and other conditions related to it even if your overall cholesterol level is normal. This is because high density lipoprotein acts as something that takes away the accumulated ldl in the arteries. Without this, even if the ldl is just above the range, the risk that it will rise is there without the hdl to check it. High hdl cholesterol is not a problem, in fact, many will see this as a boon to good health.

Food

This is the primary source of high hdl cholesterol, other than what our body produces. There are many different food items that contain high hdl cholesterol good enough to fight off the effects of high ldl in the blood. Food that can positively affect the high hdl cholesterol levels in an individual are fish oil from tuna and other certain fish. This is because they have a high concentration of omega 3 acids which help reach a high hdl cholesterol level. Not all fish are good sources of hdl cholesterol but fish are also not sources of saturated fats, which are turned into ldl cholesterol in our bodies.

Soluble fiber is also another factor that can help an individual reduce high cholesterol and raise the hdl level. Foods that can promote high hdl cholesterol with soluble fiber are oat bran, whole grains, brown rice, citrus fruits, apples, legumes and more. These help the body deal with elevated ldl cholesterol levels.

Combined with exercise, the right diet is very effective in maintaining a high hdl cholesterol level and lowering the dangerous ldl level of the body.