Good cholesterol should get equal focus as people talk about lowering high cholesterol levels. Here few ways to improve HDL level and boost heart health.
How to lower high cholesterol levels? Ways to reduce bad cholesterol – these are all common, everyday questions that come up in articles, conversations and advice too. While majorly people focus on raising about bad or high cholesterol and how it is bad for heart health, not many focus on raising good cholesterol.
Cholesterol is basically plaque build-up in coronary arteries that may disrupt the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is found in our cells. There are two types of cholesterol – good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol.
High-density lipoprotein or HDL is considered the good cholesterol that is required to transport excess cholesterol out of your arteries. Low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol is the unhealthy buildup of waxy substance in arteries that blocks oxygen and blood flow leading to severe health conditions like heart attack.
While it is important to lower bad cholesterol, improving good cholesterol is equally important.
CHOLESTEROL: 5 WAYS TO RAISE GOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVEL
- Healthy Diet: Diet plays a cardinal role in cholesterol build-up. It is important to increase the intake of unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber and more.
- Increase Physical Activity: A sedentary lifestyle is a major reason for bad cholesterol. Physical exercise is crucial to increasing good cholesterol levels that is HDL. Burning of calories helps to lower bad cholesterol. 30-minutes of everyday exercise can increase HDL.
- Weight Management: Managing weight is essential to maintain good cholesterol levels in the body. Obesity leads to high cholesterol which further increases the risk of heart attack. Therefore, cutting belly fat is important.
- Quit Smoking: Smoking suppresses HDL and increases the chances of all other health problems. Therefore, it is important to stop this habit right away.
- Limit Alcohol Intake: Drinking alcohol breaks down into triglycerides and cholesterol. Therefore, lowering alcohol content lowers the buildup of bad cholesterol.
Including a good high-protein, fiber-rich diet, combined with healthy lifestyle can help to raise good cholesterol levels naturally. Good cholesterol means a good heart.