8 Ways to Boost Your "Good" Cholesterol [HDL]

Fighting for the Good

You probably know all about the two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. Too much LDL (bad) cholesterol can gunk up your blood and clog your arteries, but HDL (good) cholesterol acts like a housekeeper for your blood, mopping up excess LDL and tossing it in the trash (your liver) for disposal. HDL also decreases inflammation and may protect against Alzheimer's, too. How can you get more HDL? Start with these eight strategies. 

Take a Walk

A quick, 30-minute walk each day is all you need to increase HDL by 9%. Can't squeeze in a daily walk? Shoot for 30 to 45 minutes of higher-intensity aerobic exercise two to three times a week. That more-condensed regimen will increase your HDL up to 5 points (not bad considering every 1-point jump in HDL drops your risk for cardiovascular disease by 3%).

Lose Weight

Obesity and low HDL tend to go hand in hand, but you don't have to become runway-model thin to raise your good cholesterol. You can bump it up one point for every 6.6 pounds of excess body weight you drop.

Boost Your Vitamin B

Two B vitamins can help raise HDL: niacin (B3) and pantothenic acid (B5). Niacin works, but it can have side effects, including liver damage and intense hot flushing. A supplement containing 300 mg of B5 can also help increase your HDL cholesterol. To be safe, talk to your doctor before you take these supplements. Serious side effects, allergic reactions, and interactions with other drugs are possible.

Opt for More Omega-3s

Cold-water fish such as salmon and trout are high in a particular type of omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that helps raise HDL cholesterol. (DHA also protects brain and eye health, and helps with weight control.) To ensure you get ample DHA, Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD, also recommend a daily 900 mg algae-based omega-3 supplement.

Stop Smoking

Kick this habit to the curb and you'll crank up your HDL by a whopping 4 points. You'll also slash your risk of lung cancer and other life-threatening diseases. If you've struggled and failed to quit smoking, don't give up. Sometimes it takes a new approach to succeed. Ask your doctor for advice on how to quit.

Drink Alcohol in Moderation

A daily glass of red wine or other alcoholic beverage may help lower your risk for cardiovascular disease by up to 40%. That's because the ethanol in all forms of alcohol helps increase HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clots. The key is moderation: no more than one drink per day for the ladies; two for the gents.

Eat Less Sugar

Gobbling more than 90 grams of sugar a day can jack up bad-for-you triglycerides and take a bite out of your HDL level. Limit added sugars to less than 100 calories (about 2 tablespoons) a day. That includes obvious sources, such as a teaspoon of sugar in your morning coffee, as well as sugars in processed foods -- everything from condiments and salad dressings to cereal. Yet another reason to carefully read food labels!

Skip Bad-for-You Fat

Cut back on foods high in saturated fat and trans fat. These unhealthy fats raise LDL cholesterol, boost inflammation, and damage blood vessels. Trans fats also reduce HDL. Cut down on saturated fat by eating less meat and full-fat dairy. Aim for no more than 7% of your daily calories from saturated fat. Avoid trans fat by skipping processed food, such as cookies, crackers, margarine, or any product containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

61 Health Benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

1. There is strong evidence that omega-3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect in bipolar disorder.

2. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is associated with reduced mania and depression in juvenile bipolar disorder.

3. Clinical studies have reported that oral fish oil supplementation has beneficial effects in rheumatoid arthritis and among some asthmatics.

4. Fish oil improves tubular dysfunction, lipid profiles and oxidative stress in patients with IgA nephropathy.

5. Dietary supplementation with flaxseed oil lowers blood pressure in dyslipidaemic patients.

6. Omega 3 fatty acids improve the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, including markers of inflammation and auto-immunity.

7. Omega-3 in modest doses reduces cardiac deaths, and in high doses reduces nonfatal cardiovascular events.

8. Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids reduces the incidence of sudden cardiac death in patients with myocardial infarction.

9. Omega-3 fatty acid reduce the total mortality and sudden death in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

10. Raising blood levels of omega-3 fatty acid levels may be 8 times effective than distributing automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and 2 times more effective than implanting implanting cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in preventing sudden death.

11. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces total mortality and sudden death in patients who have already had a heart attack.

12. Consuming small quantities of fish is associated with a reduction in coronary heart disease.

13. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D supplementation results in a substantial reduction incoronary calcium scores and slowed plaque growth.

14. Omega-3 fatty acids prevent atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery.

15. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has a therapeutic effect in children with ADHD.

16. A combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as magnesium and zinc consumption provide a beneficial effect on attentional, behavioural, and emotional problems of children and adolescents.

17. Fish oil supplementation has a significant therapeutic effect on children with autism.

18. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to be an effective treatment for children with autism.

19. The consumption of omega-3 fatty acid supplements decreases homocysteine levels indiabetic patients.

20. Omega-3 fatty acids improve macro- and microvascular function in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

21. In patients with stable coronary artery disease, an independent and inverse association exists between n-3 fatty acid levels and inflammatory biomarkers.

22. Omega-3 fatty acids improve endothelial function in peripheral arterial disease.

23. Fish oil has a beneficial effect on blood viscosity in peripheral vascular disease.

24. Fish oil supplementation improves walking distance in peripheral arterial disease.

25. The omega-3 fatty acid docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) reduces the risk of peripheral arterialdiseaseassociated with smoking.

26. An 8-month treatment with omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) has a positive effects, such asdecreasing inflammation, in patients with cystic fibrosis.

27. Omega-3 fatty acids may have a protective effect against mucus over-production caused by pulmonary bacterial colonization in cystic fibrosis.

28. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces inflammatory biomarkers, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and interleukin-8 concentrations in cystic fibrosis patients.

29. DHA increases resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

30. EPA supplementation has therapeutic value in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients.

31. EPA and DHA have therapeutic value in the treatment of systemic lupus erythmeatosus.

32. Omega-3 fish oil reduces the severity of symptoms in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

33. Fish and long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and total mortalityin diabetic women.

34. Higher plasma concentrations of EPA and DPA are associated with a lower risk of nonfatalmyocardial infarction among women.

35. Omega-3 fatty acid consumption is inversely associated with incidence of hypertension.

36. Fish oil, but not flaxseed oil, decreases inflammation and prevents pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction.

37. The consumption of fish reduces the risk of ischemic stroke in elderly individuals.

38. A moderate intake of EPA and DHA may postpone cognitive decline in elderly men.

39. Omega-3 fatty acids may have a therapeutic effect on postpartum depression.

40. Omega-3 fatty acids may have therapeutic value in the treatment of dry eye syndrome.

41. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation exhibits therapeutic value in the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology.

42. Fish consumption reduces the risk of ischemic stroke in men.

43. Omega-3 Fatty acids supplementation prevents and reverses insulin resistance.

44. Omega-3 fatty acids prevent the formation of urinary calcium oxalate stone formation.

45. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for children with bronchial asthma.

46. Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation may contribute to the prevention of early preterm birth in both low-risk and high-risk pregnancies.

47. Fish consumption is associated with a 63% reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality.

48. Omega 3 fatty acids decrease the severity of autoimmune disorders.

49. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may have a therapeutic role in attenuating pulmonary hypertension.

50. Omega-3 fatty acids resulted in an improvement in weight bearing in dogs with osteoarthritis.

51. Primary open-angle glaucoma patients have reduced blood levels of DHA and EPA.

52. Omega-3 fatty acids alleviate insulin resistance and fatty liver in obese mice.

53. Intake of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids from fish may be associated with areduced prevalence of allergic rhinitis.

54. Cod liver oil (omega-3 Fatty Acids) reduces the need for NSAIDs in patients withrheumatoid arthritis.

55. Omega-3 Fatty Acids has significant therapeutic benefits and drug sparing activity in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

56. Diets containing EPA and DHA have an inhibitory effect on breast cancer growth and metastasis.

57. Dietary Omega-3 fatty acids may protect smokers against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

58. Omega-3 fatty acids were shown to be more effective than placebo for depression in both adults and children in small controlled studies and in an open study of bipolar depression.

59. The omega-3 fatty acid EPA is as effective as fluoxetine (Prozac) in treating major depressive disorder.

60. A diet low in trans-unsaturated fat and rich in omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil may reducethe risk of age-related macular degeneration.

61. Higher intake of omega 3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of pneumonia.