The jury may still be out as to whether or not you can raise your high-density lipoprotein, or "good" blood cholesterol level, with diet. No studies have shown that any foods raise HDL levels, according to the website eMedTV. MayoClinic.com, however, recommends adding specific foods to your diet to improve the ratio of high-density lipoproteins to low-density lipoproteins, or the "bad" cholesterol. Substitute foods in your diet that are high in total cholesterol with those that help improve your HDL levels for better heart health.
Fish
Cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, trout, mackerel and halibut are low in total cholesterol and high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help improve HDL levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Replace high-fat, high-cholesterol meats in your favorite dishes by substituting fish. Add canned tuna to spaghetti sauce instead of hamburger. Serve a broiled salmon fillet with your baked potato instead of a steak, and eliminate the cheese, butter, bacon and sour cream on your potato that increase your cholesterol intake. Instead of putting ground beef in tortillas, serve fish tacos. Add plenty of diced, fresh vegetables and fat-free salsa instead of the high-cholesterol dairy products that normally top these foods.
Nuts
Nuts are another good source of omega-3 fatty acids and are high in protein. Add walnuts to salad instead of meats to add crunch and flavor as you reduce total cholesterol and help raise improve LDL/HDL ratio, suggests MayoClinic.com. Use nondairy dressing and skip eggs. One eggs contains more than 70 percent of your daily recommended value of cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. Add almonds to green beans instead of making a fatty green bean casserole to reduce cholesterol and add omega-3. Other nuts and seeds MayoClinic.com recommends for improving HDL numbers include pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts and pistachio nuts.
Cranberries
A glass of cranberry juice my be in high in calories, but offers a variety of benefits, including helping to prevent urinary tract infections and possibly raising HDL levels. A 2004 research study presented by Canadian researcher, Guillaume Ruel, at the 2004 the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress found that men who drank cranberry juice each day raised their HDL cholesterol by almost 8 percent. A University of Scranton study funded by the U.S. Cranberry Institute found that a small sample of 19 patients who drank cranberry juice daily raised their HDL levels 10 percent.
Fats
Cooking with monounsaturated fats will lower your LDL numbers, and not lower your HDL levels. Good choices for cooking oil include olive, peanut, canola and safflower. Avoid trans fats, which can lower your HDL numbers. Trans fats are found in many baked goods and artificial dairy products. Check the nutrition labels on butter substitutes and purchase those that contain no trans fats.
Alcohol
Drinking a glass of red wine with your meal can improve your HDL levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Alcohol carries with it a variety of other health concerns, so limit your intake and consider discussing the effects alcohol may have on you with a physician.
Niacin
Many breakfast cereals are fortified with niacin, which raises HDL levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Oatmeal, which is an excellent source of dietary fiber, helps remove cholesterol from your body by absorbing it in your digestive system, taking it out of the body when the oatmeal is passed. Decrease cholesterol in your breakfasts by skipping the bacon and eggs and eating niacin-fortified breakfast cereals with low-fat milk.
