Your body requires small amounts of cholesterol to stay healthy and uses it as a basis to create estrogen and testosterone, among other compounds, that are necessary for you to function properly. Seventy-five percent of your blood cholesterol comes from cholesterol made in your liver and other cells, and the other 25 percent comes from from foods you have consumed. Aside from total cholesterol, a cholesterol screening measures two types of cholesterol: HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol.
HDL Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance that does not dissolve in your blood. Your body covers cholesterol with water-soluble proteins so the blood can transport the essential substance to where it is needed. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol is primarily made up of protein, containing only a small amount of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is called the good cholesterol because it helps to prevent LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol from attaching to the walls of your arteries and removes cholesterol that is already built up there, carrying it to your liver where it is eliminated.
HDL Cholesterol Levels
Your cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams, or mg, of cholesterol per each deciliter, or dL, of blood. HDL cholesterol lowers your risk of suffering heart disease and strokes, so higher levels are ideal. A level of HDL cholesterol below 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women is considered a risk factor of heart disease. An HDL cholesterol level between 50 to 59 mg/dL is considered to be better. An HDL cholesterol level over 60 mg/dL is considered optimal. Therefore, if your HDL cholesterol level is over 100 mg/dL, you are in the high HDL cholesterol reading, considered to be protective against developing heart disease.
Lifestyle Recommendations
You can make lifestyle changes to help to raise your HDL cholesterol or maintain it at a healthy level. Exercise raises your HDL cholesterol while lowering your LDL cholesterol, so you should aim to be physically active for 60 minutes a day on most days. Talk with your health care provider about appropriate exercises for your fitness level. If you are a smoker, attempt to quit, as your HDL cholesterol increases 10 percent after you stop smoking. You should reach and maintain a healthy weight; every 1 lb. of excess weight you lose may increase your HDL cholesterol level by 1 mg/dL.
Dietary Recommendations
Dietary changes may help you to boost or maintain optimum HDL cholesterol levels. Keep your fat intake between 25 and 35 percent of your daily calories, limiting saturated fat to below 7 percent while avoiding trans fatty acids and trans fats; they lower your HDL cholesterol level while raising your LDL cholesterol. Consume healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, as these are thought to raise your HDL cholesterol. Sources include fish, walnuts and flaxseeds. Moderate consumption of alcohol -- one drink a day for women, two for men -- has been linked to higher levels of HDL cholesterol. So if you drink, limit your alcohol consumption to these amounts, but do not start drinking just to raise your HDL cholesterol.
References
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good
- MayoClinic.com; Cholesterol Levels: What You Should Aim For; June 17, 2010
- MedlinePlus: Cholesterol
- University of Maryland: High Cholesterol Guide
- American Heart Association: What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean
