Your HDL is commonly called your "good" cholesterol, and you may know you should have as much of it as possible. If you have a very high HDL level, that's excellent -- it means you're at lower risk of cardiovascular disease. If you don't have a very high HDL level, there are things you can do to get one.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a bit confusing. For instance, you probably think of it as a bad substance that you want as little of as possible, but in actuality, it is an important biomolecule that you couldn't live without. Your cells use cholesterol to reinforce their membranes and make the steroid hormones and vitamin D, explains Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book "Human Physiology." Your cells can make the cholesterol they need, however -- you don't have to consume it.
"Good" Cholesterol
Another confusing issue is that even though the American Heart Association recommends having as low a total cholesterol level as possible, you may have heard that there's "good" cholesterol that you should have plenty of. This substance, called HDL or high-density lipoprotein, isn't actually a type of cholesterol, however. Instead, it's a cholesterol transporter particle that carries excess cholesterol out of the body cells and to the liver for excretion.
HDL Levels
According to the American Heart Association, your HDL should be as high as possible -- ideally above 60 mg/dL. Men with HDL below 40 mg/dL and women with HDL below 50 mg/dL are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact, HDL is so important that even if your LDL -- commonly called "bad" cholesterol -- and triglycerides are appropriately low, low HDL puts you at increased cardiovascular risk.
Raising HDL
If your HDL is already high, there are things you can do to maintain it. These are the same as what you'd do to raise a lower HDL. Regular exercise is the single most effective method of increasing your HDL; aim for 30 minutes at least three times per week. There's also some indication that moderate alcohol consumption -- about 1 drink per day for women and 1 to 2 drinks per day for men -- increases your HDL.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- American Heart Association: HDL
- "Circulation"; Alcohol Consumption Raises HDL Cholesterol Levels by Increasing the Transport Rate of Apolipoproteins A-I and A-II; E. De Oliviera e Silva, et al.; 2000
