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Great Food Sources for Good Cholesterols

What is HDL Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance naturally present in the body and moves through the bloodstream. Your liver produces most cholesterol, and some cholesterol comes from the animal-based foods you eat.

People automatically associate it with heart disease when they hear the word cholesterol. However, not all cholesterol is the same. There is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often known as the “good” type of cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol. HDL and LDL are not created equally and don’t have the same effect on your body.

HDL-C, or high-density lipoprotein, is one of the five main lipoproteins and carries one-quarter to one-third of your total LDL back to the liver for removal. It is very dense and contains less fat and more protein than other types of cholesterol.

What Are Optimal HDL Cholesterol Levels?

HDL in the range of 40 to 59 mg/dL is normal, but doctors often recommend an HDL level of 60 mg/dL or higher for optimal benefits. However, there needs to be a balance among HDL, LDL, and triglycerides to reduce cardiovascular disease.

For instance, a study states that HDL’s protection depends on the levels of LDL and triglycerides. If the two other blood fats or lipids are not within normal ranges, even a high HDL may not be protective.

For example, high HDL (40 mg/dL or higher) reduces cardiovascular disease only when your LDL and triglycerides are 100 mg/dL or less. Higher HDL shows no protective effect when LDL and triglycerides level falls above 100 mg/dL or 150 mg/dL.

Normal HDL cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) as per age and gender are as follows:

	At risk	Desirable
Anyone (19 or younger)	More than 45 mg/dl
Men (aged 20 or over)	Less than 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L)	60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) or above
Women (aged 20 or over)	Less than 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L)	60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) or above

In most cases, the higher your HDL levels are, the better. The maximum adult range for HDL cholesterol is around 65 mg/dL for men and 80 mg/dL for women. Sometimes, the HDL benefits can get extended until 90 mg/dL in men.

While HDL levels lower than 40 mg/dL are problematic, raising HDL cholesterol beyond a certain point doesn’t offer any further benefit.

Research also suggests that extremely elevated HDL cholesterol indicates dysfunctional HDL, which may promote cardiovascular diseases.

Foods to Increase Your HDL Cholesterol

Olive Oil

Olive oil reduces heart disease risk more than any other monounsaturated fat. It also increases HDL cholesterol due to its high concentration of polyphenols.

A study shows that consuming about four tablespoons of olive oil daily for six weeks helps boost HDL cholesterol among senior adults.

Nuts

You may assume that adding more fats to a diet is bad. However, it comes down to the type of fat you eat because good fats make up a heart-healthy diet.

Nuts, such as walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pecans, are a good source of protein, fibre, and healthy fats. They offer omega-3 fatty acid and alpha-linolenic acid, which plays a significant role in increasing HDL cholesterol.

Purple Produce

Purple produce like eggplant, black raspberries, red cabbage, blueberries, and blackberries contain antioxidants known as anthocyanins. Anthocyanin extracts help combat inflammation, protect against potentially cancer-causing free radicals, and raise HDL cholesterol.

Seeds

Chia, flaxseed, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds contain chock full of protein, omega-3s, fibre and minerals, which are good for the heart. You can eat ground flaxseeds to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

It does this by stimulating HDL particles to perform a reverse cholesterol transport mechanism, which transports extra cholesterol to the liver for redistribution or removal.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish and fish oil supplements contain impressive amounts of omega-3 fats, which help reduce inflammation and elevate low HDL cholesterol levels.

Eating fatty fish 2-3 times per week noticeably improves your total cholesterol ratio. Salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, and trout are among the best fatty fish for boosting HDL levels.

Cocoa and Dark Chocolate

Studies show that cocoa flavanols have favourable effects on HDL cholesterol and cardiometabolic health. Instead of eating chocolates with added sugar or sugary hot chocolate, stir some fresh cocoa powder into your morning oatmeal, smoothie, or yoghurt. Also, choose dark chocolate with at least 75% cocoa content for optimal benefits.

Avocado

The monounsaturated fatty acids in avocados lower LDL while boosting HDL. According to a 2018 study, eating one avocado a day for five weeks while following a moderate-fat diet improved total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL.

Legumes and Beans

Beans and legumes are rich in soluble fibre, plant sterols and stanols that help improve the LDL-to-HDL ratio. The sterols and stanols are also present in quinoa, oat bran, almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Fruits and Vegetable

Nutritionists will always encourage increasing fruit and vegetable intake because of their dietary fibre, nutrients, minerals, and vitamin content.

High-fibre fruits and vegetables, such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, pears, and oranges, are the best foods to increase your HDL.

Whole Grains

Whole grains, such as oats, quinoa, barley, brown rice, and whole wheat, are high in beta-glucan, which traps bad cholesterol and removes it from the body.

A varied diet must have whole grains to balance LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. Oats and barley can be hearty breakfast porridge and contribute towards recommended 3 grams of beta-glucan daily to improve heart health.

Soy Foods

Adding 40 g/day of soy protein to a diet already low in animal protein can raise HDL cholesterol in adults with otherwise normal cholesterol readings. However, choose minimally processed soy products such as tofu, tempeh, or miso.

Conclusion

Several factors affect HDL cholesterol levels, including diet, physical activity, family history, genetics, etc. Heart-healthy foods easily boost your HDL cholesterol levels while keeping your “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in check. However, raising HDL cholesterol does not have to focus on cutting your favourite foods from your diet.

Learn how to increase your HDL cholesterol and improve your heart health with the HealthifyMe App. While you hustle with work-life balance, HealthifyMe coaches plan healthier meals and workout routines for your heart.