I just had my blood work done and my doctor says cholesterol when from a 1.7 risk to 1.4. He then redid the math using 40 HDL instead of my 30 HDL and the risk fell to 1.0. So he wants me to raise my good cholesteral... but I have no idea how to do that because I'm not sure what it is and because of that I have no idea how to search for this info.
Can anyone help? Thanks!

Since I'm working to raise my own HDL level I have a few tips (by the way...so far, my efforts are working). But first, here's how you go about searching for this sort of info. Go to

www.google.com

type in 'raising HDL' and spend 10 minutes looking thru all the info that comes up. Here's some of the info I found, cut n' pasted from the About.com website on heart disease.

What measures can be used to increase HDL levels?

Aerobic exercise. Many people don't like to hear it, but regular aerobic exercise (any exercise, such as walking, jogging or bike riding, that raises your heart rate for 20 - 30 minutes at a time) increases the HDL levels.

Lose weight. Obesity results not only in increased LDL cholesterol, but also in reduced HDL cholesterol. If you are overweight, reducing your weight should increase your HDL levels.

Stop smoking. If you smoke, giving up tobacco will result in an increase in HDL levels. (This is the only advantage I can think of that smokers have over non-smokers - it gives them something else to do that will raise their HDL.)

Cut out the trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids are currently present in many of your favorite prepared foods - anything in which the nutrition label reads "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils" - so eliminating them from the diet is not a trivial task. But trans fatty acids not only increase LDL cholesterol levels, they also reduce HDL cholesterol levels. Removing them from your diet will almost certainly result in a measurable increase in HDL levels. Click here for a quick and easy review of trans fatty acids and the heart.

Alcohol. With apologies to the American Heart Association, which discourages doctors from telling their patients about the advantages of alcohol: one or two drinks per day can significantly increase HDL levels. More than one or two drinks per day, one hastens to add, can lead to substantial health problems including heart failure - and there are individuals who will develop such problems even when limiting their alcohol intake to one or two drinks per day. Click here for a quick and easy review of alcohol and the heart.

Increase the monounsaturated fats in your diet. Monounsaturated fats such as canola oil, avocado oil, or olive oil and in the fats found in peanut butter can increase HDL cholesterol levels without increasing the total cholesterol.

Add soluble fiber to your diet. Soluble fibers are found in oats, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and result in both a reduction in LDL cholesterol and an increase HDL cholesterol. For best results, at least two servings a day should be used.

Good luck!

ETA: I should add that HDL doesn't respond to most standard cholesterol drug therapy, but Niacin has been shown to have an effect. I take a 100 mg Niacin tablet early in the day with my standard multi-vitamin, and another time-release Niacin 500 mg tablet along with a B-complex vitamin at bedtime. Niacin, one form of B vitamin, can help to raise HDL levels, but there can be side effects. Noticable skin flush (with a 'hot flash' feeling) is the main side effect I've found FOR ME. This is why I take my big pill at bedtime. I may be turning pink about 2 am, but I'll never notice it.

Before anyone begins taking niacin or any other self-medication, please do your home work. Again, good luck.

Texascarl, you are awesome!! Thank you so much. You gave me what I needed to at least look for what I need to know plus you gave me food for thought. I had no idea those things effected your HDL. I've lost 70lbs so far but my HDL hasn't budged. I guess I need to lose more. Thanks so much!!

You're welcome. Congrats on losing 70 lbs.

FWIW, for my HDL I take 2 or 3 caps of fish oil daily as well as the Niacin. I cook with Olive Oil, eat an oz. of almonds daily and what's probably most important...I exercise daily (walking + pilates & weight lifting). I follow a low-carb WOE. Every little bit helps.

Since we're on a roll here, I'll list another 'search engine' that I use & a couple of useful health/medical sites. Bookmark for next time.

http://www.dogpile.com/

http://my.webmd.com/

http://www.medicinenet.com/

Also good are Vit c, Vit E, garlic, green tea, grape seed extract. Also don't use any butter replacement spreads no matter how "good" they say they are for you. Only use butter and oils.

Zuleikaa, I take all those except the grape seed oil.
probably why I don't have 25 for my HDL
Thanks Texascarl again for those links! By the way, Its easy to remember your name, my Dad's name is Carl.

Lessara
How about the butter replacement spreads? They suppress good cholesterol and raise bad cholesterol!! I only use butter and oils!!

I only use butter and olive oil, coconut oil if I have it (lack of money has cause me to not buying it for the last two months)

Texascarl wrote

The fats in peanut butter are not monosaturated, for the most part -- they are omega-6 fatty acids. We need some of that, but too much overproduces inflammatory prostaglandins.

I'm concerned about raising my HDL, too. I just had some lab test done, a lipid panel included. The most important results are below.


(article on TG/HDL ratio)

I take 2 Tb. of good-quality coconut oil daily. I eat 1/4 of an avocado (monosaturated fat) and 1/2 oz of walnuts (monosaturated and omega-6 balance) daily. I take 2 tsp. of cod liver oil daily. I take 3 g of Vit. C, and 400 mg. of Vit. E daily. I exercise (weight training 2x/wk, and treadmill 2x/wk).

Given that I've dropped 55 lbs, are these improvements consistent with what others have experienced? I would have thought that my TG levels would have dropped more, and my HDL gone up more.