What Does Your HDL Mean to Your Cholesterol Levels?

When it comes to controlling the cholesterol levels in your blood there are two types of cholesterol in particular that need to be controlled to the right levels to ensure your good health. The first of these is LDL cholesterol, this is also known as the bad cholesterol however it is not really bad as it is needed for your good health.. The other kind of cholesterol is the HDL cholesterol which is sometimes referred to as the good. So what does your HDL mean to your cholesterol levels?

If you have too low an HDL level then this can lead to health concerns. The reason for this is because it is the job of LDL to carry the cholesterol around the body to do its work on the cells, then once that work is done it is the job of the HDL to take the cholesterol back to the liver for reprocessing. If your HDL levels are too low then this of course means there will be too much LDL in the blood and this can lead to heart disease.

So when we are looking to control cholesterol, in order to get good balance we ideally want to keep our LDL at a reasonably low level, and keep our HDL levels high. If they are the other way round then chances are your physician may prescribe medication to you such as statins, however if this is the case you really want to think carefully before agreeing to going on this medication. The reason being is because statins have many side effects which can impact your health including heart failure, however it is possible to boost your HDL and reduce your LDL by making some simple lifestyle decisions.

For instance if you are a smoker then really you need to quit as this not only contributes to low HDL but of course there are many other diseases associated with smoking. If you drink a lot of alcohol then this needs to be cut back too, because alcohol in excess can lead to high triglyceride levels which in turn means low HDL. On the other hand, a glass or two of red wine on a daily basis can increase HDL levels.

Another way to boost HDL levels and lower LDL levels is to exercise. Exercising does not have to be something that leaves you in pain or out of breath,it just needs to be something that raises the pulse and gets the body moving; something such as walking briskly for half an hour a day. Finally increasing your omega3 from oily fish also helps to increase your HDL levels. This works because it reduces triglyceride levels, and when triglyceride levels are low then HDL levels are high.

Although these methods work for you, something that could really give a boost is to use a naturally blended supplement. These kinds of supplements are made from nutrients that are proven and documented in helping to boost HDL and lower LDL levels, in fact if you use a supplements that also includes policosanol then you will actually create less cholesterol in the first place.