Muscle Mag Fitness spoke with health and nutrition expert Jeff Behar to get his advice about regarding heart disease and ways to raise HDL "good"  lower cholesterol naturally.

Muscle Mag Fitness: What is cholesterol exactly?

Jeff Behar: Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) found in foods from animal sources. The body (the liver) also produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol a day. Because cholesterol can't travel alone through the bloodstream, it has to combine with certain proteins so that they are able to be transported to different parts of the body. When this happens, the cholesterol and protein form what is called a lipoprotein.  

The two most important types of lipoproteins are high-density lipoproteins (or HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (or LDL). You've probably heard people call LDL cholesterol "bad cholesterol" and HDL cholesterol "good cholesterol" because of their very different effects on the body. Most cholesterol is LDL cholesterol, and this is the kind that's most likely to clog the blood vessels, keeping blood from flowing through the body the way it should. Only about one third to one fourth of the total amount of cholesterol is HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol back to the liver, where it can be processed and sent out of the body; therefore HDL is often referred to as "good cholesterol". 

Muscle Mag Fitness: What is HDL Cholesterol and Why are their Levels So Important?

Jeff Behar:  High-density lipoproteins (HDL), aka "good cholesterol",  is one of the 5 major groups of lipoproteins (chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, HDL) which enable lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides to move within the water based solution of the blood stream. Studies show that HDL cholesterol, aka "good cholesterol", appears to scour the walls of blood vessels, cleaning out excess cholesterol.

HDL cholesterol then carries that excess cholesterol -- which otherwise might have been used to make the "plaques" that cause coronary artery disease -- back to the liver for processing. When a person's HDL cholesterol level is measured it is used to estimate how vigorously his or her blood vessels are being "scrubbed" free of cholesterol. In healthy individuals, about thirty percent of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. 

Muscle Mag Fitness: What levels of HDL Cholesterol are considered good?

Jeff Behar:  HDL levels between 40 and 60 mg/dL are considered "normal." HDL levels greater than 60 mg/dL may actually protect people from heart disease.

HDL levels below 40 mg/dL result in an increased risk of coronary artery disease, even in people whose total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels are normal. Bottom line, the medical community has known for years that when it comes to HDL levels, the higher the better.  

*mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter

Muscle Mag Fitness: Are there natural supplements available to increase HDL?

Jeff Behar: Most evidence supports the use of niacin to increase HDL - up to 35%. The beneficial effect is dose dependent. Niacin can cause flushing which people don't like - in these cases, it makes sense to start at a low dose and slowly build up. If people end up taking large doses of niacin, it is important that they ask their doctor about checking for liver enzymes because liver injury is a potential side effect at high doses. There is evidence supporting the use of exercise, red wine, polyphenols in berries in increasing HDL too. 

Muscle Mag Fitness: Are there other natural ways to increase HDL?

Jeff Behar: Most evidence supports the use of niacin to increase HDL - up to 35%. The beneficial effect is dose dependent. Niacin can cause flushing which people don't like - in these cases, it makes sense to start at a low dose and slowly build up. If people end up taking large doses of niacin, it is important that they ask their doctor about checking for liver enzymes because liver injury is a potential side effect at high doses. There is evidence supporting the use of exercise, red wine, polyphenols in berries in increasing HDL too.

• Start on a Mediterranean diet. A Mediterranean diet emphasizes mono unsaturated fats (e.g., canola oil, avocado oil, or olive oil) over saturated fats, emphasizes the consumption of fish over meat, includes heart healthy oils, and emphasizes moderate consumption of alcohol. This approach has shown to increase HDL cholesterol levels without increasing the total cholesterol, and lowers the risk for heart disease.
• Removing trans fatty acids from the diet. 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.
• Reducing fat in the diet. Limiting intake of dietary fat to 30-35% of total calories can lower cholesterol dramatically.
• Weight loss. 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. This is especially important if your excess weight is stored in your abdominal area; your weight-to-hip ratio is particularly important in determining whether you ought to concentrate on weight loss.
• Smoking cessation. If you smoke, giving up tobacco will result in an increase in HDL levels. Within 30 minutes after quitting, your blood pressure decreases. Within 24 hours, your risk of a heart attack decreases. Within one year, your risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker. Within 15 years, your risk of heart disease is similar to someone who never smoked. Quitting smoking does a body good!! So, QUIT TODAY!!!
• Increasing aerobic exercise. Consistent moderate physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol. With your doctor's OK, work up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. Exercising does not have to be in a gym. Take a brisk daily walk. Play tennis. play with your kids or your dog in your yard. just get up and move!!
• Drink wine. One drink of alcohol a day or less yields higher HDL-C levels, more so in women than men. HDL transports cholesterol to the liver and cholesterol is known to have a protective effect on the cell membrane. It is likely that this reflects the liver's need for more cholesterol to protect itself from the alcohol.
• Adding soluble fiber to diet. Soluble fibers found in oats, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, can result in both a reduction in LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol.
• Adding anti-oxidants to the diet. The antioxidant qualities of vitamin E with beta carotene can raise the good or HDL cholesterol levels, cleansing the body of free radicals. Green tea can be consumed each day also because of the antioxidant properties in the tea. In addition to lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL, green tea can also regulate blood sugar and reduce high blood pressure.

About Jeff Behar 

Jeff Behar, MS, MBA