| About the Ratio | | | | acyltransferase antioxidant activity prevents the |
| High Density Lipoprotein is a substance that | | | | formation of oxidized lipids during lipoprotein |
| carries cholesterol particles from your artery walls | | | | oxidation. Biochemistry; 1999 May |
| back through the bloodstream and into the liver | | | | 11;38(19):5976-81 |
| where some of it is metabolized and some | | | | Several things that are known to raise HDL levels. |
| excreted from your body in the form of bile salts. | | | | * Aerobic or interval training exercise |
| Statistics show that when the ratio is favorable, | | | | * Dietary changes – with balanced fat intake |
| your risk of heart problems is minimized, so it | | | | * Eat for your blood type and metabolic type |
| makes sense to learn how to increase HDL, and | | | | * Specific nutritional supplements |
| keep the HDL LDL ratio as good as possible. | | | | The foods to increase HDL do it in several ways. |
| The ratio is determined by taking your LDL, | | | | Some foods like healthy fats, provide the raw |
| (low-density cholesterol) number, and dividing it by | | | | materials or (precursors) your body needs to |
| your HDL (high-density cholesterol) number. The | | | | make HDL. Other foods such as high fiber foods |
| result is what doctors use to determine your risk | | | | and low glycemic fruits and vegetables may |
| of cardiovascular disease. | | | | indirectly raise HDL by preventing inflammation, |
| The higher the HDL, the lower the risk. Lets look | | | | boosting antioxidant status, and lowering blood |
| at some numbers to give you an idea of how this | | | | sugar and insulin. Some of these foods may also |
| works. | | | | possess antioxidant activity themselves and work |
| For example: | | | | synergistically with HDL to protect against |
| * Total cholesterol is: 200 | | | | cardiovascular disease. |
| * HDL is: 50 | | | | Specific supplements that will raise HDL levels and |
| * LDL is: 150 | | | | help optimize the HDL LDL ratio are: |
| The ratio would be: 3 This would be considered a | | | | * Fish oil |
| good ratio, indicating the person would have a | | | | * Pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5) |
| lower than average risk of heart disease. | | | | * niacin – (vitamin B-3) |
| Over time, what was considered to be good or | | | | * Gugulipid |
| safe levels of cholesterol have been adjusted | | | | * Coenzyme Q-10 |
| downward, in part due to the push to get more | | | | * Carnitine |
| people on cholesterol lowering medications. Foods | | | | * Vitamin-C |
| to raise HDL have not been emphasized for this | | | | * Magnesium |
| reason. The current medical model for prevention | | | | * Polycosanol |
| of cardiovascular disease focuses on drug | | | | * Vitamin E-complex |
| therapy. This is why you must learn how to | | | | * Alpha Lipoic Acid |
| increase HDL and get the optimal HDL LDL ratio | | | | * N-Acetyl-Cysteine |
| to prevent heart disease. | | | | * CLA – conjugated linoleic acid |
| High-density lipoproteins have recently been found | | | | All of these supplements help increase HDL levels, |
| to have potent antioxidant activity, and this may | | | | however niacin (B-3) and calcium pantothenate |
| well be the reason for its “protective” role | | | | (B-5) are the most effective. Focus on them first, |
| in regards to vascular disease. See the notation | | | | and add others if needed. |
| below: | | | | Foods to Raise HDL |
| Vohl MC, Neville TA, Kumarathasan R, Braschi S, | | | | There are a number of foods that are claimed to |
| Sparks DL: A novel lecithin-cholesterol | | | | raise HDL levels. |