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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCholesterol has long been seen as a key culprit in cardiovascular disease. While it\u2019s true that cholesterol does play a role, not all cholesterol is bad for us.<\/p>\n
There are two main types of cholesterol.<\/p>\n
The first type is low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. This is often referred to as the \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol because it causes fat to collect in the arteries as plaques. This makes it harder for blood to pump throughout the body, leading to greater risk of a heart attack or stroke.<\/p>\n
The second type is high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol \u2014 often referred to as \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol.<\/p>\n
HDL cholesterol has two key roles in the body. It removes excess bad cholesterol from the tissues and arteries and returns it to the liver so it can be removed from the body. HDL cholesterol also protects the artery walls so there\u2019s less risk of a blockage forming.<\/p>\n
Boosting HDL<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n The ratio of LDL to HDL in a person\u2019s body is related to their cardiovascular disease risk. If you have a higher ratio of HDL to LDL, your cardiovascular disease risk will be lower. But if you have a lower ratio of HDL to LDL, you\u2019ll have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, it\u2019s possible to shift this ratio and increase HDL cholesterol levels. This can be achieved by exercising, quitting smoking and managing your weight, for example.<\/p>\n
Certain foods can also improve HDL ratios.<\/p>\n
The main way that diet helps boost HDL ratios is by reducing inflammation. Inflammation is a key problem in cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n
Inflammation makes it possible for blood platelets to stick together in our arteries at a much higher rate. This makes it difficult for the HDL cholesterol to do its job, which increases risk of blood clots forming and raises likelihood of heart disease.<\/p>\n
By eating anti-inflammatory foods, it makes it easier for HDL cholesterol to do its job of sweeping away excess LDL cholesterol. Here are four examples you can include in your diet:<\/p>\n
1. Fruits and vegetables<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Research shows that people who have diets high in fruits and vegetables have higher HDL cholesterol levels and a better total cholesterol ratio. They also have lower blood pressure and healthier blood sugar levels, all of which can be supportive to heart health.<\/p>\n
Fruits and vegetables exert their positive effects by trapping free radicals.<\/p>\n
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Inflammation makes it possible for blood platelets to stick together in our arteries at a much higher rate (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nFree radicals are highly reactive, unstable molecules that can cause damage to cells and trigger inflammation in the body. By preventing inflammation, this makes it possible for HDL cholesterol to continue doing its job of removing bad cholesterol and protecting the arteries.<\/p>\n
2. Oily fish and olive oil<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Oily fish (such as salmon, sardines and tuna) and olive oil are rich in a type of fat called \u201cpolar lipids\u201d.<\/p>\n
These lipids are able to reach the bloodstream more quickly compared to other types of fat, allowing them to reduce inflammation and prevent the aggregation of platelets more effectively.<\/p>\n
Cell and animal studies have shown that a diet rich in the polar lipids from oily fish is effective in preventing blood clots from forming. This effect can help cholesterol ratios stay balanced, meaning cardiovascular disease risk is lower.<\/p>\n
3. Fermented dairy<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Fermented dairy products, such as yoghurt, kefir and cheese, can all have a positive effect on HDL levels.<\/p>\n
During fermentation, the lipids are broken down into smaller compounds that have a greater anti-inflammatory effect than milk. They can also be metabolised faster by the body.<\/p>\n
Fermented dairy products are also rich in polar lipids, which means that they can considerably reduce cardiovascular risk.<\/p>\n
Research found that for every 20g of fermented dairy products people consumed each day, there was a modest reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.<\/p>\n
4. Red wine<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Finally, red wine is completely misunderstood. According to the latest research, moderate consumption of red wine (the equivalent of one to two small glasses per day) is linked with better HDL ratios.<\/p>\n
Wine reduces inflammation when consumed in small quantities because it contains polar lipids. However, if wine intake is high, the negative, pro-inflammatory effect of alcohol outstrips the positive effect of the lipids.<\/p>\n\nAbout the author<\/h2>\nIoannis Zabetakis is an Associate Professor, Food Chemistry at University of Limerick. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
This is why it\u2019s important only to drink small amounts and in moderation \u2013 otherwise, alcohol can have many negative effects on the body. Indeed, the World Health Organization has said there is no safe level of alcohol consumption as the negatives, such as increased cancer risk even from light drinking, outweigh any positives.<\/p>\n
Non-alcoholic wines also contain polar lipids. Research suggests that polar lipid extracts from non-alcoholic beverages have comparable benefits on preventing the formation of blood clots as their alcoholic counterparts.<\/p>\n
Inflammation is a key factor in heart disease. By eating foods that reduce inflammation in the body, it\u2019s possible to look after your heart health and lower cardiovascular disease by improving the ratio of HDL to LDL in the body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Cholesterol has long been seen as a key culprit in cardiovascular disease. While it\u2019s true that cholesterol does play a role, not all cholesterol is bad for us. There are two main types of cholesterol. The first type is low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. This is often referred to as the \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol because it causes fat to collect in the arteries as plaques. This makes it harder for blood to pump throughout the body, leading to greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. The second type is high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol \u2014 often referred to as \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol. HDL cholesterol has two key roles in the body. It removes excess bad cholesterol from the tissues and arteries and returns it to the liver so it can be removed from the body. HDL cholesterol also protects the artery walls so there\u2019s less risk of a blockage forming. Boosting HDL The ratio of LDL to HDL in a person\u2019s body is related to their cardiovascular disease risk. If you have a higher ratio of HDL to LDL, your cardiovascular disea…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11973"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}