How to raise good HDL level

The newest research reveals that having an HDL level of 55mg/dL or higher helps your gut biome block common inflammatory signals so they don’t damage the liver. For the 25% of American adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, elevating HDL levels can help prevent serious complications such as cirrhosis.

We also know that HDL serves as a chemical shuttle, moving heart-damaging LDL cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver so it can be excreted. That helps protect you from atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

Research shows obesity and other diseases that trigger chronic inflammation actually turn one healthy form of HDL from a heart protector to a heart attacker. So how do you elevate your healthful HDL levels?

1. Upgrade your nutrition — Consume olive oil daily. It’s associated with increased HDL levels.

— Reduce your processed and total carb intake. One study found that compared to a highcarb weight-loss diet, folks on a low-carb diet had double the increase in HDL levels.

— Eat purple fruits and veggies and fatty fish like salmon and ocean trout. Studies on anthocyanins, extracts from purple foods, show they can boost HDL levels by around 14% to 19%. Another study found that eating fatty fish four times a week for eight weeks boosts HDL levels significantly.

2. Exercise every day. Walking for one hour a day for 24 weeks lowered BMI and shrank waist circumference, lowered glucose and triglyceride levels, reduced inflammatory markers and boosted HDL levels from 44 to almost 48mg/dL for participants in a study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

3. Lose weight. Over time, if you improve your nutrition and exercise more, you will shed excess pounds. Losing just 3% of your body weight can boost your HDL level significantly according to a 2013 study.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.