How can I raise HDL?

pcn

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How can I raise HDL?

What types of foods or supplements are good for this? My recent blood work came back “OK�, but I would like to get the HDL value up. Thanks in advance - any and all comments are welcome!





Total Cholesterol 156

HDL(good) Chol 36

LDL Chol 107

Triglycerides 63

 
max-rot98 said:
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Thanks, I'm familiar with that thread. Unfortunately CEDeodes59's HDL was only 40, not much higher than mine. I already take most of what he mentions also. They helped get me down from some horrible total & LDL numbers, but I was wondering if there are other things I could do to specifically increase my HDL, maybe increasing EFA's (?) some other supplements? Thanks for the input.
 
Thanks for the repy. I understand what youre saying but I think I may have missed something. Your examples are about reducing LDL, not raising HDL. I use RYR, and it has done very well in helping lower my total and LDL, but my HDL needs to come up. So I'm looking for something that specifically targets LDL. I've read about something before, but didnt think to save it for future reference.
 
No apology needed. I wish everyone took time to respond with details and examples like you. Thanks again.
 
pcn said:
I understand what youre saying but I think I may have missed something. Your examples are about reducing LDL, not raising HDL. I use RYR, and it has done very well in helping lower my total and LDL, but my HDL needs to come up. So I'm looking for something that specifically targets LDL.
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Conjugated Linoleic Acid :
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Monounsaturated fats are usefull, since they help lower LDL and maintain HDL which improves the ratio.
Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil; don't cook with it just drizzle over food, use it in shakes or salad dressings.
 
Also look at your diet. All-Bran (or any high-fiber) cereal helps maintain good levels - and also keeps your GI low. Like Jonny21 said, add Olive Oil (or Safflower Oil) here and there.

Simply cutting your saturated fat intake will cut cholesterol as well.

Pay more attention to the ratio of the cholesterol you are at 1:~3 which isn't bad.

I also take baby aspirin ED.

My baseline level HDL 40 was not long after one of my 6000calorie M1T runs - if you have recently cycled, the HDL will be lower than it would be otherwise.
 
Like the mods will soon come to tell you, clomid is actually better for lipids. I don't get the emotional swings / PMS from it (somehow) so it is my choice of SERM for the future. Well, Clomid for 3weeks than Nolvadex for 3weeks.
 
Thanks all for the replies.

Dr. Death - I should have mentioned, the cholesterol results were for 4 weeks after a 4 week PCT using Nolva, after a 6 week Trimax/MDien (16 mg ED) cycle.

CEDoudes59 - I already eat oatmeal every morning to for its cholesterol lowering and after evaluating my diet I feel fairly safe in my saturated fat intake. In fact I had a hard time trying to find much of any. I felt good about the ratio, but would still like to get the HDL up some, though. I take 1 “real� asprin everyday as a result of seeing my BP elevated during several M1T cycles. I’ll look into the Olive oil. Do Flax and Fish oils have a similar effect?

SJA – I’ll look into the niacin too, thanks.
 
flax and fish oils = good, if not better for lipids

Flax is probably your best bet.

I like Safflower Oil though because it's truly tasteless.

fiber supplementation (or foods) is good as well
 
OK, I will give increasing my flax oil a try. I'm currently at 2 g flax, 6 g fish ED (caps).
 
Do you use flax oil caps? If so, consider buying flax oil in a bottle, and take a couple of tablespoons each day. I take 2 daily (thats about 30g...).
 
pcn said:
Do Flax and Fish oils have a similar effect?
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A similar effect in lowering LDL cholesterol, yes. As far as increasing HDL, no. Flax contains some oleic acid which has been shown to improve HDL. But Oleic acid makes up about ~75% of Extra Virgin Olive oil.
 
jonny21 said:
A similar effect in lowering LDL cholesterol, yes. As far as increasing HDL, no. Flax contains some oleic acid which has been shown to improve HDL. But Oleic acid makes up about ~75% of Extra Virgin Olive oil.
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Extra virgin vs. virgin olive oil:

Is there much difference from the effects you get - lipid reduction primary interest. I use light virgin oil (HEB brand) and prefer it to extra virgin due to taste preference. Extra virgin is harder to take in tablespoon doses b/c of the inherent funky taste. Thanks.

-Soma
:think:
 
soma said:
Extra virgin vs. virgin olive oil:

Is there much difference from the effects you get - lipid reduction primary interest. I use light virgin oil (HEB brand) and prefer it to extra virgin due to taste preference. Extra virgin is harder to take in tablespoon doses b/c of the inherent funky taste. Thanks.

-Soma
:think:
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The particulars of the Olive Oil Extraction process is beyond my realm of knowledge. I do know that Extra Virgin is cold pressed, no high temperature or chemicals are used. Other grades of Olive Oil are generally extracted in subsequent presses, high temperatures & chemicals are used.

I do know that heat can destroy/effect fatty acids. As far as the chemicals, who knows? Can't imagine it being beneficial.

As far as taste, don't drink it straight. Drizzle over brown rice, in mashed sweet potatoes... you get the idea.

Me personally, I like the flavor. Colavita is my favorite, I take it by tablespoon, put it in shakes, drizzle over couscous...
 
Came across this by accident and then remembered this thread...so here you go.

Guggul: The mukul myrrh tree (Commiphora mukul), native to tropical India, produces a sap from which guggul extract is produced. Its traditional use for high cholesterol dates back to 600 B.C. When tested in several clinical trials, a standardized guggul extract effectively lowered cholesterol by 11 percent and triglycerides by 17 percent. Guggul extract can also raise HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.5,6 Full benefits take about four weeks, but guggul's use appears to be safer than prescription statin drugs, which can have negative effects on the liver.

5. Li CJ, et al. Beta-lapachone, a novel DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor with a mode of action different from camptothecin. J Biol Chem 1993;268:22463-8.

6. Nityanand S, et al. Clinical trials with gugulipid. A new hypolipidaemic agent. J Assoc Physicians India 1989;37(5):323-8.
 
This one says guggul does not:
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EDIT: not very impressed with this study. Not much guggul. Higher dosed synth guggulesterones would obviously be a more potent and appropriate dosing protocol (for our purposes) than what these guys did.
 
Thanks! I have used it for PCT for a couple Trimax cycles and I "think" I saw some of the skin health benefits and didn’t have any rebound issues, but didn't realize it had cholesterol benefits. With so many suggestions my problem now is deciding which to try. I hate to try too many at one time, since if there is an improvement it is hard to attribute it to a specific supplement. But if I try each suggestion individually it could take a long time to pin point which works best for me. I guess I will read some more and pick a best mix and give that a try.
 
SJA said:
Niacin at 1-2 grams per day. Don't sweat the flush :D
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SJA, what time do you usually take your niacin? I read that you should take it before bedtime as your body creates/releases most of its cholesterol at night anyway.

Also, that way you don'y really even notice the flush since you just pop it and sleep.

BP
 
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