Keeping Your Heart Healthy By Brenda Williams At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Heart disease is caused by plaque build up in the arteries. Plaque is a mixture of cholesterol and other substances. The plaque attaches itself to the wall of the artery and narrows the space through which blood flows. Over time, this build-up interferes with blood flow to the heart. And as the blood flow to the heart diminishes, the risk of a heart attack increases.

However there is a form of cholesterol that does not clog arteries but actually keeps the heart healthy. Doctors call this the good or helpful cholesterol. The HDL cholesterol molecules protect the heart by trapping the LDL cholesterol and flushing it out of the bloodstream before it has an opportunity to attach to the walls of the arteries.

So having a high HDL cholesterol level is a protection against heart disease. Doctors recommend keeping a minimum level of 40 mg/dL but a HDL level ten points higher can lower your risk of heart attack by 50%. Yet, according to medical research, one fourth of the American population is below the minimum level.

However, there are many ways that you can raise your HDL levels. Your liver needs monounsaturated fats to manufacture HDL. So try to eat foods that are rich in these fats such as avocados, nut spreads and nuts. Pistachios in particular are beneficial. And cook with canola oil and olive oil.

Doctors also recommend thirty minutes a day of aerobic exercise such as walking, biking or jogging. However, twenty minutes of weightlifting performed at least three times will also help increase HDL levels.

It is important for people who are overweight to try to lose. Studies have found that you can raise HDL levels 2 mg/dL for every five pounds you drop.

Calcium has also been found to boost HDL levels. And calcium has many additional health benefits as well.

Drinking orange juice instead of soda is another way to raise HDL. And, if you drink orange juice daily, you can get calcium fortified orange juice.

Doctors have also found that red wine is heart healthy. They do not recommend that people who do not use alcohol start to drink wine. However, they do state that people who enjoy the occasional drink can benefit from a glass of red wine drank daily. But they also caution that you should limit your intake to one glass daily. Drinking more than one glass negates the benefits.

It is known that Niacin, sold in health food stores and nutrition centers, also raises HDL levels. However, there is a problem with Niacin as it can expose people to the risk of liver problems. Also, many people dislike Niacin because it causes a flushing sensation.

But there is a prescription form of niacin, known as Niaspan, which raises HDL with minimal flushing and no risk of liver damage. Niaspan is recommended for use when the other strategies do not work.

According to health authorities artery damage can begin as early as the teen years. But making the effort to protect your heart can result in a longer and healthier life.

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