Best supplement to increase HDL (good) cholesterol?

stormCat99

Hi,

Following blood tests I'm looking to increase my HDL cholesterol a little.

I know that exercise is part of that and will be doing that. But in addition I would like to take a supplement.

I know that Omega 3 fish oil is good for this however I am vegetarian so would not take that.

Wondered if anyone knew of anything else that was worth a look?

Many thanks

daska

How about going low carb - it's still possible even if you're veggie and probably more effective than taking a supplement.

Crocswearer

I'm pretty sure coconut oil is supposed to increase HDL.

grandma247

A low carb diet works, it brings down the 'bad' cholesterol too. I did it for five months then had more blood tests and all the figures came down to normal levels.

Any starch foods you do eat should be whole grains and limit your intake of starchy foods to two portions a day.
Eg. two slices of bread or 3/4 cup of rice or pasta or potato equals 1 portion.

There is a support thread on mse for those on a low carb diet.

stormCat99

Thanks for the replies. I will look into the low carb diet, although to be honest I can't imagine I have much as it is. I really ever have sandwiches, I do have potato with probably 5 out of 7 evening meals so I guess this is something I could cut down.

Thanks.

patchwork_cat

There are vegetarian sources of omega 3. Losing any excess weight, exercising, taking 2 portions of a benecol type product. As a vegetarian as well monitor your consumption of cheese.

Kaz2904

When we set up weezl's cheap family recipe site from here, I'm sure that one of the dietician (or other professionally qualified people in the know) researched and found that asda brand cheap vegetable oil is made from rape seed oil. This is apparently stuffed full of omega 3 and doesn't diminish with cooking. I hope this helps...

stormCat99

Thanks, I will look into the benefits of rapeseed oil.

Through my research over the last couple of days I've found that flaxseed oil is supposed to be Omega 3 rich, so I have purchased some of that to be going on with. But I am still looking into whether there is anything else I could be taking/doing.

Thank you for all the suggestions so far - I will also be looking in the o low carb option today.

daska

The 'problem' with omega 6 and 3 oils is not so much the how much as the ratio of one to the other. It's been suggested that the best ratio is between 1:1 and 1:5 whereas a typical western diet is between 10:1 and 30:1. (In context: rape seed oil has a ratio of 2:1, soy is 7:1 and sunflower apparently has no omega3 as all). But it's also been shown that increasing consumption of omega3 has little impact unless omega6 consumption is reduced.

Fire_Fox

boots_babe wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I will look into the low carb diet, although to be honest I can't imagine I have much as it is. I really ever have sandwiches, I do have potato with probably 5 out of 7 evening meals so I guess this is something I could cut down.

Thanks, I will look into the benefits of rapeseed oil.

Through my research over the last couple of days I've found that flaxseed oil is supposed to be Omega 3 rich, so I have purchased some of that to be going on with. But I am still looking into whether there is anything else I could be taking/doing.

Thank you for all the suggestions so far - I will also be looking in the o low carb option today.

What are you eating if you are not eating meat, fish or much carbs? Please don't try low carb if you are vegetarian unless recommended by a state-registered dietician or hospital consultant, that combination is far too restrictive to get all the nutrients you need. One of the most important official recommendations is to eat a wide variety of different foods. Low carb reduces your maximum exercise capacity and to affect cholesterol you need to be working at high intensities (interval training). It is healthier to eat low glycaemic index carbohydrates, these keep blood sugar levels low and stable in turn reducing systemic inflammation and the damage to the lining of the blood vessels which cholesterol sticks to.

You want around 3g DHA/ EPA per day, but the conversion rate of short chain omega-3 to the useable long chain format can be as low as 10% so the amount you need to supplement is absolutely huge. Try eating omega-enriched eggs (Columbus, Goldenlay) every day plus a marine algae supplement. This is the highest strength AFAIK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opti3-Vegetarian-Supplement-vegetarian-capsules/dp/B0055R0BN4/ref=sr_1_1
Daska is spot on about the ratio being key so be sure all your nuts, seeds and cooking oils are the ones highest in omega-3s, highest in monounsaturates AND lowest in omega-6s. Bear in mind wholegrains are also sources of omega-6s. Saturated animal fats affect the body's ability to convert short chain omega-3s to omega-6s. There is a cheddar called Super Light by Wyke farms that is made with vegetable oil and is quite decent tasting (not cooked tho).

Soluble fibre is important for removing unwanted cholesterol from the body - oat bran particularly is proven to be beneficial. Other source of soluble fibre include beans, lentils and barley. Raw garlic and certain berries contain compounds that may improve cholesterol profiles. Low levels of the mineral magnesium are linked with cholesterol issues: this is found in nuts, seeds, wholegrains, beans and lentils. Eating too much dairy can negatively impact magnesium levels.

floss2

Increase your oat intake by having porridge or an oat cereal daily; this will reduce the LDL level, and help improve your LDL:HDL ratio.