Health Tips: Your body needs good cholesterol to stay healthy. Good cholesterol plays an important role in many important functions of the body, especially in maintaining a healthy heart. Good cholesterol is called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in English, while low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol helps in removing the plaque accumulated in the arteries. HDL levels should ideally be 60 mg/dL or higher, but not below 40 mg/dL.
Apart from medical factors such as obesity, diabetes, and smoking, diet also plays a major role in HDL levels. Good cholesterol is found naturally in many food sources. Here is a list of foods that will help in increasing the good cholesterol level. To improve health, it is important to include these good cholesterol foods in your diet.
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- Legumes, whole grains
Legumes such as beans, soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas contain high amounts of iron. The antioxidant kaempferol present in legumes has been proven to have health benefits such as reducing chronic inflammation. They are also good sources of folate, magnesium, and potassium and may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Apart from this, they reduce the level of bad cholesterol and increase the level of good cholesterol. - Nuts and Seeds
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts and cashews are good sources of folic acid. It also contains magnesium, iron, and monounsaturated fats, which improve blood sugar levels and increase energy levels. Seeds such as flaxseed, pumpkin, and chia are rich in iron. Seeds are also a great source of magnesium, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids that improve HDL levels. Nuts and seeds protect cells from harmful free radicals during the metabolic process.