2 more ways to increase your HDL to protect your heart...

Today's post: Tuesday, 2-5-2008

Yesterday, I posted a set of supplements that increase HDL and seven other ways to increase HDL that I found in a medical education article.

Since the medical education article included statins as one of their methods, that means our post yesterday had seven methods that do not use drugs. The supplements plus the 6 ways to boost HDL from the article equals seven methods in yesterday’s post that did not use drugs. And, since all of those seven methods had added health benefits instead of side effects, we think well of them.

Here are two more that give you outstanding heart protection and other health benefits.:

1. This morning, I got an email advertising free information from a doctor who uses similar methods in his practice.

Adding up to half a raw onion to your food each day can increase your HDL cholesterol from 20 to 30 %. That’s a very substantial boost. It’s inexpensive as well.

Plus, there is even better news on this one. Onions also lower triglycerides with the sulfur compounds they contain. And, their main flavonoid, quercetin, also keeps your HDL from oxidizing and keeps your blood platelets from getting too sticky.

That set of things means that onions are one of the most heart protective foods you can eat.

The increased HDL helps clean your blood vessels.

And, the other actions of onions reduce the amount of harmful cholesterol by cutting the amount of the dangerous small sized LDL; by keeping your HDL from oxidizing; & by helping you avoid excessive clotting and restricted blood flow.

That means that onions also make your LDL safer and less likely to become obstructive plaque in your blood vessels. In addition, eating onions will tend to lower your blood pressure & help prevent the blood clots that trigger heart attacks & strokes.

There may also be evidence that onions prevent cancer and reduce inflammation.

If you eat sandwiches, they will be better for you if you include onion slices.

And, diced onions are a very flavorful addition to salsas, salads, coleslaw, and chili.

Even better, onions are so potent a health protector, you can eat less of them than the half an onion a day and still get plentiful benefits.

The important thing is to eat them often unless you are allergic to them.

2. In a separate health information email this morning, I read another way to increase your HDL, that, like eating onions, also has abundant other heart protective benefits.

The worst effect of eating foods that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, whether partially hydrogenated or fully hydrogenated, &/or any transfats from other sources is that they sharply increase the amount of the dangerous small particle LDL in your system. And, that means that they are quite literally heart attack starters, just like lit lighter fluid helps start BBQ fires. That happens because that kind of LDL sticks in the chinks in your blood vessel walls & builds up plaque deposits.

So, it’s really critical for your health to read labels & refuse to eat or buy food with that junk in it. Why pay money to give yourself a heart attack or a stroke?

The news I got this morning is that if you stop eating this stuff, your HDL cholesterol goes up also.

Conversely if you are eating these foods & continue, your HDL will be lower which helps prevent your artery plaque from being removed.

Unfortunately, these foods are not illegal world-wide or even in the United States as of now. And, they are or have been in shortening, almost all commercial baked goods, microwaved popcorn, some candy bars, some bread, most crackers, many other packaged snack foods – including some oil roasted nuts, & even ice cream.

Another benefit to boycotting these foods at the store & refusing to eat them is that most of these also have refined grains or sugars, so if you stop eating them, you’re likely to also lose fat.